Yaak
A fast, local-first desktop API client for REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSockets and SSE.
- Verified facts
- 5 of 5
- Alternatives ranked
- 6
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About Yaak
Yaak is a desktop API client created by the original author of Insomnia, built to be quick and uncluttered. It handles REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSockets and Server-Sent Events in one app, with environments, template functions, request chaining, cookie handling and detailed timelines of every redirect and header. Workspaces can sync to a folder as plain files, so you can keep them in Git, and secrets are encrypted with keys stored in your operating system's keychain. It is local-first, needs no account, works offline and sends no telemetry, and there is also a CLI and an MCP server for coding agents. The source is MIT licensed, and the app is free for personal use; using it at work needs a paid individual or business licence, with a 30-day trial. It runs on Mac, Windows and Linux. The trade-offs are a younger plugin ecosystem than Postman's and fewer team collaboration features. It suits developers who want a fast, private alternative to Postman or Insomnia.
Best for: Developers who want a fast, private desktop client and dislike cloud accounts.
Pros and cons
What works
- REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket and SSE in one app
- Local-first, no account, no telemetry
- Git-friendly file sync
- MIT-licensed source
Why people leave
- Commercial use needs a paid licence
- Smaller plugin ecosystem than Postman
- Limited real-time team collaboration
Top Yaak alternatives
See all 6- 1
Insomnia68.8The app Yaak's creator built first, with cloud and Git sync for teams.
- 2
Bruno64.8Free, open-source and Git-native, with a plain-text collection format.
- 3
Hoppscotch59.4Open-source and browser-based, with a self-hostable team edition.
- 4KrKreya55.3
A similar local-first desktop client with especially strong gRPC tooling.
- 5
Restfox53.6A minimal, free, open-source client for web and desktop.
Why people left Yaak
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Reviews
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Yaak: common questions
Is Yaak free?
Yaak has a free plan and paid plans.
Is Yaak open source?
Yes. The source code is on GitHub at mountain-loop/yaak.
What platforms does Yaak run on?
Yaak is available for macOS, Windows and Linux.
What are the best alternatives to Yaak?
The highest-ranked Yaak alternatives right now are Insomnia, Bruno and Hoppscotch. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.