diff --git a/bin/alfa.dart b/bin/alfa.dart
index 0021ae1..fdffc1a 100644
--- a/bin/alfa.dart
+++ b/bin/alfa.dart
@@ -196,7 +196,8 @@ void main(List<String> args) async {
 
     var functionName = functionMap['install_function'];
 
-    String command = 'source functions/$baseName/install.sh; $functionName';
+    String command =
+        'source tools/download.sh; source functions/$baseName/install.sh; $functionName';
 
     // checks if there are any options to pass when installing this
     if (config[name].containsKey('options') &&
diff --git a/functions/_example/install.sh b/functions/_example/install.sh
index 625a099..0ea0504 100755
--- a/functions/_example/install.sh
+++ b/functions/_example/install.sh
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 # A bash script to install something
-# Do not name the function to install something the same as an existing command. For example, the function to install brew
-# is not called "brew", but rather "install_brew".
-# To access the list of "options" in the config.toml file you pass to the installer, use the "$@" variable.
-# To access the user that called the installer, do not user the environment variable "$SUDO_USER", but rather use "$ALFA_USER".
-# To access the uname -m output (system architecture), you can use the environment variable "$ALFA_ARCH"
+# 1. Do not name the function to install something the same as an existing command. For example, the function to install brew
+#    is not called "brew", but rather "install_brew".
+# 2. To access the list of "options" in the config.toml file you pass to the installer, use the "$@" variable.
+# 3. To access the user that called the installer, do not user the environment variable "$SUDO_USER", but rather use "$ALFA_USER".
+# 4. To access the uname -m output (system architecture), you can use the environment variable "$ALFA_ARCH"
+# 5. To download a file from the web, you can use the curl_or_wget function (tools/download.sh) which will use curl or wget depending upon
+#    what the user has installed.
 
 install_example() {
   # example function
diff --git a/functions/anaconda/install.sh b/functions/anaconda/install.sh
index c01ed38..e3f3293 100755
--- a/functions/anaconda/install.sh
+++ b/functions/anaconda/install.sh
@@ -1,12 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
-install_anaconda3_macos() {
-  # installs anaconda3
-  echo "Installing Anaconda3..."
-  curl "${1:-https://repo.anaconda.com/archive/Anaconda3-2022.05-MacOSX-${ALFA_ARCH}.sh}" -o ~/anaconda3.sh
-  install_anaconda3_common
-}
-
 install_anaconda3_common() {
   chmod +x ~/anaconda3.sh
   bash ~/anaconda3.sh -b -p ~/anaconda3
@@ -23,9 +16,16 @@ install_anaconda3_common() {
   fi
 }
 
+install_anaconda3_macos() {
+  # installs anaconda3
+  echo "Installing Anaconda3..."
+  curl_or_wget "${1:-https://repo.anaconda.com/archive/Anaconda3-2022.05-MacOSX-${ALFA_ARCH}.sh}" ~/anaconda3.sh
+  install_anaconda3_common
+}
+
 install_anaconda3_linux() {
   # installs anaconda3
   echo "Installing Anaconda3..."
-  curl "${1:-https://repo.anaconda.com/archive/Anaconda3-2022.05-Linux-${ALFA_ARCH}.sh}" -o ~/anaconda3.sh
+  curl_or_wget "${1:-https://repo.anaconda.com/archive/Anaconda3-2022.05-Linux-${ALFA_ARCH}.sh}" ~/anaconda3.sh
   install_anaconda3_common
 }
diff --git a/functions/brew/install.sh b/functions/brew/install.sh
index 325f279..08830a9 100755
--- a/functions/brew/install.sh
+++ b/functions/brew/install.sh
@@ -3,5 +3,5 @@
 install_brew() {
   # Installs homebrew
   NONINTERACTIVE=1
-  /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
+  /bin/bash -c "$(curl_or_wget -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
 }
diff --git a/functions/deb_package/install.sh b/functions/deb_package/install.sh
index eea7fc7..75726f4 100755
--- a/functions/deb_package/install.sh
+++ b/functions/deb_package/install.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 install_deb_package() {
   # installs a deb package
   filepath="/tmp/file_to_install.deb"
-  wget -O "$filepath" "$@"
+  curl_or_wget "$1" "$filepath"
   apt-get install -y "$filepath"
   rm -f "$filepath"
 }
diff --git a/functions/docker/install.sh b/functions/docker/install.sh
index a12fd45..676849b 100755
--- a/functions/docker/install.sh
+++ b/functions/docker/install.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ install_docker() {
   apt-get update
   apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release
   mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings
-  curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg
+  curl_or_wget -s https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg
   echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null
   apt-get update
   apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io
diff --git a/functions/jetbrains_toolbox/install.sh b/functions/jetbrains_toolbox/install.sh
index 46325de..4b02cb2 100755
--- a/functions/jetbrains_toolbox/install.sh
+++ b/functions/jetbrains_toolbox/install.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ install_jetbrains_toolbox() {
   output_folder="/tmp/jetbrains-toolbox-tmp"
   version="jetbrains-toolbox-1.25.12627"
   mkdir -p "$output_folder"
-  wget -O "$filepath" "https://download.jetbrains.com/toolbox/${version}.tar.gz"
+  curl_or_wget "https://download.jetbrains.com/toolbox/${version}.tar.gz" "$filepath"
   tar -xvf "$filepath" -C "$output_folder"
   pushd "${output_folder}/${version}"
   ./jetbrains-toolbox
diff --git a/functions/nvm/install.sh b/functions/nvm/install.sh
index af00030..1dfff8b 100755
--- a/functions/nvm/install.sh
+++ b/functions/nvm/install.sh
@@ -6,5 +6,5 @@ install_nvm() {
     # nvm installer will not change your profile or rc file.
     export PROFILE="/dev/null"
   fi
-  curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.1/install.sh | bash
+  curl_or_wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.1/install.sh | bash
 }
diff --git a/functions/ohmyzsh/install.sh b/functions/ohmyzsh/install.sh
index 4b191db..7a900a2 100755
--- a/functions/ohmyzsh/install.sh
+++ b/functions/ohmyzsh/install.sh
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@
 
 install_ohmyzsh() {
   # install ohmyzsh
-  sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)" "" --unattended
+  sh -c "$(curl_or_wget -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)" "" --unattended
 }
diff --git a/functions/sdkman/install.sh b/functions/sdkman/install.sh
index e6f6d82..2c11d77 100755
--- a/functions/sdkman/install.sh
+++ b/functions/sdkman/install.sh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 install_sdkman() {
   # installs sdkman
-  curl -s "https://get.sdkman.io?rcupdate=false" | bash
+  curl_or_wget -s "https://get.sdkman.io?rcupdate=false" | bash
   if [[ -f "$HOME/.bashrc" ]]; then
     cat templates/sdkman.zsh >> ~/.bashrc
   fi
diff --git a/install.sh b/install.sh
index 8652bc2..539df7d 100755
--- a/install.sh
+++ b/install.sh
@@ -41,14 +41,7 @@ if [[ ! -f "$alfaCommand" ]]; then
 
   url="https://github.com/nyoungstudios/alfa/releases/download/${version}/${alfaCommand}"
 
-  if command -v "curl" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
-    curl -sL "$url" -o "$alfaCommand"
-  elif command -v "wget" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
-    wget -q "$url" -O "$alfaCommand"
-  else
-    echo "Must have curl or wget installed"
-    exit 1
-  fi
+  source tools/download.sh; curl_or_wget -s "$url" "$alfaCommand"
 
   chmod +x "$alfaCommand"
 
diff --git a/tools/create_function.sh b/tools/create_function.sh
index 932db45..9f60db2 100755
--- a/tools/create_function.sh
+++ b/tools/create_function.sh
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ if [[ -z "${1:-}" ]]; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
+if [[ "$1" == "-h" || "$1" == "--help" ]]; then
+  echo "Usage: ./tools/create_function.sh entry_name"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
 folder="functions/$1"
 
 if [[ -f "$folder/install.sh" || -f "$folder/config.toml" || -f "$folder/README.md" ]]; then
diff --git a/tools/download.sh b/tools/download.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..64ebaaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/download.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -eu
+
+curl_or_wget() {
+  # downloads file from url with curl or wget
+  # Usage: curl_or_wget [-s] url [output file]
+  # -s is for silent mode
+  # url is the url to download
+  # output file is where to save the url contents to. Will output to stdout if not provided.
+
+  # flags
+  silent=0
+
+  # sets input arguments
+  newArgs=()
+
+  for arg in "$@"
+  do
+    if [[ "$arg" == "-s" ]];
+    then
+      silent=1
+    else
+      newArgs+=("$arg")
+    fi
+  done
+
+  set -- "${newArgs[@]}"
+
+  # sets positional arguments
+  url="${1:-}"
+  output="${2:-}"
+
+  if [[ -z "$url" ]];
+  then
+    echo "Must provide url"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  commandToRun=""
+
+  if command -v "curl" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+    # if curl is installed
+    commandToRun="curl -L"
+    if [[ "$silent" == 1 ]];
+    then
+      commandToRun="$commandToRun -fsS"
+    fi
+
+    if ! [[ -z "$output" ]];
+    then
+      commandToRun="$commandToRun -o '$output'"
+    fi
+  elif command -v "wget" > /dev/null 2>&1; then
+    # if wget is installed
+    commandToRun="wget"
+    if [[ "$silent" == 1 ]];
+    then
+      commandToRun="$commandToRun -q"
+    fi
+
+    if [[ -z "$output" ]];
+    then
+      commandToRun="$commandToRun -O-"
+    else
+      commandToRun="$commandToRun -O '$output'"
+    fi
+  else
+    echo "Must have curl or wget installed"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  commandToRun="$commandToRun '$url'"
+
+  eval $commandToRun
+
+}