dnSpyEx vs Ghidra
dnSpyEx
github.comGhidra
github.comSide by side
| Figure | dnSpyEx | Ghidra |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Reverse Engineering Tools | 7.7 (#22) | 8.7 (#5) |
| Spec score · Decompiler Software | 7.8 (#11) | 8.8 (#3) |
| Analysis tools | Features include searching assemblies, analyzing class and method usage, finding callers, bookmarks, and exporting to a project. | The suite includes disassembly, assembly, decompilation, graphing, scripting and many additional analysis tools. |
| License | The repository states that dnSpy is licensed under GPLv3. | The repository includes the Apache License, Version 2.0, which grants no-charge, royalty-free copyright and patent licenses subject to its terms. |
| Purpose | dnSpyEx is an unofficial continuation of dnSpy, a debugger and .NET assembly editor for working with assemblies without source code. | Ghidra is a software reverse engineering framework maintained by the NSA Research Directorate. |
Plans
In their own words
dnSpyEx
dnSpyEx is an unofficial continuation of dnSpy, a debugger and .NET assembly editor for working with assemblies without source code. It can debug .NET Framework, .NET, and Unity game assemblies, with breakpoints, tracepoints, conditional breakpoints, exception breakpoints, and multiple-process debugging. Editing covers metadata and methods or classes in C# and Visual Basic, plus low-level IL method bodies. The project lists C# and Visual Basic decompilers using the ILSpy engine, along with a BAML decompiler and disassembler. Assembly search, class and method usage analysis, caller finding, bookmarks, and project export are also included. A public API supports extensions, and the C# Interactive window can control or script dnSpyEx. The latest stable release listed is v6.6.0, which adds a .NET 10 distribution. It is free under GPLv3. Release notes describe Wine compatibility adjustments for Linux, not native Linux support. Dynamic methods cannot be debugged because of CLR limitations.
Ghidra
Ghidra is a software reverse engineering framework maintained by the NSA Research Directorate. It analyzes compiled code with tools for disassembly, assembly, decompilation, graphing and scripting, and supports many processor instruction sets and executable formats. The framework can operate interactively or in automated workflows, including work intended to address team and scale needs in complex reverse engineering. Users can write extensions and scripts in Java or Python. Development options include a GhidraDev plugin for Eclipse and support for script editing and module projects in Visual Studio Code. The project describes compiled-code analysis on Windows, macOS and Linux. Installation requires a 64-bit JDK 25 and an official multi-platform release archive. Ghidra is free under the Apache License, Version 2.0, whose terms grant no-charge, royalty-free copyright and patent licenses. The repository warns that some versions have known security vulnerabilities and directs users to security advisories. Its policy directs vulnerability reports to GitHub private vulnerability reporting rather than public issues.