Insomnia vs SwaggerHub
Insomnia and SwaggerHub are both API & developer docs tools. Insomnia is aimed at developers and small businesses, while SwaggerHub is aimed at developers and enterprise. Insomnia costs less, from $12/mo versus $25/mo for SwaggerHub. Only Insomnia has a free plan.
Open-source API client for REST, GraphQL, gRPC and MCP from Kong
SmartBear's hosted OpenAPI design, governance and docs platform
| Pricing | Open source · $12 | Paid · $25 |
| Starting price | $12/mo | $25/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | 14 days | — |
| Built for | Developers, Small businesses, Enterprise | Developers, Enterprise |
| Platforms | macos, windows, linux | web |
| Country | US · 2015 | US |
| 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 SwaggerHub if
API-first engineering organizations that need a governed, shared OpenAPI catalog with docs, reuse and contract testing.
- Built by the team that maintains the Swagger tooling
- Strong governance and reuse for organizations with many APIs
- Git sync and API gateway deployment integrations
Look elsewhere if: Small teams that only need nice-looking docs from an existing spec (Redocly, ReadMe) or a visual design editor (Stoplight).
Insomnia vs SwaggerHub 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
SwaggerHub
- Individual$25/mo$19/mo billed annually; 1 user, 5 domains, 1 portal product
- Team$35/user/mo$29/user/mo billed annually; 10 domains, 2 portal products
- Enterprise$59/user/mo$49/user/mo billed annually; standardization, unlimited domains
- Enterprise PlusCustomUnlimited portals, contracts and test runs; custom templates
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
SwaggerHub · Key features
- Collaborative OpenAPI and AsyncAPI editor with form-based editing
- Reusable domains (component libraries) shared across APIs
- Style-guide standardization and governance rules on Enterprise
- Auto-generated interactive docs and hosted API portal
- Server stub and client SDK generation with Swagger Codegen
- Contract testing built on the Pact ecosystem
Cons
- No permanent free plan for the hosted product
- Add-ons for portal branding, SSO and testing raise costs
- Repeated renames (SwaggerHub, API Hub, Swagger) cause confusion
Insomnia vs SwaggerHub: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Insomnia or SwaggerHub?
Insomnia starts at $12/mo and SwaggerHub at $25/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Insomnia and SwaggerHub have a free plan?
Insomnia has a free plan. SwaggerHub has no free plan.
Which is better for small businesses, Insomnia or SwaggerHub?
Insomnia lists small businesses as a core audience, while SwaggerHub is aimed more at developers and enterprise.