Bruno vs Insomnia

Self-host swap-in for Insomnia. · Self-host Insomnia · Bruno on os-alt

Bruno is one of the open-source self-host replacements for Insomnia — license MIT, 5min installer (desktop app) to stand up, and $0 — collections live as files in a folder; sync via git, no central server. Compare against Insomnia's Free tier (Scratch Pad only); Individual $5/user/mo; Team $12/user/mo for cloud sync below.

	Brunoopen-source	Insomniapaid SaaS
Category	API client / HTTP request testing	API client / HTTP request testing
License / pricing	`MIT`	Free tier (Scratch Pad only); Individual $5/user/mo; Team $12/user/mo for cloud sync
Starting price	$0 self-host	$5/user/mo
GitHub	usebruno/bruno ★ 43.8k · last commit todayalive	closed source
Setup time	5min installer (desktop app)	SaaS — sign up + bill
Monthly cost	$0 — collections live as files in a folder; sync via git, no central server.	from $5/user/mo (Free tier (Scratch Pad only); Individual $5/user/mo; Team $12/user/mo for cloud sync)

Switching from Insomnia to Bruno

Install Bruno from usebruno.com or your distro repo. Collections → Import → Insomnia: point at the Insomnia v4 export (Application → Preferences → Data → Export Data → All → Insomnia v4). Bruno converts requests, environments, and folders into its `.bru` text files inside a folder you choose. Commit that folder to git for team sync — there's no server to run.

Good fit for: Teams that want git-based collection sync (PR reviews on API changes) instead of a SaaS workspace.
Weak at: Collaborative real-time editing — Bruno is file-first, so concurrent edits resolve through git merge, not live presence.

Other open-source self-host alternatives to Insomnia

Hoppscotch
MIT20min docker-compose (Hoppscotch + Postgres + admin dashboard)$5-10 VPS; can also run as static frontend with no backend if you don't need team sync.
HTTPie Desktop
MIT5min installer$0 desktop app; no cloud requirement.

Bruno also replaces

Postman— API client / API workspace

In a terminal? npx os-alt insomnia prints Insomnia's self-host options — how the CLI works →

FAQ

Is Bruno a free alternative to Insomnia?

Yes — Bruno is open source under MIT. Self-host cost: $0 — collections live as files in a folder; sync via git, no central server.. Insomnia starts at $5/user/mo (Free tier (Scratch Pad only); Individual $5/user/mo; Team $12/user/mo for cloud sync).

How long does Bruno take to set up vs Insomnia?

Self-hosting Bruno: 5min installer (desktop app). Insomnia is a hosted SaaS — sign up and you're in.

What is Bruno good at, and what is it weak at?

Good fit for: Teams that want git-based collection sync (PR reviews on API changes) instead of a SaaS workspace.. Weak at: Collaborative real-time editing — Bruno is file-first, so concurrent edits resolve through git merge, not live presence..