# Bruno vs Hoppscotch Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 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. 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. ## Head to head | Factor | Bruno | Hoppscotch | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | Free | | Open Source | Yes | Yes | | Replaces | Postman (paid plans) | Postman (paid plans) | | Best for | api, testing, rest | api, testing, rest | | Install | brew install --cask bruno | brew install --cask hoppscotch | | Category | Developer Tools | Developer Tools | ## Bruno Open source IDE for exploring and testing APIs Install: `brew install --cask bruno` [Bruno on Bundl](https://bundl.run/apps/bruno) ## Hoppscotch Open source API development ecosystem Install: `brew install --cask hoppscotch` [Hoppscotch on Bundl](https://bundl.run/apps/hoppscotch) ## Features - **Data storage and privacy.** Bruno is the gold standard for teams that require zero vendor data residency. Hoppscotch matches it only when self-hosted. - **Collaboration model.** Hoppscotch wins for frictionless real-time sharing. Bruno wins for engineering teams that want Git as the single source of truth. - **Offline support.** Bruno is the clear offline champion. Hoppscotch needs connectivity for its signature live sharing. - **Protocol coverage.** Hoppscotch covers more protocols out of the box, useful if you test realtime endpoints alongside REST. - **Scripting and testing.** Parity. Both offer modern JS scripting and CLI runners; Postman veterans will adapt quickly to either. - **Performance and footprint.** Hoppscotch is lighter for quick checks; Bruno is efficient for heavy local work. - **Self-hosting and deployment.** Hoppscotch is the turnkey self-hosted API platform. Bruno sidesteps the problem by not needing a server at all. - **macOS integration.** Bruno feels more at home on macOS for power users who live in the filesystem. ## FAQ ### 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. ## Sources - [Bruno - Official site and pricing](https://www.usebruno.com/) - [Bruno pricing](https://www.usebruno.com/pricing) - [usebruno/bruno on GitHub](https://github.com/usebruno/bruno) - [Hoppscotch - Open source API development ecosystem](https://hoppscotch.io/) - [Hoppscotch Documentation - Self-host](https://docs.hoppscotch.io/) - [hoppscotch/hoppscotch on GitHub](https://github.com/hoppscotch/hoppscotch) - [Hoppscotch Enterprise](https://hoppscotch.io/enterprise) - [Hoppscotch vs Bruno reviews 2026](https://coldiq.com/tools/hoppscotch) ## Related - [Bruno vs Postman](https://bundl.run/compare/bruno-vs-postman) - [Bruno vs Insomnia](https://bundl.run/compare/bruno-vs-insomnia) - [Hoppscotch vs Postman](https://bundl.run/compare/hoppscotch-vs-postman) - [Hoppscotch vs Insomnia](https://bundl.run/compare/hoppscotch-vs-insomnia) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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