Bruno
Open-source, offline-first API client with Git-native collections
About Bruno
Bruno is an open-source, offline-first API client that stores collections as plain text .bru files on your filesystem, making them ideal for Git version control. It supports REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and WebSocket protocols with a lightweight desktop app that never syncs data to the cloud, giving developers full control over their API workflows and data privacy.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Fully offline — no cloud sync, no login, no data leaves your machine unless you choose to share via Git
- Lightweight and fast with under 150 MB RAM usage compared to Postman's 400-600 MB
- Git-native .bru file format makes version control, code review, and team collaboration seamless
- Generous open-source core with all essential API testing features free and unrestricted
- Active community with 37,000+ GitHub stars and trusted by engineers at Microsoft, GitHub, and FedEx
- Easy migration with importers for Postman, Insomnia, and OpenAPI collections
Cons
- Smaller ecosystem and fewer integrations compared to Postman
- No built-in documentation generator or visual test builder
- Limited OAuth 2.0 coverage — advanced flows like JWT assertions require custom scripting
- Tab navigation UX could be improved — no drag-to-reorder or environment variable search
- Lacks workspace-level controls and activity feeds for larger team visibility
Key Features
Offline-First & Local Storage
Collections are stored as folders and plain text .bru files on your filesystem — no cloud sync, no login required, full data privacy
Git-Native Collections
Plain text file format enables seamless Git version control, diffs, and co-location of API collections alongside your codebase
Multi-Protocol Support
Send HTTP, REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and WebSocket requests from a single unified interface with no protocol restrictions on the free tier
Bru Language
Purpose-built markup language for defining API requests that is human-readable and optimized for version control
JavaScript Testing & Scripting
Write pre-request and post-response scripts in JavaScript with built-in assertion library for automated API testing
CLI & CI/CD Integration
Run collections from the command line with the Bruno CLI for automated testing in continuous integration pipelines
Environment Management
Manage multiple environments with variables for switching between development, staging, and production contexts
Collection Import
Import existing collections from Postman, Insomnia, OpenAPI/Swagger, and other formats for easy migration
VS Code Extension
Run and test API requests directly within Visual Studio Code without leaving your editor
Pricing
- Unlimited collections and requests
- REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket support
- Git-native file-based collections
- JavaScript scripting & testing
- CLI for CI/CD automation
- Environment management
- Postman/Insomnia/OpenAPI import
- VS Code extension
- Complete offline access
- Everything in Open Source
- Advanced Git client integration
- OpenAPI design tools
- Visual variable viewer
- Priority support
- 14-day free trial
- Everything in Pro
- Advanced security features
- Mock server requests
- Load testing capabilities
- Dedicated customer success
- Premium support SLA
Best For
Privacy-Focused API Development
Build and test APIs with full data sovereignty — no cloud accounts, no telemetry, no data leaving your machine
Git-Based Team Collaboration
Store API collections alongside code in Git repositories for version-controlled, reviewable API workflows
CI/CD Pipeline Testing
Automate API regression testing in continuous integration pipelines using the Bruno CLI
Postman Migration
Switch from Postman's cloud-dependent model to a lightweight, offline-first alternative with collection import support
Lightweight API Exploration
Quickly explore and debug APIs with a fast, resource-efficient desktop client that launches in seconds
Featured In
7 Best Open-Source API Testing Tools for Developer Teams (2026)
Best for teams that want API collections treated as code. If your workflow centers on Git, Bruno's file-based approach is the most natural fit for version-controlled API development.
Hoppscotch vs Bruno: Which Open-Source Postman Alternative Has Better Team Features?
Best for developer-only teams that want API collections version-controlled alongside code with zero cloud dependency and zero admin overhead.
5 Postman Alternatives for Teams Who Prefer Open Source (2026)
Best for Git-native teams — collections-as-code philosophy means every API change goes through the same review process as your application code.
API Tools With the Best GraphQL Explorer and Schema Documentation (2026)
Best Git-native open-source GraphQL client for developers and teams who want API collections stored as code with full data sovereignty.
Best API Testing Tools With Contract Testing Support (2026)
Best for engineering teams who want contract tests as code, reviewed in PRs, with no cloud lock-in.