Side by side
curl vs Refit
Both stand on api clients. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan AndroidiPhoneLinux+2
curl provides broad protocol coverage and detailed transfer controls across major operating systems. Its command-line tool and libcurl library support both direct scripting and embedded software use.
Visit curl Free plan APIWebWindows
Refit provides a free, attribute-driven way to generate HTTP clients while leaving core client and serialization choices in the application. Its testing, streaming, dependency-injection, and ahead-of-time documentation broaden its use across supported .NET targets.
Visit RefitThe facts
| curl | Refit | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Android, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Windows | API, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Not published |
| Plans published | 1 | None |
| Maker | curl | Not published |
| Website | curl.se | reactiveui.github.io |
| On api clients | #27 of 38 | #31 of 38 |
curl: what it does well
- Free and open-source software
- Supports many transfer protocols
- Offers HTTP/2 and HTTP/3
- Provides extensive TLS features
- Includes libcurl for embedded use
What to know first
- Mainly provides source packages
- Other packages come from external providers
- No free trial is listed
- Commercial support is separate
Refit: what it does well
- Generates HTTP clients from C# interfaces
- Supports multiple response and streaming types
- Keeps application control of HttpClient
- Includes testing helpers for faults and requests
- Distributed under the MIT License
What to know first
- Source generator requires Roslyn 4.8 or newer
- Requires PackageReference setup
- Targets listed frameworks only