east-tec Eraser vs Strix Disk Cleaner

east-tec Eraser is Windows software for erasing files with selectable methods, verification, and erasure reports. Listed methods include DoD 5220.22-M, GOST P50739-95, VSITR, the Bruce Schneier Algorithm, and the Peter Gutmann method. Verification provides a way to check the operation, while reports provide a record of the erasure. The Eraser Plan costs $39.95 a year, billed per year, and includes one year of free updates and support. A 15-day trial is available, but there is no free plan. The product is therefore a paid Windows tool with an annual plan and a file-focused scope. Users can choose among the named algorithms and review the resulting verification and report information.

Strix Disk Cleaner is a free tool for permanently wiping whole drives on Windows and Linux. It uses hardware sanitize where possible or multi-pass overwriting, and detects SSDs to recommend hardware sanitization because wear-levelling can make overwriting unreliable. The Windows edition provides a graphical interface and a printable destruction certificate; the Linux edition is a unit-tested command-line eraser. It cannot target individual files: its scope is whole drives. To reduce accidental selection, the system disk and mounted disks are unavailable, and destructive actions require typed confirmation. The tool makes no network calls and requires no account. SHA-256 checksums are published with each release for download verification. Builds are not yet code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen may warn on first run. The Free plan costs nothing and is open-source under the MIT license. The product page links to source code, documentation, and a security guide.