Bruno

Description

Bruno is a fast, open-source API client for exploring and testing REST, GraphQL, and gRPC APIs. Collections are stored as plain text files on disk instead of a cloud account, making it a lightweight, privacy-respecting, offline-first alternative to Postman and Insomnia.

Features

• Local-First Collections: Saves requests as plain-text .bru files you can version in Git.
• No Cloud Lock-In: Runs fully offline with no forced account or telemetry.
• Git-Friendly Diffs: Produces clean, reviewable diffs since collections are just files.
• Scripting & Testing: Supports pre-request scripts, assertions, and test runners in JavaScript.
• Environment Variables: Switches between dev, staging, and prod configs instantly.
• CLI Runner: Runs collections headlessly in CI/CD pipelines via the Bruno CLI.

Technology Stack

Desktop app built with Electron, React, and a custom lightweight markup format (.bru) for storing requests. Offers a companion CLI (bruno-cli) built in Node.js for automated test runs.

Requirements

Windows, macOS, or Linux desktop; Node.js for the CLI runner; minimal RAM (under 1 GB typical); Git optional but recommended for collection version control.