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Bruno vs Hoppscotch

Which is the better API clients for Mac in 2026?

PublishedUpdated
Bruno icon

Bruno

Open source IDE for exploring and testing APIs

Full review
Website previewCredit: Bruno
Hoppscotch icon

Hoppscotch

Open source API development ecosystem

Full review
Website previewCredit: Hoppscotch

Our verdict

How we compare apps

As of August 2026 there is no universal winner — each tool leads its own lane. Bruno leads for local-first, Git-native and offline workflows on macOS, especially for engineers who version APIs with code. Hoppscotch leads for browser-instant, real-time collaboration and protocol breadth, especially for teams that want zero-install access or self-hosted control. Both are free, actively maintained and Tahoe 26.x ready.

Read the quick answer

Which is better: Bruno or Hoppscotch?

Bruno and Hoppscotch are both API clients on a Mac, so the pick depends on workflow. Choose Bruno if your ideal sync is Git and your ideal privacy is none-of-your-collections-on-our-servers. Choose Hoppscotch if your ideal onboarding is. As of October 2026, both install with brew install --cask bruno and brew install --cask hoppscotch.

TL;DR

Bruno vs Hoppscotch: As of August 2026 there is no universal winner — each tool leads its own lane. Bruno leads for local-first, Git-native and offline workflows on macOS, especially for engineers who version APIs with code. Hoppscotch leads for browser-instant, real-time collaboration and protocol breadth, especially for teams that want zero-install access or self-hosted control. Both are free, actively maintained and Tahoe 26.x ready.

Feature Comparison

Feature comparison between Bruno and Hoppscotch
FeatureBrunoHoppscotch
PriceFree & open sourceFree & open source
Open SourceYesYes
ReplacesPostman (paid plans)Postman (paid plans)
Best forapi, testing, restapi, testing, rest
Installbrew install --cask brunobrew install --cask hoppscotch
CategoryDeveloper ToolsDeveloper Tools

Quick Install

Bruno
brew install --cask bruno
Hoppscotch
brew install --cask hoppscotch

Learn More

Bruno
Bruno Details
Full review, features, and FAQs
Hoppscotch
Hoppscotch Details
Full review, features, and FAQs

In-Depth Overview

What is Bruno?

Bruno is a fast, local-first API client built as a desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux. Launched in 2023 as a backlash to cloud-mandated API tools, it stores every collection, environment and request as plain text .bru files and folders on your filesystem. Collaboration happens through Git — pull requests, branching and code review — rather than vendor workspaces. Bruno is open source under MIT, notarised for Apple Silicon and current macOS including Tahoe 26.x, and runs fully offline with no mandatory account. The team monetises via Bruno Pro and Ultimate for teams that want cloud sync, role-based access and vaulted secrets, while the core remains free and local.

What is Hoppscotch?

Hoppscotch is an open-source API development ecosystem that started as a lightweight browser-based Postman alternative and now covers REST, GraphQL, WebSocket, SSE, Socket.IO and MQTT. It runs instantly in the browser as an installable PWA, offers a desktop app, and can be self-hosted via Docker for on-premises control. Hoppscotch emphasises speed, keyboard-driven UX and real-time collaboration — teams share collections with links and see live updates without committing to Git. The project is AGPL-licensed with enterprise self-hosted tiers for SSO, audit logs and dedicated support. As of August 2026 it is actively maintained with weekly releases and a large community of contributors.

Detailed Feature Comparison

Data storage and privacy

Critical importance

Bruno

Excellent

Strictly local-first. Collections live as .bru files next to your code, no cloud sync by default. Secrets are kept in an excluded file. You choose if and where to push via your own Git host.

Hoppscotch

Good

Browser-first with cloud workspaces for instant sharing. Self-hosted Community Edition keeps data on your infra; Cloud and Enterprise add SSO and retention controls. Default hosted use does send collections to Hoppscotch cloud.

Verdict: Bruno is the gold standard for teams that require zero vendor data residency. Hoppscotch matches it only when self-hosted.

Collaboration model

High importance

Bruno

Good

Git-native. Teams review API changes with pull requests, diff .bru files, and keep history in the repo. No real-time cursor sharing; collaboration is asynchronous and auditable.

Hoppscotch

Excellent

Link-based and real-time. Create a workspace, invite by email, and collaborators see edits live. No Git knowledge required, with role-based access in team tiers. Great for PMs and QA.

Verdict: Hoppscotch wins for frictionless real-time sharing. Bruno wins for engineering teams that want Git as the single source of truth.

Offline support

High importance

Bruno

Excellent

Fully offline. Every feature works without internet or login after install. Ideal for flights, air-gapped networks and strict security policies.

Hoppscotch

Good

Desktop app and self-hosted instances work offline; the hosted PWA needs connectivity for cloud sync. Offline experience has improved but still trails a pure desktop IDE.

Verdict: Bruno is the clear offline champion. Hoppscotch needs connectivity for its signature live sharing.

Protocol coverage

High importance

Bruno

Good

Excellent for REST and GraphQL with scripts, env vars and docs. WebSocket and gRPC are present but less mature than Hoppscotch's breadth.

Hoppscotch

Excellent

REST, GraphQL, WebSocket, SSE, Socket.IO, MQTT and more in one UI. One tool for HTTP and realtime APIs makes it a swiss-army platform.

Verdict: Hoppscotch covers more protocols out of the box, useful if you test realtime endpoints alongside REST.

Scripting and testing

High importance

Bruno

Good

JavaScript pre-request and post-response scripts with access to Node packages. Tests are simple assertions; Bru CLI runs collections in CI.

Hoppscotch

Good

JavaScript pre-request scripts and test scripts, environment variables, and Hoppscotch CLI for CI. Scripting is comparable, with slightly richer UI for test results.

Verdict: Parity. Both offer modern JS scripting and CLI runners; Postman veterans will adapt quickly to either.

Performance and footprint

Medium importance

Bruno

Good

Electron-based but lean. Starts quickly, low memory for medium collections, and no background sync. Feels like a native editor.

Hoppscotch

Excellent

PWA is instant to open and near-zero install. The lightest way to hit an endpoint — open a tab and go. Desktop app is also lighter than most Electrons.

Verdict: Hoppscotch is lighter for quick checks; Bruno is efficient for heavy local work.

Self-hosting and deployment

Medium importance

Bruno

Fair

Self-hosting is Git itself — no server to run. Team features use Bruno Cloud if you want hosted sync; otherwise you just use your Git host.

Hoppscotch

Excellent

First-class Docker self-host with one command. Community Edition is free; Enterprise adds SSO, SCIM and support. Full data control on your VPC.

Verdict: Hoppscotch is the turnkey self-hosted API platform. Bruno sidesteps the problem by not needing a server at all.

macOS integration

Medium importance

Bruno

Excellent

Notarised macOS app, Apple Silicon native, file-system integration, and Tahoe 26.x compatible. Works naturally with Homebrew and local dev tools.

Hoppscotch

Good

Runs everywhere via browser, plus a macOS desktop build. No deep native integrations but installs instantly and updates automatically.

Verdict: Bruno feels more at home on macOS for power users who live in the filesystem.

Who Should Choose Which?

1The Git-centric solo developer

Bruno

You want API tests beside your code, reviewed in PRs, runnable in CI with Bru CLI, and working offline. Bruno keeps your workflow in one repo and one truth.

2The remote product team

Hoppscotch

You need PMs, designers and QA to open a link and test without installing anything or learning Git. Hoppscotch live workspaces do that instantly.

3The security-conscious fintech

Bruno

Keeping collections off vendor clouds is a hard requirement. Bruno's local files on your Git host satisfy audit without extra infra.

4The platform team self-hosting

Hoppscotch

You run everything in your VPC and need SSO and audit. Hoppscotch Enterprise self-hosted gives full control with Docker in minutes.

5The polyglot API tester

Hoppscotch

You bounce between REST, GraphQL and WebSocket in one session. Hoppscotch covers them without switching tools.

Migration Guide

Bruno → Hoppscotch

Export Bruno collections as JSON and import into Hoppscotch via Import. Recreate environments as Hoppscotch environments. For self-host, deploy Hoppscotch with Docker Compose per docs and migrate workspaces. Rewrite Bru JS scripts where Hoppscotch script APIs differ slightly.

Hoppscotch → Bruno

Export Hoppscotch collections (OpenAPI or JSON) and use Bruno's Postman/OpenAPI importer, then save as .bru. Move environment variables into Bruno environments and commit the folder to Git. Recreate realtime test tabs as standard REST plus separate WebSocket tabs if needed.

Final Verdict

Overall Winner

tie

8.7

Score

Bruno

8.7

Score

Hoppscotch

Scores are Bundl.run editorial ratings out of 10 across 8 criteria (the feature comparison above), last reviewed August 2026.

As of August 2026 there is no universal winner — each tool leads its own lane. Bruno leads for local-first, Git-native and offline workflows on macOS, especially for engineers who version APIs with code. Hoppscotch leads for browser-instant, real-time collaboration and protocol breadth, especially for teams that want zero-install access or self-hosted control. Both are free, actively maintained and Tahoe 26.x ready.

Bottom Line: Choose Bruno if your ideal sync is Git and your ideal privacy is none-of-your-collections-on-our-servers. Choose Hoppscotch if your ideal onboarding is share-a-link and your stack needs REST plus realtime from one tab. Either beats a heavy cloud suite on speed and cost.

Video Tutorials

How to Setup and Install Bruno on Mac | Brew Installation #bruno #opensource

Ganesh Patil • 734 views

The BEST API Client - Open-Source & Git-friendly (Bruno)

Better Stack • 36.0K views

Bruno API Client Full Walkthrough 🚀 | Complete Beginner's Guide to All Features! #opensource

Ganesh Patil • 8.4K views

Bruno Rest API Client for Software Testing

EvilTester - Software Testing • 7.1K views

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bruno really free to use offline in 2026?
Yes. The core Bruno app is MIT open source and works fully offline with no account. You can create, run and save collections as .bru files indefinitely. Paid Pro/Ultimate only add cloud sync, vaulted secrets and team admin features for those who want them.
Can Hoppscotch be used without sending data to the cloud?
Yes. Deploy Hoppscotch Community Edition self-hosted with Docker — collections stay in your infrastructure. The public hoppscotch.io instance does use cloud workspaces, so choose self-host if you need on-premises data residency.
Which tool has better Git integration?
Bruno is designed around Git. Collections are plain text on disk, so every change diffs cleanly and merges via pull requests. Hoppscotch has import/export and some Git sync helpers, but Git is not its primary collaboration model.
Do they support importing from Postman?
Both do. Bruno has a built-in Postman collection importer that maps requests, headers and environments to .bru. Hoppscotch imports Postman, OpenAPI and cURL with good fidelity. Complex scripts may need minor rewrites.
Which is better on macOS Tahoe?
Both run on Apple Silicon and current macOS including Tahoe 26.x. Bruno ships a notarised macOS desktop app that integrates with the filesystem. Hoppscotch runs as a PWA in any browser plus a desktop build — ideal if you want zero install.
Will I hit a paywall quickly?
No. Most individual developers never need to pay for either. Bruno free covers full local use; Hoppscotch free covers personal cloud use and unlimited self-hosted use. Paid seats only matter for team sync, SSO and vault features.

About the Author

Alex Chen

Senior Developer Tools Specialist

Code Editors & IDEsTerminal EmulatorsVersion Control Tools
12+ years in software development · Former senior engineer at tech startups
TwitterGitHub

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Sources & References

Key Verified Facts

  • Bruno stores collections as local .bru plain-text files and is MIT open source[3][1]
  • Bruno offers paid Pro and Ultimate tiers for cloud sync and team vault features[2]
  • Hoppscotch runs as a browser PWA and supports REST, GraphQL and realtime protocols[4][5]
  • Hoppscotch can be self-hosted via Docker with Community and Enterprise editions[5][7]
  • Hoppscotch is open source (AGPL) with active GitHub maintenance[6]
  1. 1
    usebruno.comBruno - Official site and pricing

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

    Source excerpt
    Bruno is a fast and Git-friendly open source API client. Free and local-first with optional Pro and Ultimate for teams.
  2. 2
    usebruno.comBruno pricing

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

    Source excerpt
    Bruno pricing with free open source, Pro and Ultimate tiers for cloud sync and team features.
  3. 3
    github.comusebruno/bruno on GitHub

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

    Source excerpt
    Bruno GitHub repository: open source API client storing collections as .bru files.
  4. 4
    hoppscotch.ioHoppscotch - Open source API development ecosystem

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

    Source excerpt
    Hoppscotch runs in the browser and as a desktop app with support for REST, GraphQL and realtime protocols.
  5. 5
    docs.hoppscotch.ioHoppscotch Documentation - Self-host

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

    Source excerpt
    Hoppscotch docs covering self-hosted Community and Enterprise deployment via Docker.
  6. 6
    github.comhoppscotch/hoppscotch on GitHub

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

    Source excerpt
    Hoppscotch GitHub repository and release history for the open-source API platform.
  7. 7
    hoppscotch.ioHoppscotch Enterprise

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

    Source excerpt
    Hoppscotch Enterprise adds SSO, audit and support for self-hosted teams.
  8. 8
    coldiq.comHoppscotch vs Bruno reviews 2026

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

    Source excerpt
    Third-party comparison covering Hoppscotch and Bruno pricing, features and alternatives in 2026.

Related Technologies & Concepts

BrunoHoppscotchGitPostmanRESTGraphQLElectronPWA
Bruno (Local-first open-source API client storing collections as .bru files), Hoppscotch (Browser-first open-source API platform for REST, GraphQL and realtime protocols), Git (Primary collaboration layer for Bruno via filesystem .bru files), Postman (Incumbent API platform that both Bruno and Hoppscotch are compared against), REST (Core API paradigm tested by both tools), GraphQL (Query language supported natively by both clients), Electron (Framework used by Bruno desktop app on macOS), PWA (Progressive Web App model enabling Hoppscotch instant browser use)

Related Topics

API clients and testing

Tools for sending, scripting and automating API requests across REST, GraphQL and realtime protocols

brunohoppscotch

Local-first and privacy tooling

Applications that keep data on device and use Git rather than vendor cloud for sync

bruno

Self-hosted developer platforms

On-premises deployment of developer tools via Docker for data control and compliance

hoppscotch