The API Tooling Crisis: Why Your Favorite Tool Keeps Getting Worse

TL;DR Postman removed offline mode. Insomnia locked collections behind mandatory login. Thunder Client paywalled git sync. The pattern is consistent: a developer tool gains adoption, raises funding or gets acquired, then reduces the free/local experience to drive paid conversion. If you want to avoid repeating migrations, evaluate API tools for three things: local-first architecture, no mandatory cloud sync, and a business model that does not depend on locking core workflows behind paid tiers. A