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.
About
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.
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.
Reporting and statistical analysis (including nanosecond precision)
SSL certificate check toggle
Time-to-last-byte latency measurement
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.
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.