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Bruno

Free, offline-first desktop app for exploring and testing APIs, storing collections as files.

GitHub Download v4.3.0
Stars
48k
Forks
3.1k
Licence
MIT
Language
JavaScript
Last update
4 days ago
Type
App

What it is

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.

  • Send requests to a REST or GraphQL API and inspect the responses
  • Store a collection of requests in a folder and commit it to a Git repository for team review
  • Run a whole collection or a single request from the command line with the Bruno CLI
  • Run collections in a CI pipeline using the official Docker images

Great for

  • 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

Not ideal for

  • 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
Step-by-step guide: how to use BrunoInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs
Bruno alternativesBruno vs HoppscotchBruno vs YaakBruno vs Scalar

How to get it

  1. 1

    Download the app

    Install on Mac via Homebrew

    brew install bruno

    Install the Bruno CLI from npm

    npm install -g @usebruno/cli
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Download Bruno from the official downloads page or install it with a package manager such as Homebrew or Snap
    • Open Bruno and create a new collection in a folder on your computer
    • Add a request, enter the API URL, and send it
    • Optionally, initialize Git in the collection folder to track changes
    • Run the collection from the terminal with the command bru run
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Keep collections in a Git repository so teammates can review API request changes
    • Use the Bruno CLI with bru run in CI/CD pipelines for automated API testing
    • Use the official Docker images to run collections without installing Node.js on the host
    • Use environments with bru run folder --env to test against different servers

Downloads

Source code (.zip)main branch · straight from GitHubRelease v4.3.08 files incl. bruno_4.3.0_arm64_linux.AppImageOfficial website & docswww.usebruno.com/

Strengths

  • 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

Trade-offs

  • 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

How it compares

ProjectStarsTypeLevelUpdatedBest for
bruno (this)48kAppbeginner4 days agoDevelopers who want to test HTTP or GraphQL APIs without an account or cloud sync
hoppscotch80.7kAppbeginner6 days agoDevelopers who want to test REST, GraphQL, WebSocket, or other APIs without a heavy desktop client
scalar16.4kAppbeginner4 days agoDevelopers who already maintain an OpenAPI or Swagger document
fastapi105kLibrarybeginner4 days agoPython developers building JSON APIs or back-end services
ai-website-cloner-template38.4kAppintermediate17 days agoDevelopers who want a working Next.js starting point for a site they already own
redoc26kLibrarybeginner5 days agoTeams that already write OpenAPI or Swagger specs and want public or internal API docs

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.