Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

PE Explorer VS Binary Ninja

Compare PE Explorer VS Binary Ninja and see what are their differences

PE Explorer logo PE Explorer

EXE Editor, Resource Editor, Disassembler, Section Editor, Dependency Scanner, Quick Function Syntax Lookup. Analyze win32 executable files, including headers, procedures, and libraries. Edit icon resources and more.

Binary Ninja logo Binary Ninja

A reverse engineering platform and GUI
  • PE Explorer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-02

PE Explorer is a feature-rich and budget priced set of tools for those whose daily work involves reverse engineering of software and exploiting code, source code reviews, testing and evaluation of vulnerabilities with a very strong emphasis on peeking inside EXE applications and DLL packages.

PE Explorer leaves you with only minimal work to do in order to get an analysis of a piece of software. Once you have selected the file you wish to examine, PE Explorer will analyze the file and display a summary of the PE header information, and all of the resources contained in the PE file. From here, the tool allows you to explore the specific elements within an executable file. Target file structure can be analyzed and optimized, problems diagnosed, changes made, resources repaired, assembly source code reconstructed.

With PE Explorer, software engineers and security specialists can apply a professional approach to research of binary files. PE Explorer utilizes a qualitative algorithm designed to reconstruct the assembly language source code of target binary files (EXE, DLL, OCX) with the highest degree of accuracy possible. The product also allows you to remove both debugging information and the base relocation table from an executable, as well as view and edit the various section headers. PE Explorer includes a host of unique features, including the ability to open problem executable files and edit the hidden data that the other editors simply cannot see, an unparalleled range of supported resource types, automatic UPX unpacking, adding of modern Windows control styles to older applications, support for custom plug-ins, and more.

  • Binary Ninja Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-28

Binary Ninja

Pricing URL
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$ Details
Platforms
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Release Date
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PE Explorer features and specs

  • Resource Editor
    Allows users to view and edit resources such as strings, bitmaps, and dialogs in executable files without needing the source code.
  • Disassembler
    Includes a disassembler feature that provides insights into the code structure, useful for reverse engineering and debugging.
  • Dependency Scanner
    Can analyze and list all the modules and libraries required by the executable, aiding in troubleshooting and ensuring all dependencies are met.
  • UPX Unpacker
    Supports unpacking files compressed with UPX, allowing for easier analysis of compressed executables.
  • User-friendly Interface
    Features an intuitive and easy-to-navigate graphical user interface, making it accessible for users with varying levels of technical expertise.

Binary Ninja features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Binary Ninja has a modern and intuitive interface that is suitable for both beginners and experienced users, making it easier to navigate through the software.
  • API and Scripting Support
    It provides a powerful API and scripting support, allowing users to automate tasks and extend functionalities using Python and other languages.
  • Cross-Platform
    Binary Ninja supports multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, enabling users to work on their preferred platform.
  • Extensive Documentation
    The tool comes with comprehensive documentation which covers its various features and functionalities in detail, helping new users get up to speed quickly.
  • Low-Level Binary Analysis
    Binary Ninja offers advanced low-level binary analysis and reverse engineering capabilities, useful for security researchers and software developers.
  • Static and Dynamic Analysis
    The tool supports both static and dynamic analysis, providing a complete suite of features for binary exploration and inspection.

Possible disadvantages of Binary Ninja

  • Cost
    Binary Ninja is a commercial tool and can be expensive for small teams or individual researchers, potentially limiting its accessibility.
  • Limited Free Version
    The free (student) edition of Binary Ninja comes with restricted features and may not be suitable for professional use, requiring an upgrade to access full functionality.
  • Steeper Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the interface is user-friendly, mastering the advanced features and making full use of the scripting capabilities can have a steeper learning curve.
  • Resource Intensive
    The software can be resource-intensive, requiring a modern computer with sufficient processing power and memory for optimal performance.
  • Community and Ecosystem
    Compared to some older or more established tools, Binary Ninja might not have as large a community or as many third-party plugins and scripts available.

Analysis of PE Explorer

Overall verdict

  • Overall, PE Explorer is highly regarded for its robust and versatile functionality, making it suitable for both professional and personal use in software development, reverse engineering, and malware analysis. However, its utility depends on the user's specific needs and technical proficiency.

Why this product is good

  • PE Explorer is considered a good tool for those who need to inspect and modify Windows executable files. It offers a wide range of features such as viewing and editing resources, disassembling, and analyzing the structure of executables. Users appreciate its user-friendly interface and comprehensive analysis capabilities, making it a popular choice for developers and reverse engineers.

Recommended for

  • Software developers looking to explore and modify executable files
  • Reverse engineers who need detailed insights into application internals
  • Security professionals analyzing potential malware or security vulnerabilities
  • Tech-savvy users interested in learning more about executable file structures

Analysis of Binary Ninja

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Binary Ninja is a highly regarded tool in the field of reverse engineering, valued for its efficiency, adaptability, and ease of use.

Why this product is good

  • Binary Ninja is considered a good choice for reverse engineering due to its user-friendly interface, powerful analysis capabilities, and active community support. It provides advanced features such as automated analysis, scripting APIs, and custom plugins, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced users. Its regular updates and comprehensive documentation further enhance its appeal as a reliable tool for reverse engineering tasks.

Recommended for

  • Security researchers
  • Reverse engineers
  • Malware analysts
  • Students learning reverse engineering

PE Explorer videos

Raycity เปลี่ยนลายของSkinของตัวPatcherด้วย PE Explorer

Binary Ninja videos

Reverse Engineering with Binary Ninja and gdb a key checking algorithm - TUMCTF 2016 Zwiebel part 1

More videos:

  • Demo - 312 Using Binary Ninja for Modern Malware Analysis Dr Jared DeMott Mr Josh Stroschein
  • Review - Binary Ninja Overview

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PE Explorer and Binary Ninja)
IDE
47 47%
53% 53
Software Development
47 47%
53% 53
Decompiler
36 36%
64% 64
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0

Questions and Answers

As answered by people managing PE Explorer and Binary Ninja.

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

PE Explorer's answer

  • Microsoft
  • Apple
  • Adobe
  • Symantec

How would you describe your primary audience?

PE Explorer's answer

  • Security professionals
  • Reverse engineers
  • Developers
  • Antivirus and forensic specialists

What makes your product unique?

PE Explorer's answer

PE Explorer includes a host of unique features, including the ability to open problem executable files and edit the hidden data that the other editors simply cannot see.

User comments

Share your experience with using PE Explorer and Binary Ninja. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Binary Ninja seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 11 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

PE Explorer mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of PE Explorer yet. Tracking of PE Explorer recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Binary Ninja mentions (11)

  • Bypassing regulatory locks, Faraday cages and upgrading your hearing
    Binary Ninja: https://binary.ninja/ :) Think someone has already linked it below! - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Bypassing regulatory locks, Faraday cages and upgrading your hearing
    Found it out myself, https://binary.ninja/. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • [Media] I'm currently learning Rust. Out of curiosity, I opened the resulting binary as a text file, and among the garbled text characters, I saw this weird text. Is this normal or is there something wrong with the compiled binary? It's the "Hello, World!" sample program and it executes normally.
    If you really want to poke around in the binary, you can use a decompiler like IDA, Ghidra, or Binary Ninja's free version. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Ida Free
    Still $$$ for crippled functionality. As an alternative, https://binary.ninja is gaining traction at work. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Teaching A Machine To Identify Vulnerabilities (Part 1)
    As I said, a regular text editor won’t do for reading a binary file, so I needed to choose a disassembler to break the challenge binaries out into their basic blocks. I chose to use Binary Ninja because it has a very easy-to-use Python API, and it’s hobbyist-level cheap (for comparison, the industry-standard disassembler is IDA Pro, which they will sell to you for roughly an arm, and continue to pick off your... - Source: dev.to / over 4 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing PE Explorer and Binary Ninja, you can also consider the following products

Resource Hacker - Resource Hacker has been designed to be the complete resource editing tool.

IDA - The best-of-breed binary code analysis tool, an indispensable item in the toolbox of world-class software analysts, reverse engineers, malware analyst and cybersecurity professionals.

Universal Extractor 2 - Universal Extractor 2 is an unofficial updated and extended version of the original UniExtract by...

Ghidra - Software Reverse Engineering (SRE) Framework

X64dbg - X64dbg is a debugging software that can debug x64 and x32 applications.

Resource Tuner - Resource Editor: modify EXE file's resources, change Icons inside EXE, DLL, MUN. View, search, extract, replace, edit, add and delete the embedded resources of executable program files.