Frida vs Hiew

Frida is a dynamic instrumentation toolkit for developers, reverse-engineers, and security researchers. It lets users place scripts in running processes to hook functions, inspect APIs, and trace application code without source code. Documented uses include API tracing, diagnostics, encrypted-protocol analysis, and black-box testing.

Frida supports injected, embedded, and preloaded instrumentation. When injection is unavailable, Frida Gadget can be embedded in a program, including on jailed iOS and Android systems. Supported targets include Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux, iOS, watchOS, tvOS, Android, FreeBSD, and QNX. Language bindings include Node.js, Python, Swift, .NET, Qt/Qml, and Go, alongside a C API. The CLI tools require Python and run on Windows, macOS, or GNU/Linux; the documented installation command is `pip install frida-tools`.

Hiew is a Windows console program for viewing and editing files of unlimited size in text, hex, and disassembler modes. Its maker describes it as a classic since 1991. Disassembly includes x86-64 with AVX instruction support and an ArmV6 disassembler. Listed executable formats include NE, LE, LX, PE/PE32+, little-endian ELF and ELF64, Mach-O, and TE/TE64. Users can follow direct calls and jumps with a click and search instruction patterns in disassembler mode. Other listed capabilities include block operations, multi-file search and replace, keyboard macros, Unicode and UTF-8, binary templates, scripting, disk editing, plugins, and HEM modules. The free demo omits editing, crypt, assembler, 64-bit and ARM disassembly, drive support, keyboard macros, and HEM support, among other restrictions. The single-version license costs $25 as a one-time purchase with no updates. Lifetime updates cost $249 as a one-time purchase; Hiewix 32-bits costs $59, paid once with free 1-year updates.