Crowbar vs Rusted PackFile Manager

Crowbar is a free modding tool for working with GoldSource and Source models and game packages. It can decompile MDL and related files into QC, SMD, and other related files, and can compile models when the game’s authoring tools or SDK and Crowbar’s studiomdl.exe are available. Viewing models likewise requires the game tools or SDK and Crowbar’s hlmv.exe. For archives, Crowbar can unpack, view, and search Valve VPK, Garry’s Mod GMA, Bloodlines VPK, Tactical Intervention FPX, and Fairy Tale Busters APK files. It can pack folders into VPK and GMA packages and supports batch extraction. Workshop functions allow downloading and publishing items for supported games. Game setups can link a game folder to its compiler, viewer, and package tools. On Windows, file associations and drag-and-drop can open VPK, QC, MDL, and folder inputs. The requirements page lists.NET Framework 4 and Windows XP or later, or Linux or Mac OS with a way to run a.NET Framework program. Crowbar is listed at free; donations are optional.

Rusted PackFile Manager (RPFM) opens, inspects, edits and saves PackFiles for Total War games from Empire onward, including Pharaoh, Warhammer 3, Troy, Three Kingdoms, Attila and Rome 2. Its pack editor handles multiple archives and supports bulk file additions, extraction, renaming, duplication and deletion. Editors cover database tables, localisation, scripts, animations, models and other listed game formats. The DB editor offers schema-aware lookups, sorting, filtering and TSV import and export; localisation data can also be exchanged through TSV. Global search and replace spans packs, vanilla data and parent mods, and diagnostics flag issues including invalid references, missing localisation, portrait variants and animation gaps. Per-game MyMod workspaces include asset folders, templates, import and export, and one-click installation to a game's data folder. Translation tools connect mod translations with the Total War Translation Hub. A headless server provides a documented WebSocket protocol and an MCP endpoint with more than 150 tools, prompts and resources. RPFM is free under the MIT License; listed platforms are API, Linux, self-hosted and Windows.