Gostman
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Gostman and Bruno compared

Bruno and Gostman share an idea: a collection is a folder of plain files that you commit with your code, and neither needs an account to use. They differ in format, in which features sit behind a paid plan, in protocols and in the command line. This page lists the differences, including those that favour Bruno, so you can decide which fits. To move a collection, see Coming from Bruno.

On this page

Checked on 26 October 2026. Plans and limits change often, so read the current Bruno pricing before you decide.

Who each tool suits

  • Gostman suits people and teams who want the file-based workflow with every feature free, a web app, a single-binary CLI, a load test and secret scanner, and an MCP server for coding agents.
  • Bruno suits people who want an established open source, offline-only client with a VS Code extension, a large documentation set and optional paid support and licence management.

At a glance

Topic Gostman Bruno
Storage and Git YAML files, one per request, in a folder you open (desktop), or the browser (web). The desktop app has a Git panel with commit, push, branches, stash and conflict resolution. Plain text files in a folder: .bru or OpenCollection YAML. Git is the collaboration model. The Git UI lists clone, diff and pull for every plan and commit, push, branches, stash and conflict resolution for Pro and Ultimate.
Offline and accounts No accounts. Also a web app with no sign-in. Offline only. The README says there are no plans to add cloud sync.
Protocols REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket, Socket.IO, MQTT, Server-Sent Events, SOAP and MCP. See Protocols. HTTP and REST, GraphQL, gRPC, WebSocket, SOAP and Server-Sent Events.
Scripting and checks JavaScript in an isolated worker, assertion rows, extraction rules and flows. bru.* scripts are rewritten on import. See Scripts and checks. JavaScript with bru, req and res, tests, assertions and variables. A safe-mode sandbox is the default; developer mode allows files, commands and npm packages.
CLI and CI One gostman binary, a GitHub Action and a Docker image. gostman run also reads a Bruno folder directly. See Gostman in CI. bru from @usebruno/cli (npm, needs Node.js), a Docker image and a GitHub Action. Reports in JSON, JUnit and HTML.
Collaboration and sync Through Git, or an encrypted link or file. Through Git. Workspaces: 2 on Open Source, unlimited on Pro and Ultimate.
Secrets Secret variables in the system keychain, and HashiCorp Vault, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, KeePassXC, 1Password and Bitwarden, all free. See Secrets and network. Secret variables and .env files. Integration with HashiCorp Vault, AWS, Azure and Google Cloud secret managers, listed under Ultimate.
Mock, load and scan A local mock server, load test and secret scanner, in the app and the CLI. See Running, load testing and scanning and Folders, mock server and capture. Local mock servers from response examples or an OpenAPI spec, marked Beta. The documentation index lists no load test or secret scanner.
AI and agents Off by default, your own key. gostman mcp serves a workspace to coding agents with secret redaction and a host allowlist. See AI features and Use from a coding agent. Bruno AI, in Beta from v4.0.0, with your own key: script, test and documentation generation. Setup guides for Cursor, Copilot, Codex, Claude and Devin.
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux, a web app and a CLI. Windows, macOS and Linux, a CLI and a VS Code extension.
Licence and price MIT licence. No paid tier. MIT licence for the open source repository. Open Source is $0, Pro $6 and Ultimate $11 per user a month, billed annually.

Where Gostman is different

  • Every feature in the download. Bruno's pricing table lists data-driven runs and the Git commit and push actions under Pro, and secret managers and report generation under Ultimate. Gostman has no plans. See What is free in Gostman.
  • One binary for CI. gostman run installs without Node.js and also runs gostman flow, gostman load and gostman scan. Bruno's CLI is an npm package; its Docker image removes the need for Node.js on the runner.
  • A web app. Open gostman.com/web and send a request with nothing to install. See Limits of the web version.
  • More protocols. Socket.IO, MQTT and MCP servers are in Gostman's request types; the Bruno documentation index lists none of them. See MCP servers.
  • Flows, load tests and secret scanning. Gostman draws flows with retries and branches, runs load tests and scans a workspace for credentials.
  • An agent server built for secrets. gostman mcp replaces secret values with their names in what the agent sees and limits the hosts the agent can call.
  • Runs a Bruno folder as it is. gostman run ./bruno-collection converts the folder in memory and changes nothing in it. See Try it on the Bruno folder first.

Where Bruno is stronger

  • A VS Code extension. It opens and edits .bru files and sends requests from the editor. Gostman has no editor extension.
  • Scripts with more reach. In developer mode, Bruno scripts can read files, run commands and use npm packages. Gostman scripts always run in an isolated worker with a fixed set of bundled modules.
  • Support and administration. The pricing page lists a 48-hour support response on Pro and 24 hours on Ultimate, with SSO, SCIM, audit logs and licence management for organizations. Gostman's support is its GitHub issues.
  • Documentation and reach. Bruno's documentation covers a wide range of topics, including HTML documentation with a playground, OpenAPI sync and importers for Postman, Insomnia, OpenAPI and WSDL. Gostman is a smaller project with fewer users, and its desktop builds are not code-signed yet.
  • Bruno AI inside the editor. Inline autocomplete in script editors and generation of scripts, tests and documentation.

Moving between them

Sources