Compare
Bruno vs Insomnia
Insomnia is also open-source but stores collections as JSON; Bruno uses plain-text YAML for diff-friendly versioning.
BrunoOffline-first, Git-friendly open-source API client
InsomniaOpen-source API client for REST, GraphQL and gRPCWhich to pick
Pick Bruno if you want…
- Git-native API client
- Offline-first API client
- Integrations with Vault or Azure Key Vault (on Bruno's list, not Insomnia's)
Pick Insomnia if you want…
- Collaborative AI-native API testing
- Open-source API client
- Integrations with Kong Konnect, OIDC or SAML (on Insomnia's list, not Bruno's)
Bruno is an offline-first, Git-friendly client with a simpler UI; Insomnia adds AI-native testing, enterprise security and Kong Konnect integration.
Side by side
- What it is
- Bruno:Bruno is an open-source, offline-first API client that stores collections as plain-text files in Git.
- Insomnia:Insomnia is an open-source API client for designing, testing, debugging and mocking REST, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP and WebSocket APIs.
- Best for
- Bruno:Git-native API client
- Insomnia:Collaborative AI-native API testing
- Who it’s for
- Bruno:Developers and teams who need a secure, local-first API testing tool.
- Insomnia:API developers, security-focused teams, and organizations needing collaborative API workflows.
- Pricing
- Bruno:Freemium
- Insomnia:Freemium
- Plans
- Bruno:Open Source $0 · Pro $6user/month per month, billed annually · Ultimate $11user/month per month, billed annually
- Insomnia:—
- Open source
- Bruno:Yes, 47,301 GitHub stars
- Insomnia:Yes, 40,038 GitHub stars
- Works with
- Bruno:Vault, Azure Key Vault
- Insomnia:Kong Konnect, OIDC, SAML, SCIM, Inso CLI
Bruno features
- Git-native collections. Store API requests as YAML files in your repo, enabling diff, branch, and merge workflows.
- No cloud sync. All data stays on the local machine; no account or login required.
- Multi-protocol support. Send HTTP, REST, GraphQL, gRPC and WebSocket requests.
- Secret manager integration. Connect to Vault, Azure Key Vault and AWS Secrets Manager for credentials.
- Built-in terminal & scripting. Run JavaScript scripts and use an integrated terminal for automation.
- Workspace & collection runner. Organize requests in workspaces and run entire folders of requests at once.
Insomnia features
- Design-first API editor. Create and preview OpenAPI specs in real time with live linting.
- Native API mocking. Generate dynamic mock responses from collections, specs or plain language.
- Automated testing at scale. Run unlimited collection tests with pre/post scripts and CI/CD integration via Inso CLI.
- Kong Konnect integration. Sync API catalog directly with Kong Konnect for up-to-date endpoint discovery.
- Collaboration & RBAC. Real-time project sharing, role-based access controls and unlimited collaborators per project.
- Flexible storage options. Store data locally, in Git, in the cloud, or hybrid with end-to-end encryption.
- Enterprise identity & security. SSO via OIDC/SAML, SCIM provisioning, SOC 2 compliance and enterprise SLAs.
- MCP client support. Test and debug MCP servers with AI-powered workflows.
Bruno vs Insomnia FAQ
Is Bruno or Insomnia free?+
Bruno has a free plan (Open Source) and paid plans. Insomnia has a free plan and paid plans.
Is Bruno or Insomnia open source?+
Yes, both are open source: Bruno (usebruno/bruno on GitHub, MIT license) and Insomnia (Kong/insomnia on GitHub, Apache-2.0 license).
Do Bruno and Insomnia integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: Bruno lists Vault and Azure Key Vault; Insomnia lists Kong Konnect, OIDC, SAML, SCIM and 1 more.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.