Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

cURL VS HTTPie for Terminal

Compare cURL VS HTTPie for Terminal and see what are their differences

cURL logo cURL

cURL is a computer software project providing a library and command-line tool for transferring data...

HTTPie for Terminal logo HTTPie for Terminal

Developers all around the world rely on HTTPie for API testing.
  • cURL Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-13
  • HTTPie for Terminal Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-30

cURL features and specs

  • Versatility
    cURL supports a wide range of protocols including HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and many more, making it a highly versatile tool for developers.
  • Cross-Platform
    cURL can be used on various operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing consistency across different environments.
  • Command-Line Usage
    It can be easily used from the command line, enabling quick and powerful interactions with web services without the need for a graphical interface.
  • Automation
    cURL can be incorporated into scripts for automation, making it essential for repetitive tasks such as automated testing or continuous integration.
  • Support for Multiple Data Formats
    It can work with multiple data formats such as JSON, XML, and form-urlencoded, making it flexible for interacting with various APIs.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source tool, cURL is free to use and has a large community that contributes to its continuous improvement and support.

Possible disadvantages of cURL

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For beginners, the variety of options and parameters available can be overwhelming, requiring time and effort to become proficient.
  • Limited Error Messages
    cURL sometimes provides minimal error messages, which can make debugging issues more complicated, especially for new users.
  • Security Concerns
    Improper handling of SSL certificates or sensitive data could lead to security vulnerabilities, requiring users to be cautious and knowledgeable.
  • Not User-Friendly
    As a command-line tool, it lacks a graphical user interface, which can make it less accessible for users who are not comfortable with terminal commands.
  • Manual Configuration
    Requires manual configuration for advanced options, which can be time-consuming and cumbersome for complex tasks.

HTTPie for Terminal features and specs

  • User-Friendly Syntax
    HTTPie's command-line syntax is designed to be more human-readable than traditional command-line tools like curl, making it easier to construct and understand HTTP requests.
  • JSON Support
    HTTPie automatically detects JSON responses and pretty-prints them, enhancing readability and making it easier to work with APIs that return JSON data.
  • Headers and Options Simplification
    HTTPie simplifies the process of setting headers and authentication options, reducing the likelihood of errors and improving efficiency for developers.
  • Built-in Authentication
    The tool offers built-in support for basic and digest authentication without requiring additional steps or configurations.
  • Color-Coded Output
    HTTPie provides color-coded output which helps distinguish between various parts of the HTTP response, such as headers and body, making it easier to interpret.

Possible disadvantages of HTTPie for Terminal

  • Limited by Terminal Environment
    HTTPie's functionality is limited by what can be achieved within a terminal environment, which may not cover all use cases compared to a full-fledged HTTP client with a GUI.
  • Dependency on Python
    Since HTTPie is a Python-based tool, it requires Python to be installed on the system, which could be a barrier on systems without it or where installation is restricted.
  • Less Popular Than curl
    While HTTPie is user-friendly, it is less ubiquitous than curl, meaning that community support, resources, and third-party integrations might be somewhat limited.
  • Performance Overhead
    HTTPie might introduce some performance overhead compared to tools like curl, especially for simple lightweight requests, due to its additional features and output formatting.
  • Learning Curve for curl Users
    Users familiar with curl may experience a learning curve when switching to HTTPie due to its different syntax and command structure.

cURL videos

BOUNCE CURL REVIEW | Curl Review Series #2

More videos:

  • Review - CURLS BLUEBERRY BLISS REVIEW | Curl Review Series #1
  • Review - Curls Triple Threat Review // Frizz Free Curly Hair
  • Tutorial - How to use CURL

HTTPie for Terminal videos

No HTTPie for Terminal videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to cURL and HTTPie for Terminal)
API Tools
83 83%
17% 17
Developer Tools
68 68%
32% 32
APIs
65 65%
35% 35
CLI
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare cURL and HTTPie for Terminal

cURL Reviews

Top 20 Open Source & Cloud Free Postman Alternatives (2024 Updated)
cURL is a widely used command-line tool for transferring data with URLs. It supports a multitude of protocols, making it a versatile choice for API testing.
Source: medium.com
Top 10 HTTP Client and Web Debugging Proxy Tools (2023)
The uniqueness of cURL above others is that it supports different types of protocols, like HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, SFTP, POP3 SCP, and more. As a developer, you have to understand how cURL works.

HTTPie for Terminal Reviews

We have no reviews of HTTPie for Terminal yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, cURL seems to be a lot more popular than HTTPie for Terminal. While we know about 121 links to cURL, we've tracked only 10 mentions of HTTPie for Terminal. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

cURL mentions (121)

  • Most Effective Approaches for Debugging Applications
    Complex applications, with their interwoven layers of front-end, back-end, and database logic, often obscure bugs. Simplifying the problem by isolating components—such as a React component, a REST API endpoint, or a PostgreSQL query—helps developers focus on the failure point. Spencer Romenco, Chief Growth Strategist at Growth Spurt, shares a case study: “Simplifying and isolating the problem has always been the... - Source: dev.to / 9 days ago
  • The Inflation of "Security Researchers" and Its Consequences for Open Source
    A well-documented case that illustrates this problem is CVE-2020-19909, which was recently reassigned as a "critical" vulnerability in Curl — despite being a decades-old, non-exploitable bug. This case exposes the systemic flaws in how CVEs are assigned and scored [Daniel Stenberg’s blog][Hacker News discussion]. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Python for Beginners: Chapter 2 – Building Your First REST API with Flask
    For POST, PUT, and DELETE, you'll need a tool like Postman or curl. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • How to Build a CRUD API with Laravel for Beginners
    To test the API, you can use a tool like Postman or cURL. Here are the routes you can test:. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Open Source Developer Patronage Programs: A Sustainable Future for FOSS
    Projects like curl and Homebrew have successfully leveraged patronage programs to achieve financial sustainability. These examples highlight the potential for other projects to follow suit and secure the funding necessary for continued innovation. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
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HTTPie for Terminal mentions (10)

  • CLI Tools every Developer should know
    You can follow the installation instructions for HTTPie on the official GitHub repository: HTTPie Installation Guide. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • Yq is a portable yq: command-line YAML, JSON, XML, CSV and properties processor
    You might enjoy the httpie cli, which is better than curl for testing APIs for many reasons, one of which is automatic pretty printed and colorized text response output. https://httpie.io/cli. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Writing Telegram bots from command line
    Other tools are available for similar purposes, for example, HTTPie. Technically, you can match curl syntax to HTTPie almost one-to-one. Still, I will be using curl, because it is standard and available by default in the majority and UNIX-based environments and macOS. On Windows, you may need to install it separately. It would be best if you also were careful with double quotes in the command below because cmd or... - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Changelog #0014 — 🗄 Spaces, API key auth, UI improvements, and more
    It’s been an eventful few weeks for HTTPie for Terminal. - Source: dev.to / about 3 years ago
  • A CLI tool written in PHP made for humans to make networks requests
    I have been using a similar one for a while (minus the laravel integration), check it out if you haven't seen it before - httpie. Source: about 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing cURL and HTTPie for Terminal, you can also consider the following products

Insomnia REST - Design, debug, test, and mock APIs locally, on Git, or cloud. Build better APIs collaboratively for the most popular protocols with a dev‑friendly UI, built-in automation, and an extensible plugin ecosystem.

Postman - The Collaboration Platform for API Development

HTTPie - CLI HTTP that will make you smile. JSON support, syntax highlighting, wget-like downloads, extensions, and more.

RapidAPI for Mac - Paw is a REST client for Mac.

Hoppscotch - Open source API development ecosystem

FileZilla - FileZilla is an FTP, or file transfer protocol, client. It lets individuals transfer single files or batches to a web server. For many years, FTP was the standard for website design. Read more about FileZilla.