Boomerang vs Hiew

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.

Hiew is a Windows console program for viewing and editing files of unlimited size in text, hex, and disassembler modes. Its maker describes it as a classic since 1991. Disassembly includes x86-64 with AVX instruction support and an ArmV6 disassembler. Listed executable formats include NE, LE, LX, PE/PE32+, little-endian ELF and ELF64, Mach-O, and TE/TE64. Users can follow direct calls and jumps with a click and search instruction patterns in disassembler mode. Other listed capabilities include block operations, multi-file search and replace, keyboard macros, Unicode and UTF-8, binary templates, scripting, disk editing, plugins, and HEM modules. The free demo omits editing, crypt, assembler, 64-bit and ARM disassembly, drive support, keyboard macros, and HEM support, among other restrictions. The single-version license costs $25 as a one-time purchase with no updates. Lifetime updates cost $249 as a one-time purchase; Hiewix 32-bits costs $59, paid once with free 1-year updates.