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yq vs XMLStarlet: catalog facts
yq	XMLStarlet
Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, Command line
jq-like syntax across YAML, JSON, XML, CSV and TOML Preserves comments and key order when editing YAML in place	Handles many XML tasks from a single command-line tool Easy to use in shell scripts
Shares a name with an unrelated Python wrapper, which causes confusion Expression syntax differs from jq in places that trip people up	Command line only, with no graphical interface Maintenance has changed hands, so development pace may vary
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License: MIT
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

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