Bruno

usebruno/brunoReviewed by AI

What it does

Bruno is a desktop program for sending requests to web APIs and checking what comes back: you build a request, fill in the address, headers and body, send it and read the response. Each collection of requests is saved as plain text files in a folder on your computer, so you can keep them in Git next to the code and share them with your team without an account. There is also a command-line version, `bru`, for running a whole collection automatically. It is for developers and testers. Installers are ready for Windows, macOS and Linux.

How easy it is to install

A · download and open · Windows

Windows A
macOS A
Linux A

Release 4.3.0 has ready installers for all three systems (.exe and .msi for Windows, .dmg and .pkg for macOS on both chips, .deb, .rpm and AppImage for Linux), and the README also lists Homebrew, Chocolatey, Scoop, winget, Snap, Flatpak, AUR and an apt repository. You install it and start sending requests; nothing else is needed.

Numbers on GitHub

Stars: 47,965on Oct 31, 2026
Downloads: 74,698,964897,478 this week
Growth: +109stars in 5 days

Stars over time

Facts

Runs on: Windows, macOS, Linux
You need to install: Nothing extra
To build from source: Node.js
Disk space: 129 MB–386 MB · from the installer
Accounts or keys: None
Cost: Freemium · The program in this repository is MIT-licensed and free. The README says "Majority of our features are free and open source" and points to paid versions on usebruno.com/pricing for extra team features; the repository does not list prices.
License: MIT (Permissive)
Can replace: Postman, Insomnia
Last update: Oct 30, 2026

Risk signals (6)

Attentioncollections can run scripts
The project ships a JavaScript engine for requests (`packages/bruno-js` in package.json's workspaces) and the README links a community "Scriptmania" discussion. A collection file someone sends you can therefore carry code that runs on your computer when you run the request.
AI review
Attentionsecrets live in plain files
README: "Bruno stores your collections directly in a folder on your filesystem. We use a plain text markup language, Bru, to save information about API requests", and "You can use Git or any version control of your choice to collaborate over your API collections." Keys and passwords you type into a request sit in those files, and can end up pushed to a shared repository if you are not careful.
AI review
Infoowner says it stays offline
README: "Bruno is offline-only. There are no plans to add cloud-sync to Bruno, ever. We value your data privacy and believe it should stay on your device." That is the project's own statement; Radar did not watch what the program sends.
AI review
Infosome features are sold separately
README section "Commercial Versions": "Majority of our features are free and open source. We strive to strike a harmonious balance between open-source principles and sustainability", with a link to paid versions. Which features sit behind payment is decided on the company's website, not in this repository.
AI review
Infomany open issues
1969 open issues against 47931 stars, with the last commit on the day of this check and release 4.3.0 published on 2026-10-22.
AI review
Infoname is a trademark
README: "`Bruno` is a trademark held by Anoop M D". The code is MIT, but the name and logo are not yours to reuse if you republish a changed version.
AI review

Evidence is shown in its original language.

What Radar could not check

Whether the program really sends nothing anywhere, which Radar did not test
Which features need a paid version, since the repository only links to a pricing page
Whether importing an existing Postman or Insomnia collection keeps everything intact
What a collection from someone else does when you run it, since requests can contain scripts
Real disk use, which the checks estimate between 129 MB and 386 MB