# Insomnia vs Bruno (2026): which to pick

> Insomnia vs Bruno: Both are open source desktop clients that keep work on your computer. Pick Insomnia for optional cloud sync, Git Sync and MCP server…

Canonical: https://porticol.app/compare/insomnia-vs-bruno
Last updated: 2026-10-20

Both are open source desktop clients that keep work on your computer. Pick Insomnia for optional cloud sync, Git Sync and MCP server testing. Pick Bruno if you never want an account, want plain files in Git, and want the lower price and the lighter app at idle.

## Choose Insomnia if

- You want optional cloud sync beside a local vault.
- You test MCP servers you are building.
- You want an Apache 2.0 licence.

## Choose Bruno if

- You never want to sign in.
- You want collections as plain files in your repository.
- You want paid plans from $6 a user.

- Insomnia Pro, 10 people **$1,440** a year
- Bruno Pro, 10 people **$720** a year
- Insomnia, first window **1.43 s** 802 MB at idle
- Bruno, first window **1.70 s** 411 MB at idle

## Where they differ

## Price

For a team of 10, a year of Insomnia Pro costs $1,440 and Bruno Pro $720, so Bruno Pro saves $720.

- **Insomnia**: Essentials is free; Git Sync for up to three users [1]; Pro $12, Enterprise $45 a user a month [1]
- **Bruno**: The open source edition is free, with two workspaces and public Git providers [2]; Pro $6, Ultimate $11 a user a month, billed annually [2]

## Where your work lives

Insomnia works only partly without an account, while Bruno works without an account.

- **Insomnia**: Yes, in a Local Vault [3]; Only in the local Scratch Pad; the rest needs an account [3]
- **Bruno**: Yes, in a folder on your filesystem [4]; Yes, Bruno is offline-only with no cloud sync [4]

## Speed

In our benchmark on an Apple M4 Pro, macOS 26.4, arm64, 18 Oct 2026, Insomnia opened its first window in 1.43 s and Bruno in 1.70 s. At idle Insomnia used 802 MB of memory and Bruno 411 MB; on disk they take 1,081 MB and 500 MB. See [how we measured](https://porticol.app/#speed).

## Side by side

|  | Insomnia | Bruno |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free plan | Essentials is free; Git Sync for up to three users [1] | The open source edition is free, with two workspaces and public Git providers [2] |
| Paid plans | Pro $12, Enterprise $45 a user a month [1] | Pro $6, Ultimate $11 a user a month, billed annually [2] |
| Use it without an account | Only in the local Scratch Pad; the rest needs an account [3] | Yes, Bruno is offline-only with no cloud sync [4] |
| Collections kept on your computer | Yes, in a Local Vault [3] | Yes, in a folder on your filesystem [4] |
| Collections as files in Git | Yes, with Git Sync [3] | Yes, the folder goes in Git like any other [4] |
| MCP server for coding agents | No; Insomnia 12 is an MCP client for testing servers [5] | No official server; community servers exist [6] |
| CLI for CI | Yes, the Inso CLI [3] | Yes, the Bruno CLI [4] |

Every fact comes from each app's own pages, checked on 20 Oct 2026. The numbers link to the sources at the end.

## What each does better

### Where Insomnia is stronger

- Insomnia is open source under the Apache 2.0 licence. [3]
- Insomnia 12 can connect to an MCP server and call its tools, for testing servers you build. [5]

### Where Bruno is stronger

- Bruno is open source under the MIT licence. [4]
- Its paid plans start lower, at $6 a user a month. [2]

## Or skip both: Porticol

Porticol has an MCP server for coding agents, and opened its first window in 0.24 s in our benchmark. Free for one seat.

## Questions

**Do Insomnia and Bruno work without an account?**

Insomnia: Only in the local Scratch Pad; the rest needs an account. Bruno: Yes, Bruno is offline-only with no cloud sync.

**How much do Insomnia and Bruno cost?**

Insomnia: Essentials is free; Git Sync for up to three users; Pro $12, Enterprise $45 a user a month. Bruno: The open source edition is free, with two workspaces and public Git providers; Pro $6, Ultimate $11 a user a month, billed annually. For a team of 10, a year of Insomnia Pro costs $1,440 and Bruno Pro $720, so Bruno Pro saves $720.

**Is there an alternative to both Insomnia and Bruno?**

Yes, Porticol. Porticol has an MCP server for coding agents, and opened its first window in 0.24 s in our benchmark. Free for one seat.

## Sources

1. [insomnia.rest/pricing](https://insomnia.rest/pricing)
2. [www.usebruno.com/pricing](https://www.usebruno.com/pricing)
3. [github.com/Kong/insomnia](https://github.com/Kong/insomnia)
4. [github.com/usebruno/bruno](https://github.com/usebruno/bruno)
5. [konghq.com/company/press-room/press-release/kong-releases-insomnia-12-to-accelerate-api-and-mcp-development-with-ai-powered-testing-and-collaboration](https://konghq.com/company/press-room/press-release/kong-releases-insomnia-12-to-accelerate-api-and-mcp-development-with-ai-powered-testing-and-collaboration)
6. [mcp.directory/blog/bruno-mcp-complete-guide-2026](https://mcp.directory/blog/bruno-mcp-complete-guide-2026)

## Related comparisons

- [Postman vs Insomnia](https://porticol.app/compare/postman-vs-insomnia)
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- [Insomnia vs Yaak](https://porticol.app/compare/insomnia-vs-yaak)
- [Bruno vs Yaak](https://porticol.app/compare/bruno-vs-yaak)
- [Porticol vs Insomnia](https://porticol.app/compare/insomnia)
- [Porticol vs Bruno](https://porticol.app/compare/bruno)
- [The best Postman alternative](https://porticol.app/postman-alternative)