What is the difference between Insomnia and Hoppscotch?

Insomnia is best for Developers wanting a lightweight REST and GraphQL client, while Hoppscotch is best for Developers wanting a fast, open-source API client. Insomnia starts at Free and Hoppscotch starts at Free.

Is Insomnia or Hoppscotch cheaper?

Insomnia starts at Free with a free tier. Hoppscotch starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Hoppscotch?

Both Insomnia and Hoppscotch offer free tiers.

Insomnia vs Hoppscotch

Insomnia is Open-source API client for REST, GraphQL, and gRPC with environment variables and plugin support, while Hoppscotch is Open-source API development ecosystem with real-time WebSocket testing and team collaboration. Insomnia is built for developers wanting a lightweight rest and graphql client, whereas Hoppscotch targets developers wanting a fast, open-source api client.

At a glance

	Insomnia	Hoppscotch
Best for	Developers wanting a lightweight REST and GraphQL client	Developers wanting a fast, open-source API client
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	✓	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	✓	✓
GraphQL	✓	—
Open Source	—	✓
Plugins	✓	—
REST	✓	—
Real-Time	—	✓
Team Collab	—	✓
WebSocket	—	✓
gRPC	✓	—

Insomnia

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Includes REST as a core feature, purpose-built for api development workflows
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
Free for individuals — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in api development
Community support can be slower than the dedicated support teams at commercial alternatives

Try Insomnia → Full review

Hoppscotch

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in api development

Try Hoppscotch → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Both Insomnia and Hoppscotch are free. You can try both without spending a dollar.

Feature gaps: Insomnia offers GraphQL, Plugins and REST that Hoppscotch lacks. Hoppscotch brings Open Source, Real-Time and Team Collab that Insomnia does not have.

Team fit: Insomnia is geared toward individual users and small setups, while Hoppscotch is aimed at any size teams. Pick the one that matches where your team is today and where it is headed — migrating tools later is always painful.

Open source: Both Insomnia and Hoppscotch are open source, so self-hosting and code audits are on the table with either choice.

Where each tool shines: Insomnia's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. includes rest as a core feature, purpose-built for api development workflows. Hoppscotch's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development.

Watch out for: With Insomnia, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Hoppscotch, the main complaint is that may lack some advanced features.

Choose Insomnia if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: developers wanting a lightweight rest and graphql client
You specifically need GraphQL and Plugins
You care about includes rest as a core feature, purpose-built for api development workflows
Your team size fits the individuals profile Insomnia is designed for
The free tier works for you: free for individuals

Choose Hoppscotch if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: developers wanting a fast, open-source api client
You specifically need Open Source and Real-Time
You care about open-source codebase gives you full transparency and community-driven development
Your team size fits the any size profile Hoppscotch is designed for