API Management · head to head
Swagger vs curl
Swagger
API Management
API design and documentation platform for building, testing, and managing APIs
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
curl
API Management
Command-line tool for transferring data using URLs with wide protocol support
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 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; curl free and open source under an MIT/X derivate license, with no commercial pricing tier; funded only by voluntary sponsorship
- They diverge on capability: Swagger covers API Specification, curl covers HTTP/HTTPS.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Swagger and curl 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 Swagger
- API Specification
- Interactive Documentation
- Code Generation
- GitHub
- GitLab
- Azure DevOps
- Jira
- Web support
Only in curl
- HTTP/HTTPS
- FTP
- Multiple protocols
- Universal compatibility
- Scripting tools
- Linux support
- MacOS support
- Windows support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Swagger
- API Development
- API Gateway
- API Testing
- API Documentation
- Microservices
curl
- 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.
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
curl
- Free and open source under an MIT/X derivate license, with no commercial pricing tier; funded only by voluntary sponsorship
Pricing, plan by plan
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
curl
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full curl functionality
- Community support
Which should you pick?
Choose Swagger if
- You need api specification.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, CLI, Desktop.
- You also want interactive documentation.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Swagger or curl better?
- Neither clearly leads. Swagger starts at Free and curl at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Swagger or curl?
- Swagger starts at Free and curl at Free.
- Does Swagger or curl run on more platforms?
- Swagger runs on Web, CLI, Desktop. curl runs on Linux, MacOS, Windows, Unix, Mobile.
- Can I use Swagger for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Swagger best used for?
- Swagger is most often used for api development, api gateway, api testing, api documentation.
- What can Swagger do that curl cannot?
- Swagger covers API Specification, Interactive Documentation, Code Generation, GitHub. curl covers HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, Multiple protocols, Universal compatibility.