Free Insomnia Alternative
Insomnia is a popular open-source API client known for being lighter and more affordable than Postman, offering a free Hobby plan with core features and a Pro plan at $12/user/month for team collaboration and cloud sync. Insomnia supports REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and WebSocket APIs with a clean desktop interface. However, it still requires installing a desktop application and creating an account (even for the free tier). If you need a quick, no-install API testing tool for simple HTTP requests without the overhead of account management, Fixie's API Request Builder provides an instant browser-based alternative.
Try API Request Builder Free →API Request Builder vs Insomnia
| Feature | Fixie API Request Builder | Insomnia |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | Free Hobby plan, $12/user/month for Pro |
| Signup Required | No | Yes (required even for free tier) |
| Installation | None (runs in browser) | Desktop app required |
| Privacy / Data Handling | Requests stay in your browser | Cloud sync on Pro plan, local storage on Hobby |
| Protocols Supported | HTTP/REST | REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket, SOAP |
| Request Organization | No (single requests) | Collections, folders, environments |
| Git Sync | No | Yes (Pro plan) |
| Team Collaboration | No | Unlimited collaborators (Pro plan) |
| cURL Import/Export | Yes | Yes |
| AI-Powered Features | No | Yes (autogenerated mocks, AI commits) |
Why Choose Fixie?
Insomnia is a solid API client for developers who find Postman too heavy or expensive. It's open-source, supports multiple protocols (REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket), and offers a generous free Hobby plan with unlimited local projects. The desktop app is cleaner and faster than Postman, making it popular with developers who value simplicity.
However, Insomnia still requires downloading and installing a desktop application, creating an account (mandatory even for the free tier), and managing local vs. cloud storage depending on your plan. For quick API testing — checking an endpoint, debugging a response, or copying data from an API — this setup can feel like overkill.
Fixie's API Request Builder is designed for zero-friction API testing. Open the browser, paste your URL, send the request, and get your response. No account, no app download, no local storage to manage. Your requests are sent directly from your browser to the API endpoint without Fixie logging or storing anything. This makes it ideal for one-off tests, working on shared/public computers, or testing APIs with sensitive data where you don't want requests stored in a cloud-synced account.
How to Use API Request Builder
Step 1: Open the API Request Builder
Navigate to fixie.tools/api-tester — works instantly in any browser, no account creation needed.
Step 2: Build Your Request
Enter the API endpoint URL, choose the HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE), add custom headers (like Authorization or Content-Type), and paste your request body if needed. Supports JSON, XML, form data, and plain text.
Step 3: Send & Inspect
Click 'Send Request' to execute the API call. The response appears below with syntax-highlighted JSON/XML, status code, response headers, and timing information.
Step 4: Export or Share
Copy the response data, export the request as a cURL command, or share the cURL with teammates for reproduction.