W3M vs Surfraw

Struggling to choose between W3M and Surfraw? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

W3M is a Web Browsers solution with tags like textbased, lightweight, fast, terminal, pager.

It boasts features such as Text-based interface, Supports tables, frames, HTTPS encryption, Built-in pager, Support for colors and formatting, Keyboard shortcuts, Tabbed browsing, Mouse support, Can render images in terminal using w3mimgdisplay, Supports SSL/TLS encryption, Supports browsing history and pros including Very fast and lightweight, Low resource usage, Works well on remote servers without GUI, Does not require X Window System, Can be used with screen or tmux, Very customizable.

On the other hand, Surfraw is a Online Services product tagged with commandline, search, web-search.

Its standout features include Command line interface for searching the web, Supports various search engines like Google, Wikipedia, Amazon, etc, Fast and lightweight, Works on Unix/Linux systems, Easy to use syntax, and it shines with pros like Very fast compared to opening browser, Works right from terminal, Lightweight and low resource usage, Supports many popular search engines, Easy to customize and configure.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

W3M

W3M

W3M is a free open-source text-based web browser and terminal pager. It has support for tables, frames, HTTPS encryption, and advanced formatting like colors or bold text. As a text-based browser, W3M is very lightweight and fast.

Categories:
textbased lightweight fast terminal pager

W3M Features

  1. Text-based interface
  2. Supports tables, frames, HTTPS encryption
  3. Built-in pager
  4. Support for colors and formatting
  5. Keyboard shortcuts
  6. Tabbed browsing
  7. Mouse support
  8. Can render images in terminal using w3mimgdisplay
  9. Supports SSL/TLS encryption
  10. Supports browsing history

Pricing

  • Open Source
  • Free

Pros

Very fast and lightweight

Low resource usage

Works well on remote servers without GUI

Does not require X Window System

Can be used with screen or tmux

Very customizable

Cons

No multimedia support

Limited CSS and JavaScript support

Not as visually appealing as graphical browsers

Steep learning curve for keybindings and commands


Surfraw

Surfraw

Surfraw is a fast Unix command line interface to various search engines and information sources. It allows searching through sites like Google, Wikipedia, Amazon, and more from the terminal.

Categories:
commandline search web-search

Surfraw Features

  1. Command line interface for searching the web
  2. Supports various search engines like Google, Wikipedia, Amazon, etc
  3. Fast and lightweight
  4. Works on Unix/Linux systems
  5. Easy to use syntax

Pricing

  • Open Source
  • Free

Pros

Very fast compared to opening browser

Works right from terminal

Lightweight and low resource usage

Supports many popular search engines

Easy to customize and configure

Cons

Only works on Unix/Linux systems

No GUI interface

Requires some command line knowledge

Limited to text only results

Configuration can be complex for beginners