Bruno vs Yaak
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Free, offline-first desktop app for exploring and testing APIs, storing collections as files.
Open source · MIT
A desktop app for sending and organizing API requests across REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket and SSE.
The short answer
Choose Bruno if you need…
- Developers who want to test HTTP or GraphQL APIs without an account or cloud sync
- Teams that already keep code in Git and want API collections stored alongside it
- People who want to run API test collections in CI/CD using the Bruno CLI
- Users who care about keeping API data on their own device
Choose Yaak if you need…
- Developers who want a desktop client for REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket or SSE in one place
- Teams that want request collections stored as files they can version in Git
- People who want to import existing collections from Postman, Insomnia, OpenAPI or Curl
- Users who prefer keeping secrets in their OS keychain rather than in a cloud account
Side-by-side
| Bruno | Yaak | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 48k | 19.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Download the app | Download the app |
| Main language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Bruno
Bruno is a desktop app for sending requests to APIs and checking the responses, similar in purpose to Postman or Insomnia. It saves your request collections as plain-text files in a folder on your computer, so they can be versioned with Git and shared like any other project files. The README states it is offline-only and has no plans for cloud sync.
Yaak
Yaak is a desktop application for testing and working with APIs, the way web and mobile software talks to servers. You can build requests over several protocols, including REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket and Server-Sent Events, and group them into workspaces and folders. The README describes it as offline-first and privacy-focused, with no telemetry, and it is built with Tauri, Rust and React.
Best for
Bruno
- Developers who want to test HTTP or GraphQL APIs without an account or cloud sync
- Teams that already keep code in Git and want API collections stored alongside it
- People who want to run API test collections in CI/CD using the Bruno CLI
- Users who care about keeping API data on their own device
Yaak
- Developers who want a desktop client for REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket or SSE in one place
- Teams that want request collections stored as files they can version in Git
- People who want to import existing collections from Postman, Insomnia, OpenAPI or Curl
- Users who prefer keeping secrets in their OS keychain rather than in a cloud account
Strengths
Bruno
- Collections are stored as plain files, which works well with Git and other version control
- Works offline and keeps data on the local device, per the README
- Available for Mac, Windows and Linux, with the CLI usable in automated pipelines
Yaak
- Covers many protocols (REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket, SSE) in a single desktop app
- Stores data locally and mirrors workspaces to files, which suits Git-based workflows
- The source code is MIT licensed and can be built for free
Not ideal for
Bruno
- Teams that need cloud-synced collections across machines, since the README says Bruno is offline-only and has no plans for cloud sync
- People looking for a hosted service with built-in team dashboards, as the README describes Bruno as a local tool with paid versions for extra features
Yaak
- People who need cloud sync or real-time team collaboration, since the README emphasizes offline use and filesystem mirroring rather than cloud features
- Anyone needing a commercial license without cost: the README says prebuilt binaries are free for personal use but require a license for commercial use
- Non-developers with no exposure to APIs, since the tool assumes you know what requests and endpoints are
Trade-offs
Bruno
- The README does not describe the full feature set, so specific capabilities need checking in the documentation
- Cloud sync and team hosting are not offered; the README points to paid versions for additional features
- The README is truncated, so details on paid tiers and edge-case behavior are unclear
Yaak
- Prebuilt binaries require a paid license for commercial use, per the README's pricing terms
- Community contributions are currently limited to bug fixes, according to the contribution policy
- The README is truncated and does not detail every feature, so some capabilities may be unverified here
Getting started
Bruno
Install on Mac via Homebrew
brew install brunoInstall the Bruno CLI from npm
npm install -g @usebruno/cliYaak
Download the app for your platform
Download from https://yaak.app/downloadFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Bruno and Yaak?
Bruno: Free, offline-first desktop app for exploring and testing APIs, storing collections as files. Yaak: A desktop app for sending and organizing API requests across REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket and SSE. Bruno suits developers who want to test http or graphql apis without an account or cloud sync, while Yaak suits developers who want a desktop client for rest, graphql, grpc, websocket or sse in one place.
Are Bruno and Yaak free?
Bruno: Free and open source. Yaak: Free and open source.
Is Bruno or Yaak more popular?
Bruno has more GitHub stars (48k) than Yaak (19.4k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Bruno and Yaak?
Other options people compare them with include Hoppscotch, Scalar, AI Website Cloner.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.