curlvs
Appwrite
Appwrite: Open-source Backend as a Service with REST API and SDKs
curl
Command-line tool for transferring data using URLs with wide protocol support
As of 30 August 2026, curl is free to use. curl is a free and open-source command-line tool and library for transferring data with URLs. Softwr lists it under APIs. curl is made by curl project, launched in 1997, available on Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS.
Overview
What curl does
curl is a free and open-source command-line tool and library for transferring data with URLs. It supports HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and many other protocols, making it essential for API testing and integration.
What people use it for
- API Development
- API Gateway
- API Testing
- API Documentation
- Microservices
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about 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
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of curl
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- curlvsHasura
Hasura: GraphQL engine that instantly creates production-ready GraphQL API from databases
- curlvsPocketBase
PocketBase: Open-source backend with REST API, real-time subscriptions and Admin UI
- curlvsSanity
Sanity: Headless CMS with real-time collaborative editing and structured content APIs
Pricing
What curl costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Open Source
Free
- Full curl functionality
- Community support
Capabilities
Features
HTTP/HTTPS
FTP
Multiple protocols
Universal compatibility
Integration with Universal compatibility
Scripting tools
Integration with Scripting tools
Linux support
Available on Linux
MacOS support
Available on macOS
Windows support
Available on Windows
Unix support
Available on Unix
Mobile support
Available on Mobile
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
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.
SourceIs 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.
SourceCan 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.
SourceBehind it
Who makes curl
- Company
- curl project
- Based in
- Global
Keep looking
Where to go from curl
- curl alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- curl pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- curl badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All APIs softwareThe full category
- Best APIs softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best APIs software for
Compare curl with
- Appwrite
- Hasura
- PocketBase
- Sanity
- HTTPie
- REST Client VSCode
- Hoppscotch
- Bruno
- Kong Gateway
- Convoy
- Directus
- Moov
- MX Technologies
- PubNub
- Skaleet
- Svix
- Synctera
- Kong
Other APIs software
GraphQL engine that instantly creates production-ready GraphQL API from databases
Free, then $5/mo9 researched notesOpen-source backend with REST API, real-time subscriptions and Admin UI
Free plan9 researched notesHeadless CMS with real-time collaborative editing and structured content APIs
Free, then $15/mo13 researched notesVSCode extension for making HTTP requests and testing REST APIs
Free plan12 researched notesOpen-source API development ecosystem with web-based REST client
Free plan8 researched notesOpen-source IDE for API exploration with git-friendly collections
Free, then $6/mo12 researched notesOpen-source and cloud API gateway for managing microservices traffic
Free plan9 researched notesOpen source webhooks gateway you self-host, handling both sending and receiving
Free, then $999/mo12 researched notesPayments API with a published rate card covering card acceptance, ACH and instant payouts
From $500/mo12 researched notesUS financial data aggregation with heavy transaction cleansing and enrichment
Pricing on request12 researched notesRealtime communication platform for chat, IoT, and live data apps
Free, then $98/mo8 researched notesCloud-native core banking and payment hub with deployments measured in months
Pricing on request11 researched notesOutbound webhook sending as a service, with retries, signing and a customer-facing portal
Free, then $490/mo12 researched notesBanking-as-a-service platform that brings its own sponsor bank and compliance tooling
Pricing on request12 researched notes
Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for curl, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on curl
curl alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
curl pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare curl
Put it head to head with anything we hold
curl badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
Best APIs software alternatives
European bank API aggregation with a free restricted production tier for your own accounts
Per connected account per month
Digital and AI-native engagement banking platform for customer-facing banking experiences
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