API Management · head to head
curl vs Swagger
curl
API Management
Command-line tool for transferring data using URLs with wide protocol support
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Swagger
API Management
API design and documentation platform for building, testing, and managing APIs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: curl free and open source under an MIT/X derivate license, with no commercial pricing tier; funded only by voluntary sponsorship; Swagger swaggerHub, the commercial layer over the free open source Swagger tools, is sold in Free, Team and Enterprise tiers with the Enterprise tier requiring a sales contact and no public price, per the vendor pricing page
- They diverge on capability: curl covers HTTP/HTTPS, Swagger covers API Specification.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which curl and Swagger actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (API Management).
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 Swagger
- API Specification
- Interactive Documentation
- Code Generation
- GitHub
- GitLab
- Azure DevOps
- Jira
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
curl
- API Development
- API Gateway
- API Testing
- API Documentation
- Microservices
Swagger
- API Development
- API Gateway
- API Testing
- API Documentation
- Microservices
Both are used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation, microservices, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
curl
- Free and open source under an MIT/X derivate license, with no commercial pricing tier; funded only by voluntary sponsorship
Swagger
- SwaggerHub, the commercial layer over the free open source Swagger tools, is sold in Free, Team and Enterprise tiers with the Enterprise tier requiring a sales contact and no public price, per the vendor pricing page
Pricing, plan by plan
curl
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full curl functionality
- Community support
Swagger
Free- FreeFree
- OpenAPI specification
- Swagger UI
- API documentation
- Professional$20/monthly
- Advanced features
- Team collaboration
- API testing
- Enterprise$undefined/monthly
- Custom deployment
- Advanced security
- Dedicated support
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.
Choose Swagger if
- You need api specification.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, CLI, Desktop.
- You also want interactive documentation.
Questions people ask
- Is curl or Swagger better?
- Neither clearly leads. curl starts at Free and Swagger at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, curl or Swagger?
- curl starts at Free and Swagger at Free.
- Does curl or Swagger run on more platforms?
- curl runs on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Unix, Mobile. Swagger runs on Web, CLI, Desktop.
- 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.
- What can curl do that Swagger cannot?
- curl covers HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, Multiple protocols, Universal compatibility. Swagger covers API Specification, Interactive Documentation, Code Generation, GitHub.