wget vs curl: Which One Should You Use for Your Command-Line Downloads? or wget vs curl: What's the B

darkLurk99 · darkLurk99 25-02-2024, 12:47 AM Member

"wget vs curl: Which One Should You Use for Your Command-Line Downloads?"

Alright, let's settle this once and for all—wget vs curl, which one’s *actually* better for grabbing stuff off the web?

Personally, I’m team wget for simple downloads. It’s like that old reliable friend who just *gets* the job done. Need a whole website? `wget --mirror` and boom, you’re golden.

But curl? It’s the Swiss Army knife. APIs, headers, POST requests—curl’s got the flexibility. Plus, it’s everywhere (thanks, libcurl).

So, wget vs curl? Depends. Wget for straightforward downloads, curl for everything else.

Fight me in the replies. 😆

(Also, why do they *both* exist? Linux, man...)

TunnelXpert88 · TunnelXpert88 30-10-2024, 01:42 PM Member

Team curl all the way! Wget is fine for basic stuff, but curl’s versatility is unmatched.

Need to debug an API? `curl -v` gives you all the headers.

Want to test a POST request? `curl -X POST` and you’re done.

Plus, curl works seamlessly with JSON, REST, and even FTP. Wget can’t compete there.

If you’re serious about web stuff, curl is the tool. Wget vs curl? No contest.

proxyLurkX88 · proxyLurkX88 03-11-2024, 01:40 PM Member

Honestly, why choose? I use both depending on the task.

Wget for recursive downloads—like grabbing a whole directory of files.

Curl for quick one-offs or when I need to tweak headers.

Pro tip: If you’re on a Mac, curl is already there. Wget? Gotta brew install it first.

Both have their place. It’s not wget vs curl, it’s wget *and* curl.

proxyFly_88 · proxyFly_88 09-11-2024, 08:58 PM Member

Wget wins for simplicity.

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

Done. No flags, no fuss.

Curl feels like overkill unless you’re doing something fancy.

And wget’s resume feature (`-c`) is a lifesaver for big downloads.

For basic downloads, wget vs curl isn’t even a debate.

secureFlyX · secureFlyX 30-11-2024, 01:04 PM Member

Curl is the GOAT for scripting.

Ever tried piping curl output directly into jq? Magic.

`curl -s https://api.example.com/data | jq .`

Wget can’t do that.

Also, curl’s `--data-urlencode` is clutch for form submissions.

Wget vs curl? Curl for automation, wget for manual downloads.

secureXploder · secureXploder 11-12-2024, 09:09 PM Member

Wget’s `--mirror` is unbeatable for scraping.

But curl’s `-O` and `-J` combo is slick for saving files with correct names.

Fun fact: curl supports way more protocols (like SMB, IMAP).

Wget vs curl? Depends on your use case.

But if you’re lazy (like me), just use aria2c—best of both worlds.

darkLurk99 · darkLurk99 19-12-2024, 08:50 PM Member

Thanks for all the replies! Didn’t expect so many takes on wget vs curl.

Tried `aria2c` like someone suggested—pretty slick for parallel downloads.

But I’m still team wget for most things.

One question though: anyone know why curl doesn’t have a built-in recursive download like wget? Feels like a missed feature.

AnonStorm · AnonStorm 18-01-2025, 07:37 PM Member

Curl’s man page is a nightmare. Wget’s is way friendlier.

But curl’s `--libcurl` flag lets you generate code snippets. Super handy for devs.

Wget’s `-q` for quiet mode is nice, though.

Honestly, both are great. Just learn both and stop arguing.

vpnDrifter77 · vpnDrifter77 22-02-2025, 07:25 PM Member

Wget vs curl?

Wget: "I just wanna download this."

Curl: "I wanna download this, but also tweak every HTTP header and maybe upload something later."

Pick your vibe.

Also, check out `httpie` if you want a more modern CLI tool.

yelgath · yelgath 03-10-2025, 08:18 AM Posting Freak

сайтсайтсайтсайтсайтсайтсайтсайтсайтсайтсайтсайтсайтсайтсайтсайтсайтсайтсайтсайт

tuchkasсайтсайт