axel ☆
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Description:
Light UNIX download accelerator
Type: Formula  |  Latest Version: 2.17.14@0  |  Tracked Since: Dec 17, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Networking
Tags: download accelerator cli networking http
Install: brew install axel
About:
Axel is a command-line download accelerator that attempts to speed up file downloads by opening multiple connections to a server. It splits the file into several parts and downloads them simultaneously, significantly reducing download times for large files. The tool is lightweight, fast, and supports HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP protocols.
Key Features:
  • Multi-connection downloading for increased speed
  • Lightweight and fast with minimal dependencies
  • Supports HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP protocols
  • Resumable downloads
  • Low resource usage
Use Cases:
  • Accelerating large file downloads from slow servers
  • Automated download scripts requiring faster transfer speeds
  • Downloading files over unreliable network connections
Alternatives:
  • wget – wget is a more comprehensive tool for downloading files with recursive capabilities, while axel focuses purely on speed through parallel connections
  • curl – curl is a versatile data transfer tool with extensive protocol support, whereas axel specializes in download acceleration
License: GPL-2.0-or-later WITH openvpn-openssl-exception
Dependencies: openssl@3
Bottles available for: arm64_tahoe, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_ventura, arm64_monterey, sonoma, ventura, monterey, arm64_linux, x86_64_linux
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Sep 14, 2025 2:04pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 55329acb
Nov 17, 2024 2:04pm 0 VERSION_BUMP b64fd5b3
Sep 11, 2024 5:18am 0 VERSION_BUMP ae87871a
May 17, 2024 5:56pm 0 VERSION_BUMP c160024d
Jan 31, 2024 9:26pm 0 VERSION_BUMP b37a3acc
Sep 30, 2023 3:18am 0 VERSION_BUMP f092af1d
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