Karate vs Bruno
Verdict: Karate scores 9.8/10 against 9.4/10 for Bruno on our data score for API testing tools.
Bruno is cheaper to start: paid plans from $6 vs $8.33 per user/month on annual billing.
Both have a free plan.
Bruno leads on 2 checks and Karate on 0; 6 are even, out of 8 checks (yes/no, price and seats) where we have data for both.
Choose Karate for engineering teams that want code-based API tests in CI without a per-user client fee. Choose Bruno for developers who want API collections versioned in Git with no cloud account.
Scoreboard: 8 checks
| Check | Karate | Bruno |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Even | Even |
| Free trial | Leads | |
| Lower entry price (annual) | Leads | |
| Smaller seat minimum | Even | Even |
| REST API testing | Even | Even |
| GraphQL testing | Even | Even |
| API mocking | Even | Even |
| CI/CD integration | Even | Even |
| Total | 0 | 2 |
At a glance
| Karate | Bruno | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 9.8/10 (#2) | 9.4/10 (#4) |
| Best for | Engineering teams that want code-based API tests in CI without a per-user client fee | Developers who want API collections versioned in Git with no cloud account |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Paid from (annual) | $8.33/user/mo | $6/user/mo |
| Paid from (monthly) | $64/user/mo | — |
| Free trial | — | 14-day free trial of Ultimate, no credit card required |
| Minimum seats | 1 | 1 |
| Platforms | Open-source framework (JVM), IntelliJ and VS Code plugins, Xplorer desktop app | Desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux), CLI, IDE extension |
Features
| Tool | Score | REST API testing | GraphQL testing | Load testing | API mocking | CI/CD integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karate | 9.8/10 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bruno | 9.4/10 | Yes | Yes | Not confirmed | Yes | Yes |
- Only Karate confirms: Load testing.
Pros and cons
Karate
Pros- Core framework is free and MIT-licensed, including mocks, Gatling performance tests and CI/CD use
- One framework covers API, UI and performance tests
- Paid tiers are listed per user with public prices
- Async protocols (Kafka, gRPC, WebSocket) in CI/CD need an Enterprise runtime license
- Tests are written in Karate's own DSL, so non-coders need the IDE or Xplorer tooling
- Enterprise trials require a vetted, scoped request rather than self-serve sign-up
Bruno
Pros- Open-source edition is free and works without an account
- Collections are plain files that live in Git alongside code
- Paid tiers are low per-user prices and include a 14-day Ultimate trial with no credit card
- Paid plans are listed only with annual billing
- Mock server is a beta feature run locally on your machine
- SSO and SCIM are Enterprise-only; open-source edition is limited to 2 workspaces and public Git providers
Frequently asked questions
How do Karate and Bruno compare on features and price?
Bruno leads on 2 checks and Karate on 0; 6 are even, out of 8 checks (yes/no, price and seats) where we have data for both.
Is Karate better than Bruno?
Karate scores 9.8/10 against 9.4/10 for Bruno on our data score for API testing tools. Karate is best for engineering teams that want code-based API tests in CI without a per-user client fee; Bruno is best for developers who want API collections versioned in Git with no cloud account.
Which is cheaper, Karate or Bruno?
Bruno is cheaper, starting at $6 vs $8.33 per user/month on annual billing.
Do Karate and Bruno have free plans?
Karate: yes. Bruno: yes.
See the full API Testing Tools ranking for other options.