Boomerang vs EMBA
Boomerang
github.comEMBA
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Boomerang | EMBA |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Reverse Engineering Tools | 8.5 (#6) | 7.7 (#23) |
| Intended users | The maker's download page says its release is strictly for developers and experimenters and warns that large-binary decompilation may disappoint. | EMBA is designed for penetration testers, product security teams, developers, and responsible product managers. |
| Purpose | Boomerang is an open-source machine-code decompiler that attempts to turn executable files into high-level source code. | EMBA analyzes embedded-device firmware through extraction, static and dynamic analysis, SBOM generation, and web-based vulnerability reporting. |
| Support | The README directs users to file bugs through the GitHub issue tracker. | The FAQ directs users to open a GitHub issue with the question label for help. |
Plans
In their own words
Boomerang
Boomerang is an open-source decompiler that translates supported machine-code binaries into C source code. It supports x86 (IA-32 only), PPC, and ST20 architectures, and accepts ELF, PE, DOS MZ, DOS/4GW LE, and Mach-O files. Users can run it as a command-line tool or a GUI application. The project describes its license as BSD, and the software is free. Build instructions cover Linux, macOS, and Windows, but compiling requires a 64-bit operating system and a C++17 compiler; 32-bit systems are not supported. Documented prerequisites include CMake, Qt5, Capstone, GNU bison, and GNU flex. Precompiled packages are available for release versions, although the project recommends building the development branch from source. Unit and regression tests are provided, but the README says the regression test suite cannot be built on Windows. The maker describes the release as intended for developers and experimenters and warns that large-binary decompilation may disappoint. Decompiled output does not recreate the original source file and may differ from it. The project directs users to its GitHub issue tracker for bug reports.