Crowbar vs xEdit

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.

xEdit is a free Windows utility for editing Bethesda game plugins and resolving potential mod conflicts. Its documentation covers Enderal, Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, Fallout 76 and Starfield modes. The tool can remove extraneous or duplicated references, repair deleted references, merge plugins and check for mismatches between module files and xEdit record definitions. Quick Auto Clean automates cleaning while saving intermediate steps, and users can review its changes afterward. Cleaning workflows can be configured with Mod Organizer 2, Vortex and Wrye Bash, and can produce a LOOT report. Supported formats include TES3, TES4, FO3, FNV, TES5, SSE, FO4, FO76, SF1, BSA and BA2. Documentation is provided in the Tome of xEdit. Builds are distributed through Discord, while feature requests and bug reports go to GitHub. The license is MPL-2.0.