Compare software

Axel vs aria2: catalog facts
Axel	aria2
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source under the GPL 2.0.
Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Command line
Multiple connections per file for faster downloads Small and lightweight	Downloads one file from HTTP, FTP and BitTorrent sources at the same time Verifies Metalink chunk checksums while downloading, not after
Command line only, no graphical interface No browser integration	Command line only; every graphical interface is a separate project The option list is long and the defaults are conservative
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-2.0
No account needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.