A gRPC client that feels like it came with your Mac
Type a server address, pick a method from the sidebar, edit the request as JSON and press ⌘↩. Written in Swift and AppKit, with no account to create and no telemetry.
Buy istek · $29macOS 14.0+ · Apple Silicon
- Download
- 6.1 MB
- Memory in use
- 24 MB
- Launch to window
- 0.26 s
- Hosts it contacts
- 0
Reflection or .proto, unary or streaming
When you connect, istek asks the server for its services and lists
them in the sidebar. If the server has reflection turned off, drag
a .proto file onto the window or open it from Finder.
- unary one request, one response
- server stream one request, many responses
- client stream many requests, one response
- bidirectional both sides, at once
Stream messages show up in a transcript as they arrive, each with the time elapsed since the previous one.
- ⌘↩ Send
- ⌘. Cancel a call in flight
- ⇧⌘E Half-close a client stream
- Request menu Copy as grpcurl
Call deadlines are set per workspace in Settings.
What the .proto parser supports
- Syntax
- proto2, proto3
- Constructs
- imports, nested messages, enums, oneof, map fields, repeated and optional, reserved ranges
- Well-known types, bundled
- any · duration · empty · field_mask · struct · timestamp · wrappers
Your tokens stay on your Mac
An API client ends up holding tokens for every environment you work with. istek keeps them in the Keychain, out of its workspace file, and makes no network requests of its own.
- Mutual TLS
- Use your own CA bundle, plus a client certificate and key when the server requires one.
- Secrets in the Keychain
- Metadata values you mark secret are stored in the macOS Keychain. The workspace file only holds a reference, so you can keep it in a synced folder.
- No account
- No sign-in and no licence server. It works offline.
- No telemetry
- No analytics and no update checks. The only connections it opens are to the servers you call.
- Insecure mode stays visible
- If you turn off certificate verification, a banner stays at the top of the window until you turn it back on.
Pay $29 once
No subscription and no licence server, so nothing can switch it off. Updates through 1.x are included.
For one developer.
- Install it on every Mac you use
- No account or activation
The same app for everyone, on one invoice. There is no seat-management console.
- One invoice, one VAT receipt
- Buy more seats later at the same rate
For purchase orders, security reviews or a licence for the whole company.
- Purchase order and bank transfer
- We fill in your security questionnaire
- Site licence
Every licence includes
- Server reflection, .proto import and drag-and-drop
- Unary, server, client and bidirectional streaming
- Wire-trace transcript for streams
- Mutual TLS: your own CA, client certificate and key
- Metadata headers, with secrets in the Keychain
- Per-workspace deadlines, and ⌘. to cancel a running call
- Copy any call out as a grpcurl command
- Environments, request history and a command palette
- Tabs, and full keyboard operation
- Free updates through 1.x
One-time purchase. Free updates through 1.x.
Does it run on Intel Macs?
No. istek runs only on Apple Silicon Macs, with macOS 14 Sonoma or later. There is no Intel build.
Is there a trial?
Not yet. If you bought the direct download and istek does not do what this page describes, email us within 14 days for a full refund. Apple handles refunds for App Store purchases, at reportaproblem.apple.com.
Do I need a licence key?
No. There is no key, no account and no activation. Install it on every Mac you use. It works offline, and there is no licence server that could switch it off.
What happens to my .proto files and tokens?
Proto files are parsed locally and never uploaded. Metadata values you mark secret go to the macOS Keychain; the workspace file keeps only an opaque reference to them.
Does it work without server reflection?
Yes. Drop a .proto onto the window, or open one with Finder ▸ Open With. istek parses imports, well-known types, and both proto2 and proto3 locally.
Why does macOS warn me the first time I open it?
Apple has not reviewed istek yet (it is not notarized), so the first time you open it macOS says it cannot verify the developer. Open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway next to istek. You only do this once. The app makes no network connections of its own; the only ones it opens are to the servers you call.
Do I have to pay again for updates?
Not for 1.x. One purchase covers every update in the 1 series. If there is a 2.0, it will be a paid upgrade at a discount for 1.x owners, and 1.x keeps working either way.
How do I update the direct download?
istek does not check for updates itself. When a new version ships, we email a download link to the address you bought with, and list the changes on the release notes page. Replace the copy in Applications with the new one; your workspaces, history and Keychain secrets stay where they are.
What does it not do yet?
Three things. It does not show response headers or trailers; you see the body, the status and the latency. It does not negotiate compression. And environments are saved connection settings, not variable sets, so you cannot use {{placeholder}} substitution in a request body.