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Bruno
usebruno.com
What it is
Bruno is a Git-native client for exploring and testing APIs, supporting REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and WebSocket protocols. API collections are plain-text files kept in project repositories, where teams can version and review them with Git. Testing tools include assertions, scripts, collection automation, scheduled runs, and CI/CD integration. Users can create and switch between environments, use variables, and run JavaScript before requests or after responses. Bruno offers a desktop client, CLI, IDE extension, API documentation generator, and mock server using the same collection format. Collections can become interactive HTML documentation with code samples and a live playground. Collections, environments, and secrets remain on the user's device; Bruno says project data is not sent to its cloud. However, a startup HTTPS license check sends an IP address, license key, hashed device ID, and Bruno version. The free Open Source plan includes two workspaces and five OpenAPI syncs per month. Pro is $6 a month billed annually, and Ultimate is $11 a month billed annually. A 14-day Ultimate trial is available without a credit card.
Spec sheet
- What it does
- Bruno is a local-first API client for creating, organizing, sending and testing API requests.Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
- Purpose
- Bruno is a Git-native API client for exploring and testing APIs.Read 30 Sep 2026 · usebruno.com
- Free plan
- YesRead 21 Sep 2026 · usebruno.com
- Trial
- Bruno offers a 14-day Ultimate trial with no credit card required.Read 30 Sep 2026 · usebruno.com
- Paid from
- 6Read 21 Sep 2026 · usebruno.com
- Integrations
- The product lists Git providers, GitHub Actions, Docker, OpenAPI import and external secret managers including AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, HashiCorp Vault and Google Secret Manager.Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
- Support
- Support is available through [email protected], documentation, a GitHub issue tracker and sales contact.Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
- License
- The public Bruno repository is MIT licensed, while the company states that paid binary features are supplied from a private upstream repository.Read 14 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Headquarters
- The official 2025 recap says Bruno opened a new headquarters in Bangalore.Read 14 Oct 2026 · blog.usebruno.com
- Founded
- The official 2025 recap says the product began four years earlier, indicating a 2021 inception.Read 14 Oct 2026 · blog.usebruno.com
- API documentation
- The docs generator creates standalone interactive HTML documentation with copy-ready examples that can be hosted independently.Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
- API protocols
- The desktop client supports REST, GraphQL, gRPC and WebSocket APIs.Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
- CLI
- The npm package @usebruno/cli runs collections and individual requests from the command line for automation and CI/CD.Read 14 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Collection format
- API collections are stored as plain-text files in the project repository for Git versioning and review.Read 30 Sep 2026 · usebruno.com
- Company name
- The terms identify the legal provider as Bruno Software, Inc.Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
- Company size
- The 2025 company recap says the team grew from 6 to 23 people globally during 2025.Read 14 Oct 2026 · blog.usebruno.com
- Current release
- The changelog lists Bruno 4.2.1 dated September 30, 2026, including QuickJS path-resolution and module-loader security fixes.Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
- Desktop availability
- The download page lists desktop versions for Windows, macOS, and Linux.Read 30 Sep 2026 · usebruno.com
- Docker
- Official Bruno CLI images are published for Docker Hub and GitHub Container Registry, with Alpine and Debian variants for amd64 and arm64 Linux.Read 14 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Documentation depth
- Official support links to documentation, GitHub issue tracking, email support and sales assistance; the public docs cover CLI, Docker, converters, Git, licensing and the VS Code extension.Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
- Environments
- Users can create multiple environments, switch between them, use variables, and write pre-request and post-response JavaScript scripts.Read 30 Sep 2026 · usebruno.com
- External assessment
- Thoughtworks Technology Radar describes Bruno as an open-source desktop and CLI alternative with offline plain-text collections, Git sharing and an official VS Code extension.Read 14 Oct 2026 · thoughtworks.cn
- Founder
- The official team page identifies Anoop M D as founder and CEO, with Ryan Reynolds as co-founder and COO.Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
- Funding news
- A Bruno announcement dated August 11, 2026 says the company had raised $3 million about a year earlier from Silverton Partners.Read 14 Oct 2026 · blog.usebruno.com
- Git-native collections
- Collections are stored as readable files in the filesystem so teams can version them with Git.Read 14 Oct 2026 · github.com
- GraphQL support
- YesRead 21 Sep 2026 · usebruno.com
- IDE extension
- Bruno provides an editor extension for VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf using the same collections as the desktop app.Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
- Limit: advanced features
- G2 reviewers report that some advanced Postman capabilities, automation and collaboration features are missing or less mature.Read 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Limit: data-driven testing
- An independent review reports that data-driven requests are available only on a paid plan.Read 14 Oct 2026 · apichallenges.com
- Limit: scripting ecosystem
- Apidog characterizes Bruno scripting as weaker than Postman and says the product has fewer mature team features.Read 14 Oct 2026 · apidog.com
- Limit: team collaboration
- Apidog’s review says Bruno lacks built-in cloud sync, shared dashboards, comments and role-based access control, leaving Git as the main team mechanism.Read 14 Oct 2026 · apidog.com
- Local storage
- Collections, environments, and secrets are stored on the user’s device, and Bruno says it does not store user data in the cloud.Read 30 Sep 2026 · usebruno.com
- Mock servers
- The mock-server tool runs a local mock HTTP API from saved responses or an OpenAPI specification.Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
- Network behavior
- The security page says license validation makes an outbound HTTPS call containing IP address, license key, hashed device ID and version, while project data is not sent.Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
- Notable release news
- The August 11, 2026 funding announcement says gRPC, WebSocket, response visualization, terminal mode and file mode were made free after previously being paid features.Read 14 Oct 2026 · blog.usebruno.com
- Offline operation
- Bruno has no required account or cloud synchronization, and collections, environments and secrets are kept on the local device.Read 14 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Praise: Git workflow
- Independent reviewers praise readable local collection files, Git versioning and pull-request review of API changes.Read 14 Oct 2026 · toolhunt.cc
- Praise: privacy
- An independent exploratory review says the free features were sufficient for its testing and highlights local use with Git as the sharing method.Read 14 Oct 2026 · apichallenges.com
- Praise: usability
- G2 reviewers repeatedly describe Bruno as simple, lightweight, clean and easy to learn for everyday API testing.Read 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Products
- Bruno offers a desktop client, CLI, IDE extension, API documentation generator, and mock server using the same collection format.Read 30 Sep 2026 · usebruno.com
- Protocols
- The API client supports REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and WebSocket APIs.Read 30 Sep 2026 · usebruno.com
- Rating on Chrome Web Store
- 0 out of 5 from 0 ratings for the independently published Bruno Collector extensionRead 14 Oct 2026 · chromewebstore.google.com
- Rating on G2
- 4.5 out of 5 from 9 reviewsRead 14 Oct 2026 · g2.com
- Rating on Gartner Peer Insights
- 4.6 out of 5 from 6 ratingsRead 14 Oct 2026 · gartner.com
- Scripting
- JavaScript scripts can run during request lifecycles, and recent releases added gRPC lifecycle scripting and safer QuickJS execution.Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
- Security certification
- Bruno says it completed an independently audited SOC 2 Type II examination against AICPA Trust Services Criteria.Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
- Security controls
- The company describes role-based access and multi-factor authentication for internal systems, code reviews, dependency audits, and an incident response plan.Read 30 Sep 2026 · usebruno.com
- Self-hosting
- API documentation generated by Bruno is self-hosted as a standalone site, and collections remain in infrastructure controlled by the user.Read 14 Oct 2026 · blog.usebruno.com
- System requirements
- Downloads are offered for Windows, macOS and Linux, including Windows x64 and arm64 installers plus portable and MSI packages.Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
- Testing
- Bruno includes assertions, collection runs, data-driven runs on paid plans and generated reports on paid plans.Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
- Testing and automation
- It includes assertions, test scripting, collection automation, and CI/CD pipeline integration.Read 30 Sep 2026 · usebruno.com
Plans and prices
Open Source Free HTTP/REST/GraphQL/gRPC client · collection runner unlimited · 2 workspaces · public Git providers · 5 OpenAPI syncs/month Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
Pro $6 a month billed annually Unlimited workspaces · public and private Git providers · data-driven testing · report generation · Git push/branches/remotes · unlimited OpenAPI syncs Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
Ultimate $11 a month billed annually Enterprise integrations · unlimited workspaces · secret-manager integration · license administration · audit logs · SSO · SCIM · AI governance · 24-hour support SLA Read 14 Oct 2026 · usebruno.com
Pro $72 a year $72.00 per year (= $6.00/month, billed annually) Unlimited workspaces · unlimited collection runner · public and private Git providers · 48-hour support SLA Read 30 Sep 2026 · usebruno.com
Ultimate $132 a year $132.00 per year (= $11.00/month, billed annually) Unlimited workspaces · unlimited collection runner · public and private Git providers · 24-hour support SLA · SSO and SCIM Read 30 Sep 2026 · usebruno.com
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Supports REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and WebSocket APIs.
- Collections are plain-text files suitable for Git versioning.
- Includes CLI, mock server, and CI/CD integration.
- Secrets and environments stay on the user's device.
Limits
- Free plan limits users to two workspaces.
- Free plan allows five OpenAPI syncs monthly.
- Startup license checks transmit device and license details.
- Paid plans are billed annually.
Who it suits
Bruno suits developers who want API collections stored and reviewed alongside project files in Git. Its CLI, automation, mock server, and documentation tools also suit teams building API workflows and CI/CD pipelines.
Verdict
Bruno offers a broad API workflow around repository-based collections, with free access and paid tiers for expanded limits. Note the startup license check's transmitted fields even though project data is kept off the cloud.
Where Specifiction places it
- API Testing Tools#2 of 349.4
- Developer Tools#2 of 339.4
- API clients#3 of 389.4
- API Development Tools#3 of 329.4
- Api 1#3 of 259.3
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