Kreya

Kreya is a desktop API client for developers who work across protocols and want testing and automation alongside request exploration. It is a strong fit for individual developers and teams using Git-based workflows; the free plan’s one-request history and telemetry collection are worth weighing before adoption.

Overview

Kreya combines API exploration with scripted and snapshot testing, then carries those workflows into CI/CD through a headless CLI that produces JUnit reports. That makes it more than a request tool: teams can keep API work in version control and run checks in their pipelines. Structured JSON projects are designed for Git diffs, reviews, and versioning, a practical fit for collaborative workflows.

Its scope is unusually broad across API styles: gRPC, REST, GraphQL, WebSockets, and Server-Sent Events. It can watch and import OpenAPI specs, GraphQL schemas, and protobufs. Developers can also bring in Postman or Insomnia collections, HAR files, cURL commands, gRPCurl, and grpc web curl data, which can ease a move from existing tools.

Key features

The reusable authentication vault supports OAuth 2.0, OIDC, Basic, API keys, mTLS, AWS SigV4, Kerberos, NTLM, and JWT Profile. That breadth should suit services with varied authentication requirements. Secret manager integration is marked as coming soon, however, so teams that require it will need another way to manage secrets.

Kreya says app data stays on the device and describes the product as privacy-first. Its privacy policy also says the app and CLI collect anonymized telemetry. The maker says it monitors its services for potential vulnerabilities and attacks and takes reasonable protective measures. Kreya is not open source, which may rule it out for organizations that require an open-source client.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing and is aimed at individuals. Its defining trade-off is request history limited to the latest request, so it works for trying Kreya or short-lived exploration but is restrictive when revisiting prior calls matters. Support is via GitHub and email on a best-effort basis.

Pro costs $5 a month, billed monthly. It adds scripting and testing, collections and scripts, snapshot testing, a full-featured CLI, and email support, with a maximum reaction time of 48 business hours. This is the better fit for developers who need repeatable tests or CI/CD use; the listed plan features make the free tier the more limited choice for those workflows.

Enterprise has custom pricing for organizations. It includes license administration, priority support, offline licensing, and unlimited-user flat-rate pricing; its maximum support reaction time is 24 business hours. It is the relevant option for organizations needing those licensing and support provisions. A 10-day trial is offered.

Platforms

Kreya runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Its desktop focus suits developers who want a local client, while the CLI extends its use to headless CI/CD pipelines. It has no mock server, so teams looking for that capability will need a separate tool.

Who it's for

Kreya suits developers and teams working across multiple API protocols, especially those who want to import existing requests, keep project files reviewable in Git, and run tests in CI/CD. Individuals can start free, but the one-request history cap makes it a limited long-term tier. Teams that depend on secret manager integration or require open-source software should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

Pros: Five protocol types and imports from multiple common formats make it useful in mixed API environments.

Pros: Scripted and snapshot tests, a headless CLI, and JUnit reports connect API work to CI/CD.

Pros: Structured JSON projects support Git review and versioning.

Cons: The free plan retains only the latest request, limiting its usefulness for ongoing work.

Cons: Secret manager integration is not yet available, and the product is not open source.

Cons: Anonymized telemetry is collected by the app and CLI despite the maker's device-local-data positioning.

Alternatives

For a different gRPC workflow, FintX offers unlimited gRPC clients, auto-save, import/export, tabs, a JSON editor, and projects on its free open-source plan. Choose protoc-gen-doc or sabledocs instead when the need is protobuf documentation rather than an API client: the former is MIT-licensed, while the latter is an open-source static generator requiring Python 3.11+ and a Protobuf descriptor file.

grpcui, GripMock, gRPC CLI, grpcmd, and ProtoCall are other options to compare for gRPC-related work.

Browse the gRPC Tools, API clients, and API Testing Tools directories for more options.

Verdict

Choose Kreya if you need one desktop client for protocol-spanning API work, Git-friendly projects, and test automation that can run in CI/CD. Its breadth and Pro plan’s testing and CLI features are the main reasons to choose it; look elsewhere if a one-request free history, telemetry collection, the lack of open source, or missing secret manager integration is a deal-breaker.