<h3>bitcoind</h3>

<p>The server version of bitcoin.</p>

<h3>bitcoin-cli</h3>

<p>This is a program that lets you issue commands to <code>bitcoind</code>. Example:</p>

<pre><code># ./bitcoin-cli getblockcount
326215
</code></pre>

<h3>bitcoin-tx</h3>

<p>This is a program that can create, parse, or modify transactions. Example:</p>

<pre><code># ./bitcoin-tx -json 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
{
    "txid": "8731eaae4520609d4ada30e23ee0f275b9dd62b72456a26dc0f137ae9fddd9b3",
    "version": 1,
    "locktime": 0,
    "vin": [
        {
            "txid": "3ac43b2fb5c31bde565a7a3ef1b53173246fb650d968da822d8d3f5d45907fee",
            "vout": 641,
            "scriptSig": {
                "asm": "3046022100a643127f3abb6d8a4d082bd66b9585a4e91a1e10bfce3ac749212b562f4a80560221008d68511acac655ce3df1dbda6a97cd74516ce2595a40e2e89a5168ba05be4c0601 047723d175cc78e974ea686a67d44fbed02c81c9c4c9639a4f452e43354ec1baf53777ea0b4483d7a4022cd0ab20bd18b5ec07be9bde19d20e289c0211c066f7bf",
...
</code></pre>

<blockquote>
  <p>In addition, I would be interested to find out if there are any plans to further develop these into different, complementary, executables.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>No, there's no plan to change the scope of the programs. The most recent change was back in July 2014, which created <code>bitcoin-cli</code>, and removed that functionality from <code>bitcoind</code>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-20T22:22:05.650Z
What I meant by that question was that I would be interested to know what the division of roles are for each of the programs, and if there are any plans for those roles to change. It sounds like the current state is that bitcoin-tx is a utility for parsing and modifying transactions, where as bitcoin-cli is a program for interacting with the daemon, which in turn interacts with the rest of the network?
morsecoder
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-12-07T13:23:42.503Z
I use Bitcoin Core only as the dependency of my c-lightning node. I do not intend to use my Bitcoin Core as a wallet. That said, do I need `bitcoin-tx` for c-lightning to work properly? I thought about deleting it, along with deleting `bitcoin-qt`, or at least assigning to them permissions that would make them unusable, e.g. `000`. Can I safely do so?
John Smith
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-10T16:27:31.507Z
can `bitcoin-cli decoderawtransaction` work without `bitcoin-tx`?
Antoni
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-20T21:53:59.363Z
2014-10-20T22:35:48.190Z
2014-10-20T22:35:48.190Z
Nick ODell
<p>I just pulled from the bitcoin github and compiled, and noticed that there were three executable generated:</p>

<pre><code>bitcoin-cli  bitcoin-tx   bitcoind
</code></pre>

<p>I have not heard of bitcoin-tx before, what is it? What are the main similarities/differences between these three executables?</p>

<p>In addition, I would be interested to find out if there are any plans to further develop these into different, complementary, executables.</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-20T21:33:21.203Z
Hmm. I know the difference between bitcoind and bitcoin-cli, but I'm genuinely stumped as to what bitcoin-tx is. Google is being marvelously unhelpful.
Nick ODell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-20T22:16:45.230Z
That was my exact experience with googling it, as well.
morsecoder
<bitcoind>
Difference between bitcoin-tx, bitcoin-cli, and bitcoind?
morsecoder
# Difference between bitcoin-tx, bitcoin-cli, and bitcoind?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-10-20)

I just pulled from the bitcoin github and compiled, and noticed that there were three executable generated:

```
bitcoin-cli  bitcoin-tx   bitcoind

```

I have not heard of bitcoin-tx before, what is it? What are the main similarities/differences between these three executables?

In addition, I would be interested to find out if there are any plans to further develop these into different, complementary, executables.

Thank you!

**Tags:** bitcoind

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Hmm. I know the difference between bitcoind and bitcoin-cli, but I'm genuinely stumped as to what bitcoin-tx is. Google is being marvelously unhelpful.  
> **username_0**: That was my exact experience with googling it, as well.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-10-20. Score: 17 | Accepted answer

### bitcoind

The server version of bitcoin.

### bitcoin-cli

This is a program that lets you issue commands to `bitcoind`. Example:

```
# ./bitcoin-cli getblockcount
326215

```

### bitcoin-tx

This is a program that can create, parse, or modify transactions. Example:

```
# ./bitcoin-tx -json 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
{
    "txid": "8731eaae4520609d4ada30e23ee0f275b9dd62b72456a26dc0f137ae9fddd9b3",
    "version": 1,
    "locktime": 0,
    "vin": [
        {
            "txid": "3ac43b2fb5c31bde565a7a3ef1b53173246fb650d968da822d8d3f5d45907fee",
            "vout": 641,
            "scriptSig": {
                "asm": "3046022100a643127f3abb6d8a4d082bd66b9585a4e91a1e10bfce3ac749212b562f4a80560221008d68511acac655ce3df1dbda6a97cd74516ce2595a40e2e89a5168ba05be4c0601 047723d175cc78e974ea686a67d44fbed02c81c9c4c9639a4f452e43354ec1baf53777ea0b4483d7a4022cd0ab20bd18b5ec07be9bde19d20e289c0211c066f7bf",
...

```

> In addition, I would be interested to find out if there are any plans to further develop these into different, complementary, executables.

No, there's no plan to change the scope of the programs. The most recent change was back in July 2014, which created `bitcoin-cli`, and removed that functionality from `bitcoind`.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: What I meant by that question was that I would be interested to know what the division of roles are for each of the programs, and if there are any plans for those roles to change. It sounds like the current state is that bitcoin-tx is a utility for parsing and modifying transactions, where as bitcoin-cli is a program for interacting with the daemon, which in turn interacts with the rest of the network?  
> **username_2**: I use Bitcoin Core only as the dependency of my c-lightning node. I do not intend to use my Bitcoin Core as a wallet. That said, do I need `bitcoin-tx` for c-lightning to work properly? I thought about deleting it, along with deleting `bitcoin-qt`, or at least assigning to them permissions that would make them unusable, e.g. `000`. Can I safely do so?  
> **username_3**: can `bitcoin-cli decoderawtransaction` work without `bitcoin-tx`?  

---

