Apktool vs Ghidra

Apktool is a command-line tool for reverse engineering Android APK files. It can disassemble an app’s resources into a form close to their original structure, then rebuild an app after changes such as translation or permission edits. Its analysis mode attempts to extract resources and the manifest for inspection without rebuilding. Apktool runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS; its official installation guide describes wrapper-script steps for those systems and requires Java 8 or later. Decode options include choosing resource-resolution behavior, skipping resources or source disassembly, and setting a framework directory. Build options include selecting an aapt2 binary, adding a generic Network Security Configuration file, and disabling APK repacking. The Apache license permits redistribution, modification, and integration into another project. Apktool is free, with no pricing tiers stated. Its FAQ says Android devices are not officially supported, and some OEM-modified “Magic APKs” may not decode or build. Builds are unsigned; copying a signature retains only the original APK signature v1 scheme.

Ghidra is a software reverse engineering framework maintained by the NSA Research Directorate. It analyzes compiled code with tools for disassembly, assembly, decompilation, graphing and scripting, and supports many processor instruction sets and executable formats. The framework can operate interactively or in automated workflows, including work intended to address team and scale needs in complex reverse engineering. Users can write extensions and scripts in Java or Python. Development options include a GhidraDev plugin for Eclipse and support for script editing and module projects in Visual Studio Code. The project describes compiled-code analysis on Windows, macOS and Linux. Installation requires a 64-bit JDK 25 and an official multi-platform release archive. Ghidra is free under the Apache License, Version 2.0, whose terms grant no-charge, royalty-free copyright and patent licenses. The repository warns that some versions have known security vulnerabilities and directs users to security advisories. Its policy directs vulnerability reports to GitHub private vulnerability reporting rather than public issues.