Difference between CLI and API Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025 Comments Improve Suggest changes Like Article Like Report 1. Command Line Interface (CLI) : CLI stands for Command Line Input/Interface/Interpreter. Earlier it was the only way to interact with computers using computer terminals. It requires fewer resources and is concise and powerful. 2. Application Programming Interface (API) : API stands for Application Programming Interface. It is a collection of communication protocols and subroutines used by various programs to communicate between them. Differences between CLI and API : S.No. CLI API 1. A CLI is the text-driven command line used to access the operating system. API helps the programmers with an efficient way to develop their software programs and to make program easier and simpler. 2. It plays a vital role in the management of cloud computing. It plays a vital role in terms of security. 3. It takes input in the form of commands and it executes on the device. It is an interface between the client and service. 4. CLI is easier for humans. API is easier for machines. 5. Types of CLI - DOS (for Windows) and the bash shell (for Linux and OS X). Types of API - WEB API, Local API, Program API. 6. It consumes low memory. It consumes more memory. 7. CLI is known for quick one time changes and non-repeating tasks. An API integration may be overkill. 8. CLI is arguably better for ad hoc tasks. APIs make it possible to make and connect applications in a machine-language sense. 9. It is more human-readable. It is less human-readable. 10. It is less used. It is more used. Comment More infoAdvertise with us Next Article Difference between Microservice and API A aktmishra143 Follow Improve Article Tags : Operating Systems Difference Between Similar Reads Difference between API and GUI 1. Application Programming Interface (API) : API stands for Application Programming Interface which is a collection of communication protocols and subroutines used by various programs to communicate between technology products such as applications and websites. Features of API: Programmable: An API 3 min read Difference between CLI and GUI A Command Line Interface (CLI) and a Graphical User Interface (GUI) are two distinct methods for interacting with computer systems and software. CLI allows users to execute commands by typing them into a terminal or console providing precise control and efficiency but requiring knowledge of command 4 min read Difference Between REST API and RPC API REST and RPC are design architectures widely used in web development to build APIs (Application Programming Interface). It is a set of instructions that permits two systems to share resources and services. The client creates a request to the server that responds to it with data in JSON or XML format 3 min read Difference between Microservice and API 1. Microservices : Microservices Architecture is an architectural style that structures an application as a collection of small autonomous services modeled around a business domain. In a Microservice Architecture, each service is self-contained and implements a single business capability. It is a po 2 min read Difference between RPC and RMI RPC stands for Remote Procedure Call which supports procedural programming. It's almost like an IPC mechanism wherever the software permits the processes to manage shared information Associated with an environment wherever completely different processes area unit death penalty on separate systems an 2 min read Difference Between Server OS and Client OS Client Operating Systems and Server Operating Systems are two awesome sorts of operating systems designed to serve exclusive purposes inside a computer network surroundings. While each form of working system shares some similarities in phrases of basic functionalities, they're optimized for differen 7 min read Like