CBMC vs CPAchecker

CBMC is a bounded model checker for C and C++ programs. It explores execution paths to check assertions, including array bounds, pointer safety, exceptions, and some undefined behavior such as signed integer overflow. Its analysis unwinds loops before sending the resulting equation to a decision procedure, and inputs may need a bounded size. The repository lists C89, C99, most of C11, C17, C23, GCC and Visual Studio extensions, and SystemC through Scoot; the listed input languages also include Java bytecode. CBMC supports contracts and can produce counterexamples. Its incremental SMT2 backend works with SMT-LIB 2.6-compliant solvers, with Z3 and CVC5 as examples. Distribution options include Homebrew instructions for macOS, Ubuntu DEB packages, Windows MSI installers, and Docker images. goto-cc can replace gcc or cl.exe in Makefiles to collect project models. The guide discusses routine development and continuous integration use. CBMC is free under the 4-clause BSD license.

CPAchecker is a configurable software verification tool based on configurable program analysis concepts. It accepts C and SV-LIB inputs, lists predicate analysis for SV-LIB programs, and supports invariants, counterexamples, and proof artifacts. It can also validate termination witnesses in YAML formats 2.1 and 1.0. The project lists a hybrid verification method and provides a self-hosted deployment. CPAchecker is free software under the Apache 2.0 License. Version 4.2.2, released in December 2025, is available as Unix and Windows ZIP archives; Debian and Ubuntu users can install it from the SoSy-Lab APT repository, and a Docker image is available. Java 21 or later is required as of version 4.2. An older version, 1.6.1, can be accessed through a web interface, where some functions are unavailable in the restricted environment. Documentation includes installation instructions, tutorials, and getting-started guidance. Installation questions, bug reports, and suggestions can go to the users mailing list or issue tracker. The project is based in Munich, Germany.