When it comes to API testing and management, most developers’ first instinct is to reach for Postman. And for good reason: it’s widely used, has a polished UI, and a rich set of features. Insomnia, Paw, Hoppscotch, and other tools offer similar functionality. For years, I relied on them too. But as my projects grew, and as I started working on teams with multiple developers and versioned APIs, I began noticing limitations that became increasingly hard to ignore.
This led me to discover Bruno, a lightweight, open-source API client that works fundamentally differently — and, for my workflow, far better. In this post, I’ll share why Bruno has become my go-to tool, comparing it with traditional API clients and highlighting its unique advantages.
The Limitations of Traditional API Tools
Tools like Postman and Insomnia have a few things in common: they are GUI-heavy, feature-rich, and designed to handle requests in an isolated workspace. But their internal storage and collaboration model introduces friction.
- Opaque storage: Postman stores your collections and environments in an internal database. Insomnia behaves similarly. This makes tracking changes in Git difficult. You can’t just
git diffa request to see what changed. - Manual export for collaboration: To share requests, you have to export JSON files or rely on cloud sync. This adds steps and potential inconsistencies.
- Versioning limitations: Merging changes from multiple developers is clunky. You can’t easily resolve conflicts in a visual workspace the way you can with text-based files.
- Dependency on the internet/cloud: Even with local clients, syncing or sharing often relies on cloud services. This can slow things down, especially on slow connections.
For individual use, this is manageable. But for teams, CI/CD pipelines, or projects that treat APIs as part of the codebase, these limitations are significant.
Bruno’s Philosophy: Treat API Requests as Code
The key differentiator of Bruno is its text-based .bru file system. Every API request is stored as a plain text file, versioned alongside your code. This simple change addresses many of the limitations above.
What makes this approach powerful:
- Git-friendly: Track every change to requests. Diff, blame, and merge just like code.
- Collaboration: Share requests with teammates by committing
.brufiles. No exports, no cloud sync. - Transparency: What you see on disk is exactly what Bruno is using internally.
9 Reasons Bruno Stands Out
Let’s break down the full list of advantages, including Bruno’s predecessor lessons and the additional benefits like beginner-friendliness and speed.
1. Text-Based .bru Files
Unlike Postman, where your requests are hidden in a proprietary database, Bruno saves every request as a plain text file. This makes them fully auditable, shareable, and diffable.
Why this matters:
- No opaque storage; everything is visible.
- Easy to track changes across multiple developers.
- Perfect for Git-based workflows.
Contrast: Postman and Insomnia require you to export JSON or YAML to achieve something similar, which is very cumbersome.
2. Lightweight & Fast
Bruno loads instantly and doesn’t wait on the internet or cloud services to initialize.
Benefits:
- No unnecessary delays when opening or switching requests.
- Great for low-resource machines or working offline.
- Focused UI with no bloat.
Contrast: Postman can feel heavy and sluggish, especially with multiple workspaces, and sometimes requires cloud sync to fully load data.
3. Cross-Platform Consistency
Bruno works the same on Linux, Windows, and Mac. .bru files are OS-agnostic, so you never worry about compatibility issues.
Contrast: Some tools store workspace data differently per OS, which can introduce subtle inconsistencies when syncing between machines.
4. Environment Variables
Bruno allows you to define variables like {{BASE_URL}} or {{TOKEN}} directly in text files.
Benefits:
- Fully portable environments.
- Variables can be version-controlled.
- No hidden cloud dependencies.
Contrast: Postman supports environments, but they are stored in its internal database or exported as JSON — less intuitive for Git workflows.
5. CI/CD Friendly
Because requests are text files, you can integrate them directly into pipelines:
- Run automated API tests.
- Validate responses.
- Use versioned requests as part of your deployment strategy.
Contrast: Postman does offer a CLI (Newman), but it relies on JSON exports. Bruno’s model makes this native and seamless.
6. Easy Post-Request Scripting
You can write small JavaScript snippets in Bruno to:
- Assert response status or content.
- Extract tokens or IDs for subsequent requests.
- Debug and log responses.
This keeps workflows flexible without introducing complex setup.
7. Transparent Collaboration
Sharing a folder of .bru files with teammates is simple: pull, edit, commit, repeat. No cloud sync, no exports.
This is particularly useful in teams where APIs are treated as part of the codebase, not separate artifacts.
8. Beginner-Friendly Interface
Despite its power, Bruno’s interface is clean, intuitive, and easy to navigate.
- No overwhelming menus or tabs.
- Requests, variables, and tests are easy to understand even for beginners.
- Reduces onboarding time for new developers.
9. Open Source
Bruno is open source (my favorite part). This brings a number of advantages:
- No vendor lock-in.
- You can inspect the source code or even contribute.
- Bugs and feature requests are transparent.
Contrast: Postman is proprietary. While it has a free tier, the full feature set requires a paid subscription.
Bruno’s Evolution from GUI Clients
Bruno’s design philosophy builds on lessons learned from Postman and other GUI API clients. The key insight is: API requests should be treated as code artifacts, not ephemeral GUI objects.
- Traditional clients kept requests hidden, making versioning and collaboration difficult.
- Bruno turned requests into text files (
.bru), making them trackable, shareable, and auditable.
This may seem like a small change, but it fundamentally transforms how teams work with APIs — turning requests into first-class, versioned objects.
Final Thoughts
Bruno isn’t just a “lighter Postman.” It’s a tool built for transparency, collaboration, and maintainability. For anyone working in a team environment, managing APIs alongside code, or wanting a fully Git-integrated workflow, Bruno offers clear, measurable advantages.
Switching to Bruno isn’t about hype — it’s about practical, real-world advantages. For me, it has replaced Postman entirely, and I haven’t looked back.
Links to explore:
