Yaak is great software.
Scrapeman makes different tradeoffs.
Yaak is the local-first desktop API client from the original creator of Insomnia. We respect the work. Scrapeman picks a different license and a different focus: fully Apache 2.0 open source, a native Scrape.do proxy mode for engineers hitting real-world sites, and a built-in load runner. Same local-first values, different center of gravity.
License and availability
Where the tradeoffs live
| Scrapeman | Yaak | |
|---|---|---|
| Source license | Apache 2.0 | MIT |
| Patent grant | Yes (Apache 2.0 §3) | No (MIT is silent on patents) |
| Commercial license tier | Not applicable, single license | Sold separately for business use |
| Native Scrape.do proxy | First-class integration | Generic proxy only |
| Single-request load runner | Built in with validator | Not in the box |
| Project backing | Funded by Scrape.do | Solo developer + sponsorships |
Yaak wins on binary size and memory footprint thanks to Tauri. If that matters most to you, Yaak is a solid pick.
Key differences
Four honest distinctions
Apache 2.0 with a patent grant
Yaak ships its source under MIT. MIT permits everything Apache 2.0 does for the source code itself, but it is silent on patents. Yaak.app also sells separate commercial licenses for businesses that want support and extras.
How Scrapeman handles it
Scrapeman is Apache 2.0. Same freedoms as MIT to fork and ship, plus an explicit patent grant in §3 that large enterprises and procurement teams tend to prefer for compliance reviews. One license, no commercial tier on top.
Native Scrape.do proxy mode
Yaak supports generic HTTP and SOCKS proxies. There is no built-in knowledge of residential rotation, JS rendering, geo targeting, or automatic ban retry.
How Scrapeman handles it
Scrapeman has a per-request Scrape.do toggle. The main process rewrites the URL to api.scrape.do, forwards residential rotation, JS rendering, and geo targeting fields, and handles retries for you.
Built-in load runner
Yaak focuses on single requests and scripting. Stress testing a single endpoint means reaching for a separate tool like k6, vegeta, or hey.
How Scrapeman handles it
Scrapeman ships a load runner in the request view. Bounded concurrency, live p50/p95/p99, status histogram, response validator for status code and body-contains, abortable mid-run.
Backed by a scraping company
Yaak is maintained by one developer. Greg ships great software and has since the original Insomnia days, but the continuity of a solo project is tied to one person.
How Scrapeman handles it
Scrapeman is funded and maintained by Scrape.do, a profitable scraping infrastructure company. The project is part of the business, and the team writes code with AI pair programming to keep shipping fast.
Try it free. Keep it free.
Apache 2.0, no account, no telemetry. Use Yaak too. Pick the tool that fits the job.
Download Scrapeman