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APIs · head to head

curl vs Increase

curl logo

curl

APIs

Command-line tool for transferring data using URLs with wide protocol support

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Increase logo

Increase

APIs

Direct banking API for ACH, wires, real-time payments, accounts and cards

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only curl has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: curl open-source with no vendor pricing: curl is free and open-source under GPL 3.0; no subscription or licensing costs apply; Increase the published per transaction rates exclude a monthly platform fee that Increase states varies by use case, so the transparent price page cannot produce a total cost and the material part of the deal is still negotiated privately.
  • They diverge on capability: curl covers HTTP/HTTPS, Increase covers ACH origination and receipt.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which curl and Increase actually diverge.

Attributes where curl and Increase differ
AttributecurlIncrease
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, MacOS, Windows, Unix, MobileAPI, Web
Founded1997Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in curl

  • HTTP/HTTPS
  • FTP
  • Multiple protocols
  • Universal compatibility
  • Scripting tools
  • Linux support
  • MacOS support
  • Windows support

Only in Increase

  • ACH origination and receipt
  • Domestic wires
  • Real-time payments
  • Bank accounts
  • Cards
  • Cheques
  • Sandbox and simulations
  • Audit and reconciliation data

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

curl

  • API Developmentnot Increase
  • API Gatewaynot Increase
  • API Testingnot Increase
  • API Documentationnot Increase
  • Microservicesnot Increase

Increase

  • A payroll or treasury product that needs to originate same-day ACH and wires under its own control rather than through a payment processornot curl
  • A marketplace that must hold seller balances in ledgered accounts with real account and routing numbersnot curl
  • A fintech that wants FedNow and RTP payouts so recipients are paid outside banking hoursnot curl
  • An engineering team that needs the underlying return codes and settlement timing visible in order to build correct reconciliation and retry logicnot curl

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

curl

  • Open-source with no vendor pricing: curl is free and open-source under GPL 3.0; no subscription or licensing costs apply
  • Commercial support costs hidden: site references 'commercial support available' but pricing is not detailed or accessible from homepage
  • No SaaS model: curl is a command-line tool and library; costs are limited to optional commercial support contracts (pricing unknown)
  • Self-support burden: free software means customers rely on community forums or undisclosed commercial support pricing

Increase

  • The published per transaction rates exclude a monthly platform fee that Increase states varies by use case, so the transparent price page cannot produce a total cost and the material part of the deal is still negotiated privately.
  • Free allowances are deliberately small at ten account numbers and five physical cards, so any programme issuing accounts or cards at volume moves to quoted pricing almost immediately.
  • Banking is provided through partner banks, so programme approval, compliance obligations and the ability to launch at all depend on a bank relationship you do not control, and post-Synapse bank risk appetite has tightened considerably.
  • The API deliberately exposes payment rail mechanics rather than smoothing them, which is correct engineering but means a team without payments expertise will build reconciliation and return handling wrongly and only discover it when funds go astray.
  • Coverage is United States only, so a company with international payout needs runs a second provider and reconciles two ledgers, and the single API argument disappears at the first cross border customer.

Pricing, plan by plan

curl

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full curl functionality
    • Community support

Increase

On request
  • Increase Platform$undefined/month
    • Monthly fee quoted by use case and not published
    • Next-day ACH origination listed at 0.50 US dollars per transaction
    • Same-day ACH origination listed at 2.00 per transaction

Which should you pick?

Choose curl if

  • You need http/https.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Unix, Mobile.
  • You also want ftp.
curl review

Choose Increase if

  • You need ach origination and receipt.
  • You work on API, Web.
  • You also want domestic wires.
Increase review

Questions people ask

Is curl or Increase better?
Neither clearly leads. curl starts at Free and Increase at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, curl or Increase?
curl has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for curl and On request for Increase.
Does curl or Increase run on more platforms?
curl runs on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Unix, Mobile. Increase runs on API, Web.
Can I use curl for free?
Yes. curl has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Increase starts at On request.
What is curl best used for?
curl is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation. Of those, api development and api gateway are not what Increase is typically brought in for.
What can curl do that Increase cannot?
curl covers HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, Multiple protocols, Universal compatibility. Increase covers ACH origination and receipt, Domestic wires, Real-time payments, Bank accounts.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

curl: How much does curl cost?

curl is free and open-source software under the GPL 3.0 license. There is no cost to download, use, or modify the software.

Source
Increase: Does Increase publish its pricing?

Partly. Per transaction fees for ACH, wires, RTP, FedNow and cards are listed publicly. The monthly platform fee is not, and it is described only as varying by use case.

curl: Is commercial support available for curl?

Yes. The curl website references 'commercial support available,' but pricing and details are not disclosed on the homepage and require visiting the support page.

Source
Increase: Who holds the deposits?

Partner banks, not Increase itself. That relationship determines your programme approval, your compliance obligations and your risk if the bank changes appetite.

curl: Can I sponsor curl financially?

Yes. The curl website offers an option to 'Sponsor curl financially.' Visitors can donate to support curl development, but the donation link must be accessed through the site's support section.

Source
Increase: Is it international?

No. Increase covers United States rails only, so cross border payouts require a second provider.

Increase: How is it different from a middleware BaaS platform?

It exposes the rails rather than abstracting them, showing real return codes and settlement timing. That suits teams who understand payments and punishes teams who do not.

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