Command-line tools are still an essential part of modern software development. They help developers automate repetitive tasks, manage projects, work with APIs, and integrate development workflows into CI/CD pipelines.
Here are 10 CLI tools worth knowing in 2026.
- Git
Git is the foundation of modern version control.
Developers use it to manage source code, create branches, track changes, and collaborate with teams.
git clone
git checkout -b feature-branch
git add .
git commit -m "Update feature"
git push
- Docker CLI
Docker CLI makes it possible to build, run, and manage containers directly from the terminal.
docker build -t my-app .
docker run my-app
It's useful for creating consistent environments across development, testing, and production.
- curl
curl is one of the simplest ways to interact with HTTP APIs from the command line.
curl https://api.example.com/users
It's useful for quickly testing endpoints, debugging requests, and working with web services.
- jq
jq is a command-line JSON processor that works particularly well with API responses.
For example:
curl https://api.example.com/users | jq '.[] | .name'
It makes it much easier to filter and process JSON data directly from the terminal.
- kubectl
kubectl is the standard CLI for managing Kubernetes clusters.
Developers and DevOps teams can use it to inspect resources, manage workloads, and troubleshoot applications.
kubectl get pods
kubectl get services
kubectl logs
- HTTPie
HTTPie provides a cleaner and more developer-friendly command-line interface for interacting with HTTP services.
It's useful for exploring APIs, debugging requests, and testing endpoints without opening a GUI tool.
- Hurl
Hurl allows developers to define HTTP requests and expected responses in plain-text files.
This makes it useful for repeatable HTTP testing and automated workflows, especially when tests need to run in CI/CD pipelines.
- Apidog CLI
Apidog CLI is an option for teams that want to integrate API testing into their command-line workflows.
It allows API test scenarios to be executed from the terminal and can be incorporated into automated development and CI/CD pipelines.
For example:
apidog login
apidog run
This can help teams run API validation as part of their existing development and deployment workflows.
- GitHub CLI
GitHub CLI (gh) brings GitHub functionality directly into the terminal.
Developers can manage repositories, issues, pull requests, and GitHub Actions without constantly switching between the terminal and browser.
gh repo clone owner/repository
gh pr create
gh issue list
- Terraform CLI
Terraform CLI is widely used for infrastructure as code.
It allows developers and DevOps teams to define and manage infrastructure using configuration files.
terraform init
terraform plan
terraform apply
It's particularly useful for automating cloud infrastructure and maintaining consistent environments.
Final Thoughts
CLI tools remain an important part of modern development workflows.
From Git and Docker to Kubernetes, API testing, and infrastructure automation, these tools help developers build workflows that are more repeatable and easier to integrate into CI/CD pipelines.
The best tools depend on your stack and workflow, but becoming comfortable with the command line can significantly improve your day-to-day development experience.
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