Curl vs Wget in Bash: Key Differences and Usage

curl and wget are command-line tools in bash used to download files from the internet, but curl is more versatile for data transfer and scripting, while wget is simpler and better for recursive downloads. Both support HTTP and HTTPS, but curl handles more protocols and offers finer control over requests.

Quick Comparison

Here is a quick side-by-side comparison of curl and wget based on common factors.

Factor	curl	wget
Primary Use	Data transfer and API interaction	File downloading, especially recursive
Supported Protocols	HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, FTPS, SCP, SFTP, LDAP, and more	HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, FTPS
Recursive Download	No native support	Yes, supports recursive downloads
Resume Downloads	Yes, with options	Yes, automatic resume support
Output Handling	Outputs to stdout by default	Saves files directly by default
Complexity	More options, flexible	Simpler, focused on downloads

Key Differences

curl is designed as a tool for transferring data with URLs and supports a wide range of protocols beyond HTTP and FTP, including SCP and LDAP. It outputs data to the terminal by default, making it ideal for piping data into other commands or scripts. This makes curl very powerful for interacting with APIs, sending POST requests, or uploading data.

On the other hand, wget is focused on downloading files from the web. It saves files directly to disk by default and supports recursive downloads, which means it can download entire websites or directories by following links. This makes wget simpler to use for bulk downloads or mirroring websites.

While both tools can resume interrupted downloads, wget does this automatically, whereas curl requires specific options. Also, curl offers more fine-grained control over headers, cookies, and authentication, making it better suited for complex scripting tasks.

Code Comparison

Here is how you download a single file using curl in bash:

bash

curl -O https://example.com/file.txt

Output

file.txt downloaded to current directory

wget Equivalent

Here is the equivalent command using wget to download the same file:

bash

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

Output

file.txt downloaded to current directory

When to Use Which

Choose curl when you need to interact with APIs, send custom HTTP requests, or handle multiple protocols beyond HTTP/FTP. It is best for scripting complex data transfers and when you want output to be processed by other commands.

Choose wget when you want a simple way to download files or entire websites recursively, especially when you want automatic resume support and easy saving of files to disk without extra options.

Key Takeaways

curl is versatile for data transfer and scripting with many protocols.

wget excels at simple and recursive file downloads.

curl outputs to stdout by default; wget saves files directly.

Use curl for API calls and complex requests.

Use wget for bulk downloads and website mirroring.