Explore Yaak, a local-first desktop API client for REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket, and SSE testing, plus its features, open-source license, and pricing.
Yaak is a desktop API client for building and testing HTTP, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket, and Server-Sent Events requests. It was created by Mountain Loop Labs, founded by the developer behind Insomnia, and launched in January 2024 as a local-first alternative to cloud-account-based API tools.
The core idea behind Yaak is that developer tools should not require an account, an internet connection, or trust in a third-party cloud to function. Requests and collections are stored as plain text files on the local machine, which makes them naturally version-controllable with Git and portable between machines.
Yaak targets individual developers and small engineering teams who want a fast, native API client with strong privacy defaults, while still offering a paid commercial license and team features for organizations that need them.
Yaak supports multiple protocols in a single client, including REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket, and Server-Sent Events, so developers do not need separate tools for each type of API.
Its local-first architecture stores collections as plain text and integrates with Git for version control, while secrets and credentials can be stored using ChaCha20-Poly1305 encryption.
Additional productivity features include request chaining and dynamic templating with variables, multiple windows for parallel projects, a CLI and agent support for automation, and over 30 customizable interface themes.
Migration is supported through direct import from Postman, Insomnia, OpenAPI, curl, and Swagger, making it straightforward to move existing collections into Yaak.
Yaak's source code is MIT-licensed, so developers can build it from source and use it for free, including commercially, without purchasing a license.
The official pre-built desktop application is free for personal, non-commercial use and includes a 30-day full-featured trial with no credit card required.
Commercial use requires a paid license: Individual is $79 per year or $349 as a one-time lifetime purchase for a single person on up to three devices, while Business is $149 per user per year and adds transferable licenses, SSO, user provisioning, and priority support for teams. Non-profits and bulk purchasers can contact Yaak's sales team for discounts.
Yaak is free for personal, non-commercial use. A paid Individual or Business license is required for use at work.
Yes, Yaak's source code is MIT-licensed and available on GitHub, allowing free use by anyone who builds it from source.
Yaak supports HTTP/REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket, and Server-Sent Events requests.
Yes, Yaak supports direct import from Postman, Insomnia, OpenAPI, curl, and Swagger.
Yaak was built by Mountain Loop Labs, founded by the developer who previously created and sold Insomnia.
No, Yaak is local-first and stores requests and collections as plain text files on your machine rather than in a mandatory cloud account.
The Business license is $149 per user per year and includes SSO, user provisioning, and priority support.
Yes, Yaak is designed to work fully offline without requiring an internet connection.