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Bruno vs Kong Gateway

Bruno logo

Bruno

Software

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kong Gateway logo

Kong Gateway

Software

Open-source and cloud API gateway for managing microservices traffic

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Kong Gateway the free open-source gateway lacks the analytics, portals, and support of the paid Konnect tiers.
  • They diverge on capability: Bruno covers API Testing, Kong Gateway covers API request routing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bruno and Kong Gateway actually diverge.

Attributes where Bruno and Kong Gateway differ
AttributeBrunoKong Gateway
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
PlatformsWindows, MacOS, Linuxweb, linux, api
Founded20222017

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Bruno

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

Only in Kong Gateway

  • API request routing
  • Plugin ecosystem
  • Developer portals
  • AI Gateway
  • Analytics and observability
  • SSO and audit logs

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 Kong Gateway
  • Keeping API collections in Git rather than a vendor cloudnot Kong Gateway
  • Offline API development without an accountnot Kong Gateway
  • Importing and syncing OpenAPI specificationsnot Kong Gateway

Kong Gateway

  • Routing and securing traffic across microservicesnot Bruno
  • Publishing internal or external developer portalsnot Bruno
  • Managing rate limits and authentication at the API edgenot Bruno
  • Gateway-level routing to multiple LLM providersnot 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

Kong Gateway

  • The free open-source gateway lacks the analytics, portals, and support of the paid Konnect tiers.
  • Plus tier caps API requests at 1M/month before incurring per-million overage charges.
  • Enterprise pricing is custom and not published, making budgeting harder without sales contact.
  • Configuration and plugin management can require significant operational expertise to run at scale.

Pricing, plan by plan

Bruno

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full IDE features
    • Git integration
    • Local storage

Kong Gateway

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • 30-day enterprise functionality trial
    • Unlimited gateways
    • 30-day analytics retention
  • Plus$undefined/month
    • Up to 5 serverless, 2 hybrid, 2 dedicated cloud gateways
    • 1M API requests/month included
    • Up to 2 developer portals
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited hybrid and dedicated cloud gateways
    • Unlimited developer portals
    • SSO and audit logs

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 Kong Gateway if

  • You need api request routing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, linux, api.
  • You also want plugin ecosystem.
Kong Gateway review

Questions people ask

Is Bruno or Kong Gateway better?
Neither clearly leads. Bruno starts at Free and Kong Gateway at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bruno or Kong Gateway?
Bruno starts at Free and Kong Gateway at Free.
Does Bruno or Kong Gateway run on more platforms?
Bruno runs on Windows, MacOS, Linux. Kong Gateway runs on web, linux, api.
Can I use Bruno for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Kong Gateway is typically brought in for.
What can Bruno do that Kong Gateway cannot?
Bruno covers API Testing, Environment management, Git-friendly storage, GitHub. Kong Gateway covers API request routing, Plugin ecosystem, Developer portals, AI Gateway.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kong Gateway: Is Kong Gateway free?

Kong's core gateway is open source and free to self-host. Kong Konnect, the managed cloud platform, offers a 30-day free trial before moving to paid Plus or custom Enterprise pricing.

Source
Kong Gateway: How is usage metered on the Plus plan?

The Plus plan includes 1M API requests per month, with additional usage billed at $200 per extra 1 million requests up to a 10M/month cap, plus per-gateway and per-LLM-model charges.

Source
Kong Gateway: What support is included?

Plus includes email support with a 2-business-day SLA, while Enterprise adds dedicated success managers and professional services.

Source
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