The difference between cURL and wget

To download files directly from the Linux command line, there are two utilities you can use: wget and cURL. These two tools have a lot of similar features and can easily accomplish many of the same tasks.

However, they are not exactly the same. Each of these programs is suitable for different roles and use cases. Each tool has its own characteristics that make them more suitable in certain situations.

Similarities between cURL vs wget

Both wget and cURL can download everything. Basically, that is the main task of these two tools. They can fulfill the requirements of the Internet and return the requested items. The required items can be a raw, raw or even raw (raw) HTML file of the web page.

Both programs are also capable of making HTTP POST requests. This means they can send data to a website, like filling out forms.

Since both are command line tools, they are designed to be able to write scripts. You can include wget and cURL in Bash scripts to automatically interact with online content and retrieve what you need.

Advantages of wget

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Wget is extremely simple. Wget performs excellent file downloading tasks quickly. Wget is a standalone program. It does not require any additional libraries, and does not do anything outside the scope.

Wget allows you to download everything on a page or all files in the FTP folder at the same time.

Wget also has smart default settings. This tool specifies how to handle many things that a normal browser will do, like cookies and redirects, without adding any configuration. Finally, wget works very creatively.

Advantages of cURL

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cURL is a versatile tool. Of course, it can download content from the Internet. Besides, cURL does much more than that.

The power of cURL comes from libcurl library . Meaning you can write the whole program based on cURL, based on the graphical download chart on libcurl and have access to all functions of this library.

The wide range or protocols that cURL supports is probably the biggest plus this tool has. cURL can access web pages via HTTP and HTTPS, as well as handle FTP in both directions. cURL supports LDAP and even Samba sharing. You can actually use cURL to send and receive email.

cURL also has some security features. cURL supports countless SSL / TLS libraries. It also supports Internet access via proxy, including SOCKS. That means you can use cURL on Tor.

cURL also supports gzip compression to send large amounts of data more easily.

Should I use cURL or wget?

So should you use cURL or wget? The choice is entirely up to you. If you want to download something quickly without having to worry about flags, choose wget. This tool is extremely simple. If it is necessary to perform a more complex task, cURL will be a worthwhile consideration. cURL allows you to do a lot of things. You can treat cURL as a shortened command line web browser. cURL supports all protocols you know and can access, as well as interact with almost all online content. The only difference is that the browser displays the responses it receives, and cURL does not.

Wish you find the right choice!