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Testing · head to head

Insomnia vs Katalon

Insomnia logo

Insomnia

Testing

REST and GraphQL API client for development and testing

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Katalon logo

Katalon

Testing

Commercial low-code test automation platform built on Appium and Selenium, priced per seat plus separate cloud session add-ons

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Insomnia has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Insomnia git Sync on the free tier covers up to 3 users only; Katalon real cost stacks three separate charges, per-seat authoring licence, the True Platform add-on for test management, and per-session cloud execution, so the advertised seat price significantly understates total spend for a team running cloud tests regularly.
  • They diverge on capability: Insomnia covers REST API Client, Katalon covers Low-code test recording.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Insomnia and Katalon actually diverge.

Attributes where Insomnia and Katalon differ
AttributeInsomniaKatalon
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumPer seat per month, plus separate per-session cloud execution charges
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, Linux, WebWeb, Windows, macOS
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Testing).

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 Insomnia

  • REST API Client
  • GraphQL Support
  • gRPC Support
  • GitHub
  • GitLab
  • Slack
  • Windows support
  • MacOS support

Only in Katalon

  • Low-code test recording
  • Built on Selenium and Appium
  • Object repository
  • AI-assisted test generation
  • TestCloud execution
  • TestOps management

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Insomnia

  • Sending and debugging HTTP, GraphQL and gRPC requestsnot Katalon
  • Storing collections in Git rather than a vendor cloudnot Katalon
  • Mocking an API endpoint before it existsnot Katalon
  • Running collections in CI with the Inso CLInot Katalon
  • Environment management across staging and productionnot Katalon

Katalon

  • A QA team wanting a lower-code authoring layer over Selenium and Appium for testers without deep coding backgroundsnot Insomnia
  • An organisation wanting test management and AI-assisted test maintenance bundled with automation authoring in one commercial productnot Insomnia
  • A team needing occasional cross-browser or device cloud sessions without maintaining its own device lab or Selenium Gridnot Insomnia
  • An enterprise wanting a single vendor and support contract for test authoring, management and cloud execution togethernot Insomnia

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

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

Katalon

  • Real cost stacks three separate charges, per-seat authoring licence, the True Platform add-on for test management, and per-session cloud execution, so the advertised seat price significantly understates total spend for a team running cloud tests regularly.
  • Since it is built on Selenium and Appium underneath, a team with strong automation engineers can replicate most of the core capability for free, paying only for optional cloud execution elsewhere, making Katalon's value proposition mainly about authoring speed rather than unique capability.
  • The steep first-three-seats discount versus the fourth-seat-and-beyond price means cost per seat rises sharply as a team scales past three testers on Katalon Studio alone.
  • Low-code recorded tests can become brittle and hard to maintain at scale in the same way any record-and-playback approach does, requiring the team to still write real code for complex scenarios.
  • Enterprise pricing is quote-only, so the largest deployments lose the pricing transparency the published seat tiers otherwise offer.

Pricing, plan by plan

Insomnia

Free
  • EssentialsFree
    • unlimited Cloud/Local projects
    • up to 3 users with Git Sync
    • 1,000 mock server requests/month
  • Pro$12/user/month
    • unlimited users with Git Sync access
    • unlimited organizations
    • role-based access control
  • Enterprise$45/user/month
    • Kong Konnect integration
    • SSO (SAML/OIDC)
    • SCIM provisioning

Katalon

On request
  • Katalon Studio$84/month
    • Annual billing, first three seats at 84 US dollars a seat a month
    • Fourth seat and beyond at 150 US dollars a seat a month
    • Low-code recording, object repository, Selenium and Appium engine underneath
  • True Automation$167/month
    • Annual billing, per seat
    • Includes Studio features plus test management and AI agents
    • True Platform TestOps and TestCloud sold as a further add-on at 700 US dollars a seat a year
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Custom quote for private SaaS and hybrid licensing
    • Dedicated support
    • Negotiated cloud session volume

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.
Insomnia review

Choose Katalon if

  • You need low-code test recording.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want built on selenium and appium.
Katalon review

Questions people ask

Is Insomnia or Katalon better?
Neither clearly leads. Insomnia starts at Free and Katalon at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Insomnia or Katalon?
Insomnia has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Insomnia and On request for Katalon.
Does Insomnia or Katalon run on more platforms?
Insomnia runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux, Web. Katalon runs on Web, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Insomnia for free?
Yes. Insomnia has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Katalon starts at On request.
What is Insomnia best used for?
Insomnia is most often used for sending and debugging http, graphql and grpc requests, storing collections in git rather than a vendor cloud, mocking an api endpoint before it exists, running collections in ci with the inso cli. Of those, sending and debugging http, graphql and grpc requests and storing collections in git rather than a vendor cloud are not what Katalon is typically brought in for.
What can Insomnia do that Katalon cannot?
Insomnia covers REST API Client, GraphQL Support, gRPC Support, GitHub. Katalon covers Low-code test recording, Built on Selenium and Appium, Object repository, AI-assisted test generation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Insomnia: How much does Insomnia cost?

Insomnia offers a free Essentials plan. Pro plans cost $12 per user per month with annual billing offering 17% savings. Enterprise plans cost $45 per user per month with support for up to 50 users self-serve; contact sales for larger teams.

Source
Katalon: Is Katalon free?

No, though a 30-day free trial with no credit card is offered; the product is commercial with per-seat licensing.

Insomnia: Is there a free version of Insomnia?

Yes, the Essentials plan is free and includes unlimited Cloud and Local projects, Git Sync for up to 3 users, 1,000 mock server requests per month, Inso CLI, E2EE, custom linting, plugins, and AI features.

Source
Katalon: Does Katalon replace Selenium and Appium?

No, it is built on top of them; Katalon adds a low-code authoring layer, test management and cloud execution rather than a different automation engine.

Insomnia: What mock server request limits apply to Insomnia plans?

Essentials includes 1,000 mock server requests per month. Pro includes 10,000 requests per month. Enterprise includes unlimited mock server requests. Additional mock server requests beyond plan allowances cost $10 per 25,000 requests.

Source
Katalon: Is cloud execution included in the seat price?

No, TestCloud cross-browser and mobile sessions are billed separately, at 197 US dollars a session monthly or 1,899 annually per session.

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