Insomnia vs SoapUI
Insomnia
insomnia.rest
SoapUI
soapui.orgSide by side
| Figure | Insomnia | SoapUI |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $12/mo | $89.08/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 5 |
| Spec score · Testing And Qa | 8.7 (#5) | 8.9 (#3) |
| Spec score · API clients | 8.8 (#9) | 9.5 (#1) |
| Spec score · API Development Tools | 8.7 (#9) | 8.9 (#8) |
| Spec score · API Testing Tools | 8.6 (#10) | 8.8 (#8) |
| API mocking | It can generate API mocks from collections, OpenAPI specifications, API responses, or natural-language descriptions, locally or in the cloud. | MockServices can be generated from WSDL and run locally to simulate client behavior. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| GraphQL support | Yes | Yes |
| Protocols | The API client supports HTTP, REST, gRPC, GraphQL, WebSockets, SOAP, and SSE. | The product page lists SOAP/WSDL, REST, GraphQL, and JMS protocol support. |
| What it does | Insomnia is an AI-native API collaboration platform for designing, testing, debugging, mocking, and governing APIs. | SoapUI is a desktop tool for interactive and automated testing of SOAP, REST and HTTP web services. |
Plans
SoapUI
- ReadyAPI trialFree
- SoapUI Open SourceFree
- ReadyAPI API Functional & Security Testing$1,069 a year
- ReadyAPI API & Service Virtualization$1,415 a year
- ReadyAPI Performance Small$7,389 a year
In their own words
Insomnia
Insomnia is an API collaboration platform for designing, testing, debugging, mocking, and governing APIs. Its client supports HTTP, REST, gRPC, GraphQL, WebSockets, SOAP, and SSE. Design workflows include OpenAPI spec-first work, live previews, and generation of collections, tests, and mocks. Mocks can be generated from collections, OpenAPI specifications, API responses, or natural-language descriptions, locally or in the cloud. The collection runner supports unlimited runs, JavaScript before-request and after-response scripts, chained requests, and CI/CD execution through Inso CLI. Insomnia also connects to HTTP and STDIO MCP servers, supports custom tool parameters, and provides MCP authentication event logs. API data can stay local, reside in a Git repository, or be stored in Insomnia Cloud with optional end-to-end encryption. Teams can share projects, collections, mocks, and design specifications with organization controls and real-time collaboration indicators. Essentials is free; Pro is $12 a month per user, and Enterprise is $45 a month per user. It supports Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted use.
SoapUI
SoapUI is an open-source tool for testing REST, SOAP, and GraphQL web services. It supports drag-and-drop creation of functional and regression tests, assertions, and data-driven tests, and can create service mocks from WSDL. The listed protocols also include JMS and SOAP/WSDL. Functional tests can be extended into load testing, including runs from command-line tools. Named automation integrations include Maven, Hudson, Bamboo, JUnit, and Ant, and SoapUI can run from other CI tools. It can configure incoming and outgoing WS-Security, including encryption, signatures, SAML, keystores, and truststores. SoapUI is described as cross-platform for Windows, Mac, and Linux/Unix. The open-source edition is listed for basic functional and performance testing; security testing appears among expanded capabilities associated with ReadyAPI. The listed SoapUI Open Source plan is free and includes API testing, mocking, and command-line automation. SmartBear describes it as a starting point for developers and testers, with support and a community forum linked on the site.