Software · head to head
3scale vs Bruno
3scale
Software
API management platform for designing, securing, and monetizing APIs
- From
- $300/monthly
- Rated
- -
Bruno
Software
Open-source IDE for API exploration with git-friendly collections
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Bruno has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 3scale red Hat's managed 3scale services end on 30 June 2027, so anyone adopting the hosted option now is choosing a product with a published end date; Bruno native Git integration, the feature that distinguishes it from cloud API clients, is Pro only at $6 per user per month
- They diverge on capability: 3scale covers API Gateway, Bruno covers API Testing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which 3scale and Bruno actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in 3scale
- API Gateway
- Developer Portal
- API Monetization
- Red Hat OpenShift
- AWS
- Azure
- Kubernetes
- Cloud support
Only in Bruno
- API Testing
- Environment management
- Git-friendly storage
- GitHub
- Git repositories
- Local file system
- Windows support
- MacOS support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
3scale
- API gateway and lifecycle managementnot Bruno
- Rate limiting and traffic control across API consumersnot Bruno
- Developer portal and access key managementnot Bruno
- Monetising APIs with usage-based plansnot Bruno
- Hybrid deployment across on-premises and cloudnot Bruno
Bruno
- Sending and testing HTTP requests from a local clientnot 3scale
- Keeping API collections in Git rather than a vendor cloudnot 3scale
- Offline API development without an accountnot 3scale
- Importing and syncing OpenAPI specificationsnot 3scale
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
3scale
- Red Hat's managed 3scale services end on 30 June 2027, so anyone adopting the hosted option now is choosing a product with a published end date
- Sold as part of Red Hat middleware rather than standalone, and 3scale.net redirects into redhat.com
- Pricing is not published and a subscription is required for some services
Bruno
- Native Git integration, the feature that distinguishes it from cloud API clients, is Pro only at $6 per user per month
- OpenAPI syncs are capped at 5 a month on the free tier
- SSO, SCIM and user management require Ultimate at $11 per user per month
- Private workspaces are a paid feature
- Advertised prices are annual rates
Pricing, plan by plan
3scale
$300/monthly- Starter$300/monthly
- API gateway
- Developer portal
- Basic analytics
- Professional$750/monthly
- Advanced features
- API monetization
- Enhanced support
- Enterprise$undefined/monthly
- Custom deployment
- Dedicated support
- Premium SLA
Bruno
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full IDE features
- Git integration
- Local storage
Which should you pick?
Choose 3scale if
- You need api gateway.
- You work on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid.
- You also want developer portal.
Choose Bruno if
- You need api testing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- You also want environment management.
Questions people ask
- Is 3scale or Bruno better?
- Neither clearly leads. 3scale starts at $300/monthly and Bruno at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, 3scale or Bruno?
- Bruno has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $300/monthly for 3scale and Free for Bruno.
- Does 3scale or Bruno run on more platforms?
- 3scale runs on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid. Bruno runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
- Can I use Bruno for free?
- Yes. Bruno has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. 3scale starts at $300/monthly.
- What is 3scale best used for?
- 3scale is most often used for api gateway and lifecycle management, rate limiting and traffic control across api consumers, developer portal and access key management, monetising apis with usage-based plans. Of those, api gateway and lifecycle management and rate limiting and traffic control across api consumers are not what Bruno is typically brought in for.
- What can 3scale do that Bruno cannot?
- 3scale covers API Gateway, Developer Portal, API Monetization, Red Hat OpenShift. Bruno covers API Testing, Environment management, Git-friendly storage, GitHub.