axel

Light command line download accelerator

Platforms: Linux · Last verified September 6, 2026

Axel tries to accelerate the downloading process by using multiple connections for one file, similar to DownThemAll and other famous programs. It can also use multiple mirrors for one download.

Only use this tool against systems you own or are explicitly authorized to test — see the disclaimer.

Getting started

See the official Kali tool page and upstream homepage linked above for installation and usage details.

Commonly preinstalled on

Kali Linux

Debian-based distribution built for penetration testing and security auditing