cvc5 vs PVS
cvc5
cvc5.github.ioPVS
pvs.csl.sri.comSide by side
| Figure | cvc5 | PVS |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Formal Verification Tools | 8.7 (#1) | 8.3 (#4) |
| Platforms | The project provides source and binary releases for Linux, MacOS, and Windows. | Current listed releases target 64-bit Linux and macOS; the site says Windows can run PVS 7.1 or later through Vagrant and VirtualBox. |
| Purpose | cvc5 is an efficient open-source automatic theorem prover for satisfiability modulo theories problems. | PVS is a verification system combining a specification language, support tools, and a theorem prover. |
| Support | The project directs bug reports to its GitHub issue tracker and questions, feature requests, and contributions to GitHub Discussions. | Support is offered through developer and bug-report email addresses, GitHub issues, Google Groups, and moderated mailing lists. |
Plans
In their own words
cvc5
cvc5 is a free, open-source solver for satisfiability modulo theories problems. It determines whether first-order formulas are satisfiable or valid across combinations of background theories, including arrays, bit-vectors, floating-point numbers, arithmetic, and strings. It also has a Syntax-Guided Synthesis engine for synthesizing functions against those theories.
The solver can run as a standalone command-line tool or be used as a library, with C++, C, Java, and Python APIs. Its binary accepts SMT-LIB v2 and SyGuS-IF input, and it can produce proofs and unsatisfiable cores to explain unsatisfiability results. The project links to an online interface for running SMT-LIB scripts and provides source releases and binaries for Linux, macOS, and Windows. cvc5 is led jointly by Stanford University and the University of Iowa. Research and commercial use are described as essentially unrestricted. The default license is modified BSD; using optional GPLv3 dependencies makes the combined work subject to GPLv3.
PVS
PVS is a mechanized environment for formal specification and verification, intended for work such as mathematical formalization and hardware or algorithm verification. Its language is based on typed higher-order logic and supports predicate subtypes, dependent types, and parameterized theories. The system combines predefined theories, a type checker, interactive theorem prover, symbolic model checker, utilities, libraries, documentation, and examples. Proof support includes induction, rewriting, simplification with decision procedures, abstraction, and symbolic model checking; command-line tools can re-prove theories and libraries in batch mode. PVS also integrates the Yices SMT solver, supports random testing during proofs, and includes PVSio for evaluation and animation. GNU or X Emacs provides the integrated interface, with Tcl/Tk displays for proof trees and theory hierarchies. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows and is self-hosted. Noncommercial use is listed at free. Sources are under GPL, but the Allegro runtime has a separate click-through license, and commercial users need a current PVS license or must contact SRI about licensing.