TOOL SIGNAL / ACTIVE

Drill

Ferran Basora

Protocol/API Load Open Source Self-hosted

NOT YET REVIEWED · CATALOG DATA

Official site ↗ Source repo ↗
Pricing model
Free; MIT License.
First released
2015
Latest release
0.9.1
Last verified
Answer

Drill is a lightweight HTTP load testing application written in Rust, designed as an alternative to tools that require a JVM or other heavy runtimes. It is inspired by Ansible syntax.

What it is

Drill is a lightweight HTTP load testing application written in Rust, designed as an alternative to tools that require a JVM or other heavy runtimes. It is inspired by Ansible syntax.

Features

  • HTTP load testing
  • Ansible-inspired syntax for test plans
  • Configurable concurrency and request counts
  • Benchmark tagging and filtering
  • Reporting and statistical analysis (including nanosecond precision)
  • SSL certificate check toggle
  • Time-to-last-byte latency measurement

Best for

  • API and protocol throughput or latency campaigns
  • Teams that prefer open-source licensing and self-hosting options
  • Groups comfortable scripting in Rust, YAML

Not the best fit when

  • Teams unwilling to operate generators, results storage, and scaling

Architecture and concurrency

Drill is commonly operated as self-hosted software with scenario authoring in Rust, YAML. Concurrency and distribution depend on how you size workers or injectors.

Fact sheet

Specs

Scripting
RustYAML
Protocols
HTTPHTTPS
Operating systems
macOSLinux
Tags
rustyamlapi
Repo health
★ 2308 · last push 2026-07-29

Latest release

0.9.1 · 2026-06-17

Release 0.9.1 introduces changes where latency is measured to the last byte by reading the entire response body before stopping the timer, providing more accurate results for body-heavy endpoints. It also includes various dependency updates and security fixes.

Pricing

Drill is free and open-source software, licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0.

Sources

SHOW SOURCES

LAST VERIFIED · 2026-08-11 · GROUNDED VIA EXA · CURATED BY NAVEENKUMAR NAMACHIVAYAM

Frequently asked

ANSWER-SHAPED
Who is Drill for?

Drill is best for engineers focused on API and protocol-level throughput and latency. It is open source, so teams can self-host and extend it. Vendor: Ferran Basora. Deployment model: self-hosted. Free; MIT License. Confirm details against the official site and a short proof-of-concept in your environment.

How does Drill differ from Artillery?

Compared with Artillery, scripting centers on Rust, YAML rather than JavaScript, TypeScript. Drill lists protocols HTTP, HTTPS; Artillery lists HTTP, HTTPS, WebSocket, Socket.IO, MQTT. Status is active versus active. Use the Test Rig to compare full specs side by side before a proof-of-concept.

What scripting language and concurrency model does Drill use?

Drill uses Rust, YAML for scripting or scenario definition. Runtime model: code-first scenarios where virtual users execute scripted behavior under load. OS support: macOS, Linux. Protocols: HTTP, HTTPS. Match these to how your team already authors tests and which systems you must drive under load.

What is the cloud or enterprise path for Drill?

Drill is primarily self-hosted; teams typically run generators on their own machines, CI runners, or private cloud. Plan for generator capacity, network access to targets, and result storage yourself. As open source, commercial support or hosted siblings may exist separately. Check the official site. Pricing note: Free; MIT License.

What are known limitations of Drill?

Drill limitations to weigh: self-hosted tools require you to provision, scale, and observe load generators yourself. Status: active. Always validate against your target protocols and scale with a proof-of-concept. Confirm details against the official site and a short proof-of-concept in your environment.