Insomnia Alternative: Hoppscotch - Open Source, Self-Hosted API Development Ecosystem
Tags: opensource, webdev, github
Published: 2023-10-02 10:20:49

Over the past week, we've observed a growing trend of people seeking alternatives to Insomnia, as they yearn for a more suitable option.

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1696221164686/eda7f62e-dd5f-456b-871f-d0c9200b89b8.png)

I'm trying to cover a 1-on-1 comparison of features of Insomnia and how Hoppscotch can help you build, test, and share APIs:

At [**Hoppscotch**](https://hoppscotch.io/), we are building an API development ecosystem with a core focus on providing the best developer experience. In this blog, we will explore the features of Hoppscotch and explain how it can enhance your API-building and testing experience.

## **Open Source**

​Hoppscotch's open-source nature has helped to keep the contributors, users, and developers in sync. The transparency and trust built over time have led to swiftly addressing the issues, conducting open discussions on feature requests, and delivering a stable and reliable platform.

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1694798927059/39cb7fca-7f61-4f28-a297-87d04df0735e.jpeg)

## **Collections**

As the name suggests, a collection is an organized group of API requests. With Hoppscotch, you can create any number of collections and organize the saved requests inside folders for better navigation.

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1694798946959/48a3531c-6a98-4057-81c4-a904c308d953.jpeg)

## **Multi-Protocol Support**

Execute [REST](https://docs.hoppscotch.io/documentation/getting-started/rest/creating-a-request) API requests, and [GraphQL](https://docs.hoppscotch.io/documentation/getting-started/graphql/creating-a-query) queries, and work with [Real-time protocols](https://docs.hoppscotch.io/documentation/getting-started/realtime/websocket) like Web Socket, Socket.IO, SSE, and MQTT.

## **Environments**

An environment is a reusable set of key-value pairs that can be utilized in creating requests and writing scripts. It also helps to manage the shared data among the team members in a workspace. While accessing the environment variables in the Request URL Bar, Hoppscotch offers an edit property to make changes to the variables then and there if needed.

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1694799079330/0c15b456-7045-490e-a032-717aa274ae59.jpeg)

## **Tests and Scripts**

Create test cases and perform test runs on responses you receive after sending requests. Hoppscotch provides JavaScript APIs that can be used in writing [pre-request scripts](https://docs.hoppscotch.io/documentation/features/scripts) and building [tests](https://docs.hoppscotch.io/documentation/features/rest-api-testing). Use snippets present at the sidebar for different fields to know more about them.

## **History**

Keep track of your API requests and responses with Hoppscotch. As soon as you hit send to initiate a request, the call is recorded by Hoppscotch and saved under History. To check out the past requests click on the History icon and access when needed.

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1694799144419/39f9b9c3-bdc6-4a49-a901-d6e995608b4a.jpeg)

## **Team Collaboration**

Use Hoppscotch Teams to create an instant API development environment with your team members or invite collaborators outside your organization to contribute to it. Manage the permissions and assign suitable roles as needed.

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1694799163193/86a1c11f-c8f1-4c97-a2ea-7a07b1b584ff.jpeg)

## **Hoppscotch CLI**

Set up Hoppscotch CLI and configure your APIs by exporting the collections and environments. Follow a set of commands to get a test summary of the API.

## **Self-Host Support**

To attain complete control of your API development workflow try Hoppscotch's self-host version. [Configure and set up Hoppscotch on your local machine](https://docs.hoppscotch.io/documentation/self-host/getting-started) and get access to the admin dashboard where you can manage teams and users in your workspace.

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1694799215983/63a295a1-735f-4942-bc75-58deea781c80.jpeg)

And that's a wrap. Explore [Hoppscotch](https://github.com/hoppscotch/hoppscotch) and stay tuned with releases to track what's cooking and new on our platform.

If you want to contribute to OSS and make an impact, I believe it is a [great place to start](https://github.com/hoppscotch/hoppscotch) & build out amazing things. Oh, remember to Star the repo as well.

{% github https://github.com/hoppscotch/hoppscotch no-readme %}