CBMC vs LDRA Tool Suite
CBMC
cprover.orgLDRA Tool Suite
ldra.comSide by side
| Figure | CBMC | LDRA Tool Suite |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · C and C++ Static Analysis Tools | 8.7 (#2) | 7.7 (#12) |
| Purpose | CBMC is a bounded model checker for C and C++ programs. | An integrated suite for verification, testing, and requirements traceability in safety-, security-, and mission-critical software development. |
| Support | The CBMC page directs questions to Daniel Kroening, and the CPROVER manual links to Google Groups support and announcements. | LDRA lists support contact channels by email and phone for EMEA, the USA, and India. |
Plans
In their own words
CBMC
CBMC is a bounded model checker for C and C++ programs, available for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It checks memory safety, including array bounds and pointer use, along with several forms of undefined behavior and user-specified assertions. Its language range includes C89, C99, most of C11 and C17, and extensions from GCC, Clang, and Visual Studio. CBMC verifies by unwinding program loops and passing the resulting equation to a decision procedure. It can check C and C++ I/O equivalence with languages such as Verilog, and generate test cases for branch, decision, path, and MC/DC coverage. Listed language features include arrays, dynamic memory, nondeterminism, assumptions, assertions, and selected C++ features such as classes, templates, and STL containers. A MiniSat-based bit-vector solver is included; Boolector, CVC5, and Z3 are supported but must be installed separately. CBMC is free at free under a BSD 4-clause license. The Windows and macOS distributions are command-line tools without a GUI.
LDRA Tool Suite
LDRA Tool Suite combines verification, testing, and requirements traceability for safety-, security-, and mission-critical software development. Its core capabilities include static and dynamic analysis, coding standards checks, unit, integration, and system testing, plus compliance reporting. The main components are TBvision, TBrun, TBmanager, and LDRA Testbed. TBmanager links requirements and design artifacts with source code, test cases, and verification results to maintain audit trails. Structural coverage analysis includes statement, branch, and MC/DC metrics at unit, integration, and system levels. LDRA lists support for standards including DO-178C, ISO 26262, IEC 61508, IEC 62304, and EN 50716, as well as integrations with Atlassian Jira, IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS, Jenkins, Bamboo, and GitLab. Listed languages include C, C++, Java, Ada95, and Assemblers. The suite is self-hosted on listed Windows, Linux, and Mac hosts. Pricing is on request. LDRA offers a 30-day free trial through a registration page that requests company and contact information.