insomnia vs bruno
API clients compared: flexible storage vs local-first files
insomnia and bruno are API clients for creating, exploring, and testing requests, with CLI support for automated workflows. insomnia combines API design and testing with local, Git, and cloud storage, while bruno keeps collections in plain-text files on the device and does not offer cloud sync.
insomnia: Design, Test, and Debug APIs
Insomnia is a cross-platform API client for designing, testing, and debugging APIs across protocols including REST, GraphQL, WebSockets, SSE, and gRPC. It supports local, Git, and cloud storage for project data.
bruno: Explore and Test APIs with a Local-First Client
Bruno is an API client for exploring requests, testing APIs, and running collections from a desktop app or CLI. It stores collections as plain-text files on your device, making them suitable for Git-based collaboration without cloud sync.
| insomnia | bruno | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Stars | 40k | 47.3k |
| Forks | 2.4k | 3k |
| Last analyzed | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 3, 2026 |
Key differences
- insomnia supports REST, GraphQL, WebSockets, SSE, and gRPC, while bruno focuses on API requests and collections.
- insomnia includes an OpenAPI editor, visual preview, mocking, and plugins; bruno centers on request collections and file-based workflows.
- insomnia offers Local Vault, Git Sync, and Cloud Sync; bruno stores collections as plain-text `.bru` files for Git or other version control.
- insomnia is written in TypeScript and uses the Apache-2.0 license; bruno is written in JavaScript and uses the MIT license.
- bruno provides official Docker images for its CLI; insomnia describes CLI use for linting and testing in CI/CD.
- Both projects are active and support CI/CD workflows, but bruno is explicitly offline-only while insomnia offers cloud collaboration.
Choose insomnia if you…
- need API design tools, including an OpenAPI editor and visual preview.
- want to work across protocols including WebSockets, SSE, or gRPC.
- need a choice of local, Git, or cloud project storage.
Choose bruno if you…
- prefer keeping API collections as plain-text files on your device.
- want to use Git or another version control system to review and share collections.
- need CLI workflows that can run using official Docker images.
Compare the numbers side by side, or add more projects
This comparison is generated with AI from the OSRepos analyses of both projects. Always check each project's repository and documentation before choosing.