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Tech riderRev. 4 Oct 2026

CBMC

Ch 067.1of 33 Formal Verification Tools
  1. 1Runs onLinux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows
  2. 2CostsFree plan
  3. 3Verification methodmodel-checking
  4. 4Supported formalismscontracts
  5. 5CounterexamplesYes
  6. 6Input languagesC, C++, Java bytecode, SystemC
  7. 7Deploymentself-hosted
7 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: diffblue.github.io, github.com
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The CBMC homepage

Overview

CBMC is ranked #6 of 33 in formal verification tools on Specifiction. It runs on Linux, macOS, Self-hosted, Windows. There is a free plan.

CBMC plans and pricing

All plans
CBMC Free 4-clause BSD licensed open-source software github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Compared on formal verification tools

Free plan
Yesdiffblue.github.io
Verification method
model-checkingdiffblue.github.io
Supported formalisms
contractsdiffblue.github.io
Counterexamples
Yesdiffblue.github.io
Input languages
C, C++, Java bytecode, SystemCdiffblue.github.io
Deployment
self-hosteddiffblue.github.io

Facts

Purpose
CBMC is a bounded model checker for C and C++ programs that explores possible execution paths and checks assertions.diffblue.github.io · 4 Oct 2026
Safety checks
It can check array bounds, pointer safety, exceptions, user-specified assertions, and some undefined behavior such as signed integer overflow.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Bounded analysis
CBMC may require restricting inputs to a bounded size, and its verification unwinds loops before passing the resulting equation to a decision procedure.diffblue.github.io · 4 Oct 2026
Language support
The repository states support for C89, C99, most of C11, C17, C23, many GCC and Visual Studio extensions, and SystemC using Scoot.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Platforms
The installation guide points to installation instructions for macOS, Ubuntu, Windows, and Docker.diffblue.github.io · 4 Oct 2026
Distribution
The release page provides macOS Homebrew instructions, Ubuntu DEB packages, Windows MSI installers, and Docker container images.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Build integration
goto-cc can replace gcc or cl.exe in Makefiles to collect project models for verification.diffblue.github.io · 4 Oct 2026
Continuous integration
The user guide describes using CBMC as part of routine software development and continuous integration.diffblue.github.io · 4 Oct 2026
Related tools
The user guide names CBMC Viewer and CBMC Starter Kit as third-party tools for summarizing findings and adding verification to a project.diffblue.github.io · 4 Oct 2026
Solver support
CBMC supports an incremental SMT2 backend that can use an SMT-LIB 2.6 compliant solver, with examples for Z3 and CVC5.diffblue.github.io · 4 Oct 2026
License
The repository identifies CBMC as licensed under the 4-clause BSD license.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Support
The repository asks users encountering problems to file a bug report as a GitHub issue.github.com · 4 Oct 2026
Release guidance
The repository says released versions are tested and intended for production use, while develop versions are not recommended for production use.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

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Where it ranks on Specifiction

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