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APIs · head to head

Bruno vs Increase

Bruno logo

Bruno

APIs

Open-source IDE for API exploration with git-friendly collections

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Increase logo

Increase

APIs

Direct banking API for ACH, wires, real-time payments, accounts and cards

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Bruno has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Bruno native Git integration, the feature that distinguishes it from cloud API clients, is Pro only at $6 per user per month; Increase the published per transaction rates exclude a monthly platform fee that Increase states varies by use case, so the transparent price page cannot produce a total cost and the material part of the deal is still negotiated privately.
  • They diverge on capability: Bruno covers API Testing, Increase covers ACH origination and receipt.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bruno and Increase actually diverge.

Attributes where Bruno and Increase differ
AttributeBrunoIncrease
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, LinuxAPI, Web
Founded2022Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs).

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 Bruno

  • API Testing
  • Environment management
  • Git-friendly storage
  • GitHub
  • Git repositories
  • Local file system
  • Windows support
  • MacOS support

Only in Increase

  • ACH origination and receipt
  • Domestic wires
  • Real-time payments
  • Bank accounts
  • Cards
  • Cheques
  • Sandbox and simulations
  • Audit and reconciliation data

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Bruno

  • Sending and testing HTTP requests from a local clientnot Increase
  • Keeping API collections in Git rather than a vendor cloudnot Increase
  • Offline API development without an accountnot Increase
  • Importing and syncing OpenAPI specificationsnot Increase

Increase

  • A payroll or treasury product that needs to originate same-day ACH and wires under its own control rather than through a payment processornot Bruno
  • A marketplace that must hold seller balances in ledgered accounts with real account and routing numbersnot Bruno
  • A fintech that wants FedNow and RTP payouts so recipients are paid outside banking hoursnot Bruno
  • An engineering team that needs the underlying return codes and settlement timing visible in order to build correct reconciliation and retry logicnot Bruno

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

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

Increase

  • The published per transaction rates exclude a monthly platform fee that Increase states varies by use case, so the transparent price page cannot produce a total cost and the material part of the deal is still negotiated privately.
  • Free allowances are deliberately small at ten account numbers and five physical cards, so any programme issuing accounts or cards at volume moves to quoted pricing almost immediately.
  • Banking is provided through partner banks, so programme approval, compliance obligations and the ability to launch at all depend on a bank relationship you do not control, and post-Synapse bank risk appetite has tightened considerably.
  • The API deliberately exposes payment rail mechanics rather than smoothing them, which is correct engineering but means a team without payments expertise will build reconciliation and return handling wrongly and only discover it when funds go astray.
  • Coverage is United States only, so a company with international payout needs runs a second provider and reconciles two ledgers, and the single API argument disappears at the first cross border customer.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bruno

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Core API Client
    • Limited Git integration
    • 2 Workspaces
  • Pro$6/month
    • Core API Client
    • Native Git integration
    • Unlimited Workspaces
  • Ultimate$11/month
    • Core API Client
    • Full Git integration
    • Unlimited Workspaces

Increase

On request
  • Increase Platform$undefined/month
    • Monthly fee quoted by use case and not published
    • Next-day ACH origination listed at 0.50 US dollars per transaction
    • Same-day ACH origination listed at 2.00 per transaction

Which should you pick?

Choose Bruno if

  • You need api testing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, MacOS, Linux.
  • You also want environment management.
Bruno review

Choose Increase if

  • You need ach origination and receipt.
  • You work on API, Web.
  • You also want domestic wires.
Increase review

Questions people ask

Is Bruno or Increase better?
Neither clearly leads. Bruno starts at Free and Increase at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bruno or Increase?
Bruno has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bruno and On request for Increase.
Does Bruno or Increase run on more platforms?
Bruno runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Increase runs on API, Web.
Can I use Bruno for free?
Yes. Bruno has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Increase starts at On request.
What is Bruno best used for?
Bruno is most often used for sending and testing http requests from a local client, keeping api collections in git rather than a vendor cloud, offline api development without an account, importing and syncing openapi specifications. Of those, sending and testing http requests from a local client and keeping api collections in git rather than a vendor cloud are not what Increase is typically brought in for.
What can Bruno do that Increase cannot?
Bruno covers API Testing, Environment management, Git-friendly storage, GitHub. Increase covers ACH origination and receipt, Domestic wires, Real-time payments, Bank accounts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bruno: What is included in Bruno's free tier?

The Open Source plan includes the core API client, limited Git integration, and up to 2 workspaces at no cost. A 14-day free trial of the Ultimate plan is also available without requiring a credit card.

Source
Increase: Does Increase publish its pricing?

Partly. Per transaction fees for ACH, wires, RTP, FedNow and cards are listed publicly. The monthly platform fee is not, and it is described only as varying by use case.

Bruno: What is the difference between Bruno Pro and Ultimate plans?

Pro ($6/month) includes native Git integration and unlimited workspaces. Ultimate ($11/month) adds SSO/SCIM support, audit logs, 24-hour support (vs. 48-hour), and an account manager. Ultimate supports unlimited OpenAPI syncs while Pro is limited to 5 per month.

Source
Increase: Who holds the deposits?

Partner banks, not Increase itself. That relationship determines your programme approval, your compliance obligations and your risk if the bank changes appetite.

Bruno: How much does Bruno Pro save compared to other API tools?

The vendor claims Ultimate saves teams more than 70% versus Postman, though this comparison is promotional rather than a specific cost metric.

Source
Increase: Is it international?

No. Increase covers United States rails only, so cross border payouts require a second provider.

Increase: How is it different from a middleware BaaS platform?

It exposes the rails rather than abstracting them, showing real return codes and settlement timing. That suits teams who understand payments and punishes teams who do not.

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