BinEd vs Hecate

BinEd is a free, open-source binary and hex viewer and editor written in Java. It shows data as hexadecimal codes and text, with binary, octal, and decimal modes. Editing supports Unicode and other character sets, insert or overwrite modes, text or hexadecimal search with highlighted matches, and undo and redo. The maker says the editor supports files up to exabytes; on Android, that capacity is qualified as partial file mode. BinEd runs on desktop platforms supporting Java 8 or later, and is also available as an Android APK and browser demo. The project uses Apache License 2.0, though additional addons may have different licenses. Listed integrations include NetBeans, IntelliJ, Eclipse, JDeveloper, BlueJ, jEdit, Autopsy, and Ghidra. The feature list marks byte-for-byte comparison as complete and search/replace as partial in the editor application. The maker also lists possible Java heap-space freezes after many large modifications, possible delta-mode corruption if another application changes files simultaneously, and memory leaks.

Hecate is a free terminal hex editor for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It displays interpretations of byte values beneath their hexadecimal representations, including text, bit patterns, integers, and floating-point values. Users can move the cursor with Vim-like controls, edit data in place, and write changes to disk. The README also lists tabbed browsing, large-file support, full-file searches, and expressions for specifying file offsets. Interpretation options include toggling endianness and signedness, decoding dates, and configuring the date epoch. The project describes byte interpretation as useful for reverse-engineering work. Downloads are linked for Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows, and the README provides a Go command for compiling the editor from source. Hecate is licensed under MIT. The releases page lists version 0.0.1 as the latest release; the license states that the software is provided without warranty. The repository includes usage instructions and a help screen command, but does not state a support service.