Insomnia vs Scalar
Insomnia and Scalar are both API & developer docs tools. Insomnia is aimed at developers and small businesses, while Scalar is aimed at developers. Insomnia costs less, from $12/mo versus $150/mo for Scalar. Both have a free plan.
Open-source API client for REST, GraphQL, gRPC and MCP from Kong
Open-source API docs and client
| Pricing | Open source · $12 | Open source · $150 |
| Starting price | $12/mo | $150/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days | 7 days |
| Built for | Developers, Small businesses, Enterprise | Developers |
| Platforms | macos, windows, linux | web |
| Country | US · 2015 | DE · 2023 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Insomnia if
Developers who want a fast, local-first, open-source API client with Git-based collaboration.
- Open-source core under the Apache 2.0 license
- Local-first storage keeps sensitive requests off the cloud
- Clean, fast interface that is lighter than Postman
Look elsewhere if: Teams that need a full API platform with published docs and broad workspace collaboration (Postman, Apidog, Stoplight).
Choose Scalar if
Developers wanting modern free API docs.
- Beautiful UI
- Open source
- Free
Look elsewhere if: Enterprise portals.
Insomnia vs Scalar pricing
Insomnia
- Essentials$0Local, Git and cloud projects; Git Sync for up to 3 users
- Pro$12/user/mo$10 billed annually; unlimited users, RBAC, 10K mock requests
- Enterprise$45/user/moSelf-serve up to 50 users; SSO, SCIM, storage policies
Scalar
- Free$0Up to 3 APIs, 1 editor seat, 1 SDK up to 25 endpoints
- Pro$150/mo$125/mo billed yearly; 5 seats, 15 APIs
- Business$600/mo$500/mo billed yearly; SSO, 10 seats, 25 APIs
- EnterpriseCustomSLAs and migration services
Insomnia · Key features
- Requests for REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket, SSE and Socket.IO
- MCP client for testing Model Context Protocol servers
- OpenAPI design editor with live preview and linting
- Local, Git or end-to-end encrypted cloud storage per project
- Collection runner with pre- and post-request scripts and tests
- Mock servers built from specs, responses or plain-language prompts
Cons
- Collaboration and API documentation features trail Postman
- Free Git Sync is limited to 3 users
- Past login and sync changes hurt community trust
Scalar · Key features
- Modern API reference
- API client
- Framework integrations
- Hosted docs
- Open source
- Themes
Cons
- Younger
- Fewer enterprise features
- Smaller community
Insomnia vs Scalar: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Insomnia or Scalar?
Insomnia starts at $12/mo and Scalar at $150/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Insomnia and Scalar have a free plan?
Yes, both Insomnia and Scalar have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, Insomnia or Scalar?
Insomnia lists small businesses as a core audience, while Scalar is aimed more at developers.