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APIs · head to head

curl vs OpenEBS

curl logo

curl

APIs

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenEBS logo

OpenEBS

Cloud

Open source container-attached storage for Kubernetes

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; OpenEBS there is no vendor on the other end of an incident unless you separately contract DataCore, so an outage at three in the morning is resolved by your own team and a public Slack channel.
  • They diverge on capability: curl covers HTTP/HTTPS, OpenEBS covers Replicated engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which curl and OpenEBS actually diverge.

Attributes where curl and OpenEBS differ
AttributecurlOpenEBS
Pricing modelopen-sourceOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsLinux, MacOS, Windows, Unix, MobileLinux
CategoryAPIsCloud
Founded1997Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 OpenEBS

  • Replicated engine
  • Local PV engines
  • Kubernetes-native management
  • Snapshots and clones
  • No licence fee
  • Hardware independence

What people use each for

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

curl

  • API Developmentnot OpenEBS
  • API Gatewaynot OpenEBS
  • API Testingnot OpenEBS
  • API Documentationnot OpenEBS
  • Microservicesnot OpenEBS

OpenEBS

  • Running Cassandra or Kafka on Kubernetes where the application already replicates and node-local volumes are sufficientnot curl
  • A platform team that needs persistent volumes on bare metal Kubernetes without a per node subscriptionnot curl
  • An edge or lab deployment where a commercial storage licence cannot be justifiednot curl
  • Replacing hostpath volumes with something that has snapshots and a Container Storage Interface drivernot 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

OpenEBS

  • There is no vendor on the other end of an incident unless you separately contract DataCore, so an outage at three in the morning is resolved by your own team and a public Slack channel.
  • The project has several storage engines with different maturity and different operational characteristics, and choosing the wrong one for your workload produces poor results that look like a product failure.
  • Documentation and upgrade guidance assume real Kubernetes storage knowledge, so teams without that expertise underestimate the operational load they are taking on.
  • Project governance shifted after DataCore acquired MayaData in 2021, which means the direction of a supposedly neutral project is influenced by one commercial sponsor.
  • Disaster recovery, cross-cluster replication and policy-driven data services are thinner than in the commercial alternatives, so organisations with those requirements end up building them or buying a product anyway.

Pricing, plan by plan

curl

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full curl functionality
    • Community support

OpenEBS

Free
  • OpenEBSFree
    • Apache 2.0 licensed
    • All storage engines included
    • No node or capacity limits

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 OpenEBS if

  • You need replicated engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux.
  • You also want local pv engines.
OpenEBS review

Questions people ask

Is curl or OpenEBS better?
Neither clearly leads. curl starts at Free and OpenEBS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, curl or OpenEBS?
curl starts at Free and OpenEBS at Free.
Does curl or OpenEBS run on more platforms?
curl runs on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Unix, Mobile. OpenEBS runs on Linux.
Can I use curl for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 OpenEBS is typically brought in for.
What can curl do that OpenEBS cannot?
curl covers HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, Multiple protocols, Universal compatibility. OpenEBS covers Replicated engine, Local PV engines, Kubernetes-native management, Snapshots and clones.

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
OpenEBS: Who supports it in production?

The project is community supported. Commercial support is available from DataCore, which acquired the original sponsor MayaData in 2021. Establish that relationship before production, not during an incident.

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
OpenEBS: Which engine should we use?

If your application replicates its own data, use a Local engine and avoid replicating twice. If it does not, such as with PostgreSQL, use the Replicated engine.

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
OpenEBS: Does it cost anything?

No licence fee. The cost is operational, and a support contract if you want someone accountable.

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