Linux Commands Comparison curl vs wget

Introduction

Linux is a versatile operating system that is popular among developers, system administrators, and enthusiasts. It offers a variety of tools to help users perform various tasks, and two of most commonly used command-line utilities are curl and wget. Both these commands are used to download files from internet, and while they have some similarities, they also have distinct differences. In this article, we'll compare and contrast curl and wget, including their features, syntax, and use cases.

Overview of curl and wget

Curl and wget are both command-line tools used to retrieve data from internet. They use different protocols to perform this task, with curl supporting a variety of protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, FTPS, SCP, SFTP, and more. Wget, on other hand, primarily supports HTTP and FTP protocols.

Curl is designed to be a more versatile tool and can handle a variety of data formats, including JSON, XML, and CSV. It is also able to upload data and interact with APIs. Wget, on other hand, is designed to be a simple, reliable tool for downloading files.

Syntax Comparison

The syntax for curl and wget commands is quite similar, with both using a URL to specify location of file to download. However, there are some differences in how two commands are used.

For example, to download a file using curl, you would use following command −

curl [options] URL

Here, URL specifies location of file to download, and options can be used to specify various parameters, such as output file name, user credentials, and more.

To download a file using wget, you would use following command −

wget [options] URL

Again, URL specifies location of file to download, and options can be used to specify various parameters.

Feature Comparison

Curl and wget both have unique features that make them suitable for different tasks. Curl, for example, is often used to interact with APIs and can handle a variety of data formats. It also supports authentication, cookies, and more. Here are some of key features of curl −

• Supports a wide range of protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, FTPS, SCP, SFTP, and more.

• Can handle a variety of data formats, including JSON, XML, and CSV.

• Supports authentication and cookies.

• Can interact with APIs.

Wget, on other hand, is primarily designed for downloading files and has a number of features that make it a reliable tool for this task. Here are some of key features of wget −

• Supports HTTP and FTP protocols.

• Can download recursively to download all linked files.

• Can handle slow or unstable connections with ease.

• Can resume interrupted downloads.

• Can limit download rate to prevent overloading network.

Examples

Let's take a look at some examples of how to use curl and wget to download files.

Example 1: Downloading a file with curl

To download a file using curl, you would use following command −

curl -o outputfile.zip https://example.com/file.zip

This command downloads file located at https://example.com/file.zip and saves it as outputfile.zip. -o option specifies output file name.

Example 2: Downloading a file with wget

To download a file using wget, you would use following command −

wget https://example.com/file.zip

This command downloads file located at https://example.com/file.zip and saves it using original file name.

Example 3: Downloading a file with wget and limiting download rate

To limit download rate when using wget, you can use --limit-rate option. For example −

wget --limit-rate=100k https://example.com/file.zip

This command downloads file located at https://example.com/file.zip and limits download rate to 100 kilobits per second.

Example 4: Downloading multiple files with curl

To download multiple files with curl, you can use a list of URLs in a text file and then pass that file to curl using -K option. For example −

curl -K urls.txt

Assuming urls.txt contains a list of URLs, one per line, this command will download each of files listed in file.

Example 5: Downloading recursively with wget

To download all linked files on a website with wget, you can use -r option. For example −

wget -r https://example.com/

This command downloads all files linked to from https://example.com/, including any images, stylesheets, or other linked files.

Performance Comparison

When it comes to performance, there are some differences between curl and wget. Curl is generally considered to be faster than wget because it supports multiple connections at once, allowing it to download files in parallel. This can be especially useful when downloading large files or when downloading multiple files at once. Wget, on other hand, is designed to be a reliable tool that can handle slow or unstable connections, so it may be better suited for certain types of downloads.

Security Comparison

Both curl and wget support secure connections using HTTPS, which encrypts data being transmitted between client and server. However, curl has some additional security features that make it a more secure tool. For example, curl can check SSL certificates to ensure that they are valid and have not been tampered with. It can also use a variety of encryption methods, including SSL and TLS.

Portability Comparison

Curl and wget are both available on a wide variety of operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows. However, curl is generally considered to be more portable because it is a standalone program that does not require any external libraries. Wget, on other hand, relies on GNU Wget library, which may not be available on all systems.

Use Cases

Curl and wget are both versatile tools that can be used for a variety of tasks. Here are some common use cases for each tool −

Curl

• Download files from internet

• Upload data to a server

• Interacte with APIs

• Test web services

• Download data from a database

• Scraping web pages

Wget

• Download files from internet

• Download entire websites for offline viewing

• Download large files that may be interrupted

• Download files with slow or unstable connections

• Download files over a slow network connection

Table of Difference between wget and curl

wget	curl
wget is a simple file download command-line utility.	curl has more functionality. The libcurl library can be used as a GUI library.
It has Limited support for different protocols.	It has more support to protocols. It supports bidirectional HTTP request (get/post).
It support Recursive download. Other features are Bandwidth control, Resumes aborted transfers, Background downloads, Recursive mirror files, and directories, etc.	It is not supporting recursive download.
Wget support following protocols: HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.	Curl support following protocols: DICT, FILE, FTP, FTPS, Gopher, HTTP, HTTPS, IMAP, IMAPS, LDAP, LDAPS, POP3, POP3S, RTMP, RTSP, SCP, SFTP, SMB, SMBS, SMTP, SMTPS, Telnet and TFT.
wget is available on Linux and linux based operating systems.	Curl is available on multiple platforms with many web utilities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both curl and wget are powerful command-line tools that can be used to download files from internet. While they have some similarities in their syntax and features, they are also distinct in their use cases. Curl is a more versatile tool that can handle a variety of data formats and is often used to interact with APIs. Wget, on other hand, is primarily designed for downloading files and has features that make it a reliable tool for this task, including ability to handle slow or unstable connections and resume interrupted downloads. By understanding differences between these two tools, you can choose right tool for your particular use case and get most out of your Linux command line experience.