Compare software

GNU Wget2 vs Axel: catalog facts
GNU Wget2	Axel
Free Free and open source under the GPL.	Free Free and open source.
macOS, Linux, Command line	Linux, Command line
Parallel connections and HTTP/2 make recursive mirroring much faster Keeps Wget's command line, so existing habits carry over	Multiple connections per file for faster downloads Small and lightweight
Not a complete drop-in replacement; some Wget options are missing Packaged separately from wget, so it is not installed by default	Command line only, no graphical interface No browser integration
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-3.0	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

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