Bruno

Bruno takes a radically different approach to API testing that makes perfect sense once you see it: your API collections are just plain text files stored in your Git repository. No cloud sync, no accounts, no lock-in. You can review API changes in PRs, branch collections alongside your code, and share them through your existing version control workflow. It supports REST and GraphQL with scripting capabilities for advanced testing scenarios. What makes Bruno genuinely innovative is how it solves a problem that Postman and Insomnia don't even acknowledge: the disconnect between your API tests and your codebase. By storing collections as files, Bruno makes API testing a first-class part of your development workflow. The trade-off is that you lose the cloud collaboration features that make Postman popular for distributed teams. But if you value data ownership and Git workflows, Bruno is the clear winner.

Good first choice if you want a practical tool without spending the afternoon reading developer docs.