Testing & QA · head to head
Cypress vs Insomnia
Cypress
Testing & QA
JavaScript end-to-end testing framework with browser-based runner and cloud service
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Insomnia
Testing & QA
REST and GraphQL API client for development and testing
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Cypress limited to web applications; mobile and desktop app testing not supported; Insomnia git Sync on the free tier covers up to 3 users only
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Cypress and Insomnia actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Testing & QA).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Cypress
Nothing recorded that Insomnia does not also cover.
Only in Insomnia
- REST API Client
- GraphQL Support
- gRPC Support
- GitHub
- GitLab
- Slack
- Windows support
- MacOS support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Cypress
- End-to-end testing for modern JavaScript web applicationsnot Insomnia
- Continuous integration pipelines with parallelised test executionnot Insomnia
- Visual regression testing and accessibility verificationnot Insomnia
- Flaky test detection and eliminationnot Insomnia
- Team collaboration on test maintenance and debuggingnot Insomnia
Insomnia
- Sending and debugging HTTP, GraphQL and gRPC requestsnot Cypress
- Storing collections in Git rather than a vendor cloudnot Cypress
- Mocking an API endpoint before it existsnot Cypress
- Running collections in CI with the Inso CLInot Cypress
- Environment management across staging and productionnot Cypress
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Cypress
- Limited to web applications; mobile and desktop app testing not supported
- Free tier capped at 500 test results/month; insufficient for most development teams
- Paid features (flake detection, analytics) not included in free tier
- JavaScript/TypeScript focused; less suitable for polyglot organisations
Insomnia
- Git Sync on the free tier covers up to 3 users only
- Mock servers are capped at 1,000 requests a month on free, then $10 per 25,000
- Role-based access control requires Pro at $12 per user per month
- SSO, SCIM and vault integrations are Enterprise only at $45 per user per month
- Working without an account is limited to the local-only Scratch Pad
Pricing, plan by plan
Cypress
Free- Starter (Free)Free
- 500 test results/month
- 100 prompt executions/month
- Parallelisation
- Team$67/month
- 120k test results/year
- 9k prompt executions/year
- Flake detection
- Business$267/month
- 120k test results/year
- 24k prompt executions/year
- Spec prioritisation
- Enterprise$null/custom
- 1.8M test results/year
- 60k prompt executions/year
- Unlimited users
Insomnia
Free- FreeFree
- REST, GraphQL, gRPC support
- Local data
- Pro$5/monthly
- Cloud sync
- Team collaboration
- Advanced features
- Team$30/monthly
- Team management
- Advanced analytics
- Priority support
Which should you pick?
Choose Insomnia if
- You need rest api client.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux, Web.
- You also want graphql support.
Questions people ask
- Is Cypress or Insomnia better?
- Neither clearly leads. Cypress starts at Free and Insomnia at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Cypress or Insomnia?
- Cypress starts at Free and Insomnia at Free.
- Does Cypress or Insomnia run on more platforms?
- Cypress runs on macOS, Windows, Linux. Insomnia runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux, Web.
- Can I use Cypress for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Cypress best used for?
- Cypress is most often used for end-to-end testing for modern javascript web applications, continuous integration pipelines with parallelised test execution, visual regression testing and accessibility verification, flaky test detection and elimination. Of those, end-to-end testing for modern javascript web applications and continuous integration pipelines with parallelised test execution are not what Insomnia is typically brought in for.
- What can Cypress do that Insomnia cannot?
- Insomnia covers REST API Client, GraphQL Support, gRPC Support, GitHub.