Binary Ninja Free plan 9.4 Visit Frida
frida.re
What it is
Frida is a dynamic instrumentation toolkit for developers, reverse-engineers, and security researchers. It lets users place scripts in running processes to hook functions, inspect APIs, and trace application code without source code. Documented uses include API tracing, diagnostics, encrypted-protocol analysis, and black-box testing.
Frida supports injected, embedded, and preloaded instrumentation. When injection is unavailable, Frida Gadget can be embedded in a program, including on jailed iOS and Android systems. Supported targets include Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux, iOS, watchOS, tvOS, Android, FreeBSD, and QNX. Language bindings include Node.js, Python, Swift, .NET, Qt/Qml, and Go, alongside a C API. The CLI tools require Python and run on Windows, macOS, or GNU/Linux; the documented installation command is `pip install frida-tools`.
Frida describes itself as free software and says it will always be free. Its official native GUI, Luma, offers persistent sessions, a live REPL, pluggable instruments, and real-time collaboration. Luma downloads are listed for macOS, iOS, Linux, and Windows, with minimums of macOS 15+ and iOS 26+.
Spec sheet
- What it does
- Frida injects JavaScript or native libraries into running applications for dynamic instrumentation, debugging and reverse engineering.Read 15 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Integrations
- Luma can browse and import scripts from CodeShare and add npm packages through its built-in package manager.Read 2 Oct 2026 · luma.frida.re
- Support
- Frida’s contact page lists a Telegram group and the #frida IRC channel for contacting the community.Read 2 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Build options
- The project supports prebuilt binaries or building from source with make and optional configure settings.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- CLI REPL
- The Frida CLI provides an interactive REPL modeled after IPython or Cycript, with objects such as Process, Memory, Module, ObjC and Stalker.Read 15 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Collaboration
- Luma syncs sessions, REPL transcripts, instruments, captures, notebook entries, and presence in real time, and uses GitHub authentication.Read 2 Oct 2026 · luma.frida.re
- Company facts
- LinkedIn lists NowSecure as privately held, founded in 2009, headquartered in Chicago and employing 51–200 people.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
- Company legal name
- Crunchbase lists the supporting company’s legal name as NowSecure, Inc., formerly known as viaForensics.Read 15 Oct 2026 · crunchbase.com
- Core library
- frida-core injects JavaScript into processes, maintains two-way communication, enumerates apps and processes, and is written mainly in Vala with C, Objective-C and assembly glue.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Documentation depth
- The documentation includes tutorials, troubleshooting, building, footprint guidance, platform guides, tool references and JavaScript, C, Gum, Core, Swift and Go API sections.Read 15 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Free software
- Frida describes itself as free software and says it will always be free.Read 2 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Function inspection
- The documentation demonstrates observing calls, changing arguments and invoking native functions inside a target process.Read 15 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Funding record
- Crunchbase shows four funding rounds for NowSecure, including debt financing involving CIBC Innovation Banking, while the total amount is not publicly displayed.Read 15 Oct 2026 · crunchbase.com
- Gadget
- Frida Gadget can be embedded in a program when injected mode is unavailable, including on jailed iOS and Android systems.Read 2 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- GUI
- Luma is presented as the official Frida app with persistent sessions, a live REPL, an integrated frida-trace handler editor and real-time collaboration.Read 15 Oct 2026 · luma.frida.re
- GUI app
- Luma is Frida’s official native GUI and includes persistent sessions, a live REPL, pluggable instruments, and real-time collaboration.Read 2 Oct 2026 · luma.frida.re
- History
- Frida grew from Ole André Vadla Ravnås's frida-gum instrumentation library and later added frida-core, QuickJS scripting, Stalker tracing and Python bindings.Read 15 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Independent comparison
- Cyberly characterizes Frida as strongest for live runtime interaction and behavioral manipulation, complementing static tools such as Ghidra and IDA Pro.Read 15 Oct 2026 · cyberly.org
- Installation
- CLI installation requires a recent Python 3.x release and Windows, macOS or GNU/Linux; the documented command is pip install frida-tools.Read 15 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Instrumentation modes
- Frida supports injected, embedded, and preloaded instrumentation modes.Read 2 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- iOS modes
- iOS operation differs for jailbroken and non-jailbroken devices; non-jailbroken use requires a debuggable app, mounted Developer Disk Image and a cached Gadget.Read 15 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- iOS version guidance
- The iOS guide recommends iOS 13 or newer and treats older versions as experimental.Read 15 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Language bindings
- Bindings are available for Python, Node.js, Swift, .NET, Qt/Qml and Go, alongside a C API.Read 15 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Languages
- Frida offers bindings for Node.js, Python, Swift, .NET, Qt/Qml, and Go, as well as a C API.Read 2 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Licence
- The main repository uses the wxWindows Library Licence 3.1, based on LGPL terms with an exception allowing binary works to be distributed under the distributor's terms.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Limit: Android detection
- AppSec Santa notes that Android applications may detect frida-server and terminate before hooks are installed.Read 15 Oct 2026 · appsecsanta.com
- Limit: missing capability noted
- A 2025 GitHub issue asks for clearer commercial-use licensing guidance and says Frida lacks global hooking through a Windows service or driver compared with Deviare.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Limit: per-process hooks
- AppSec Santa reports that Frida hooks are per-process and disappear when an application restarts.Read 15 Oct 2026 · appsecsanta.com
- Limit: setup expertise
- An independent dynamic-analysis evaluation says Frida offers basic functionality after installation but requires users to implement much of the analysis themselves.Read 15 Oct 2026 · diva-portal.org
- Linux requirement
- The installation guide says Linux users may need to set kernel.yama.ptrace_scope to zero to ptrace non-child processes.Read 15 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Luma availability
- The Luma downloads page lists macOS, iOS, Linux, and Windows builds, with stated minimums of macOS 15+ and iOS 26+.Read 2 Oct 2026 · luma.frida.re
- Memory manipulation
- Frida scripts can allocate strings, read and alter memory and change page protections in a target process.Read 15 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Open-source support
- NowSecure describes Frida as free open source created by Ole André V. Ravnås and supported by NowSecure researchers and the wider community.Read 15 Oct 2026 · nowsecure.com
- Package metadata
- PyPI lists oleavr as the sole maintainer, Python 3.7 or newer as required, and the wxWindows Library Licence 3.1 as the licence.Read 15 Oct 2026 · pypi.org
- Package security
- Snyk reports no direct vulnerabilities for the frida npm package in its database and identifies the LGPL-2.0 with WxWindows exception licence.Read 15 Oct 2026 · security.snyk.io
- Praise: cross-platform coverage
- Independent AppSec Santa calls Frida the default cross-platform mobile dynamic-instrumentation choice and highlights its Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Linux reach.Read 15 Oct 2026 · appsecsanta.com
- Praise: expressive scripting
- AppSec Santa says Frida's JavaScript API is especially suitable for custom hooks beyond predefined mobile-testing commands.Read 15 Oct 2026 · appsecsanta.com
- Recent release
- Frida 17.20.0, released October 2, 2026, added PatternCompiler host-side decoding and expanded LanguageServer support for pattern files.Read 15 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Scriptable hooks
- Users can hook functions, inspect crypto APIs and trace private code without source or recompilation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Scripting
- Frida lets users inject scripts into running processes to hook functions, inspect APIs, or trace application code without source code.Read 2 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- SDK and embedding
- Developers can statically link Frida through a release devkit or build a shared libfrida-core library for distro packaging.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Supported targets
- Officially supported targets include Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux, iOS, watchOS, tvOS, Android, FreeBSD and QNX.Read 15 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Tracing tool
- frida-trace generates handlers for matching functions and supports live editing while a process runs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · frida.re
- Use cases
- The documentation describes using Frida for API tracing, diagnostics, encrypted-protocol analysis, and black-box testing.Read 2 Oct 2026 · frida.re
Plans and prices
Free software Free dynamic instrumentation toolkit · CLI, libraries and bindings · no paid tiers listed Read 15 Oct 2026 · frida.re
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Hooks functions and inspects APIs in running processes
- Works without application source code
- Supports injected, embedded, and preloaded modes
- Bindings include Python, Swift, Go, and .NET
- Free software; no paid plans listed
Limits
- CLI tools require Python
- CLI tools run only on Windows, macOS, or GNU/Linux
- Luma requires macOS 15+ or iOS 26+ on those platforms
Who it suits
Frida suits developers, reverse-engineers, and security researchers who need to inspect or trace running applications without source code. Its scripting bindings and supported targets span multiple operating systems and languages.
Verdict
Frida provides several instrumentation modes and broad target support, with language bindings and a separate native GUI. Its CLI has a Python requirement, and the listed Luma builds have stated minimum operating-system versions.
Where Specifiction places it
- Reverse Engineering Tools#4 of 738.7
