Bruno vs Requestly
Requestly started as an HTTP interception and mocking tool and now offers an API client too. The honest framing: Bruno is a fully open-source, local-first API client, while Requestly's API Client application is proprietary and account-based - though Requestly remains excellent at intercepting, modifying, and mocking HTTP traffic, which Bruno doesn't do.
Open source vs proprietary
Bruno's app is fully open source. Requestly's public repository is only its community hub (CC BY 4.0); the Requestly API Client application itself is proprietary software. Requestly on GitHub.
BrunoOpen Source & Licensing
Requestly's API Client application is proprietary software; only its community hub (issues, discussions, roadmap) is published under CC BY 4.0. See Requestly on GitHub.
Bruno's application is fully open source on GitHub and free to use.
Accounts & Where Data Lives
Is account-based: cloud and team projects are tied to a Requestly account.
Is local-first with no account - collections are plain-text files on your machine, and requests are made directly from your computer.
BrunoPricing
Has a free tier (API client with limits - 100 collection runs, 3 team projects, 10 collaborators) and a Pro plan at $12/user/month ($9/user/month billed annually); 50+ licenses are custom-quoted. See Requestly pricing.
Is free and open source with no collection-run limits, no project caps, and no per-seat fee.
Git & Collaboration
Offers Git-based collaboration alongside local and team projects.
Is Git-native: collections are plain-text files you branch, merge, and review like code, with no account required.
BrunoCore Strength
Began as - and still excels at - HTTP interception: modifying requests and responses, redirects, and mocking, via a browser extension and desktop proxy.
Is a focused API client for building, sending, and testing API requests. It does not intercept or modify arbitrary browser/network traffic.
BrunoSupport & SLAs
Standard support on the free tier; priority support on the Pro plan. See Requestly pricing.
Free support for every user, typically with a response in under 4 hours - no paid tier required. Enterprise customers also get a dedicated Customer Success Engineer and SLAs.
When Bruno is the better choice
- ✓You want a fully open-source API client, not a proprietary app.
- ✓You want to work with no account and keep collections as local plain-text files.
- ✓You want unlimited collection runs, projects, and collaborators for free.
- ✓You want a tool focused purely on building and testing API requests.
When Requestly may be the better choice
- •You need to intercept and modify live HTTP requests/responses, set up redirects, or inject headers - Requestly's core strength.
- •You want browser-extension-based interception that avoids system proxy and SSL setup.
- •You want API mocking and request-rule management alongside an API client in one tool.
Migrating from Requestly to Bruno
Bruno doesn't import Requestly collections directly (its importers are Postman, Insomnia, OpenAPI, WSDL, and Git). If your API has an OpenAPI specification, importing that is the reliable path into Bruno.
- Obtain your API as an OpenAPI specification (JSON or YAML).
- In Bruno, click the + button and choose Import Collection.
- Select OpenAPI Specification and pick your file or URL.
- Save the imported collection to a folder in your repository, then commit and push to version it with your code.
Ready to make the switch?
Download BrunoWe're Here for You
Whether you're a solo dev or a massive organization - Bruno is here for you. If you run into an issue, email us at support@usebruno.com and we'll get back in less than 4 hours. If you're interested in account management and customer success, contact our sales team.