Kenshi/core vs VMProtect

Kenshi/core is a paid, cross-platform anti-cheat and anti-tamper platform protecting software from hardware through the application layer. It lists 27 detection modules across hardware, kernel, runtime and binary layers, plus 32 anti-tamper protections including runtime hardening and code protection. Events from those layers are correlated on one timeline. The developer SDK supports Unreal, Unity, Source and custom C++, while operator integrations include Slack, Discord, PagerDuty and Datadog. Kenshi says it can operate alongside EAC, BattlEye, in-house anti-cheat systems and EDR tools such as CrowdStrike, Sentinel and Defender. Typical engagements include a scoping workshop, SDK integration and live launch support; integrations typically take 4 to 6 weeks. Licensing may be per title or studio, usually beginning with a scoped pilot for one title. Kenshi lists Linux and Windows, uses TLS 1.3 in transit and AES-256 at rest, and defaults processing and storage to UK and EU regions. Pricing is on request.

VMProtect protects software code against reverse engineering, analysis and cracking. It transforms selected code so embedded virtual machines execute it using their own instruction set, without additional libraries or modules in the protected application. Protection options include virtualization, mutation, or mutation followed by virtualization, alongside controls such as packing, virtual files, debugger and virtualization-tool detection, memory protection and debug-information stripping. VMProtect supports x86, x86_64 and ARM64 binaries and.NET assemblies, with PE, Mach-O, ELF and.NET formats across Windows, macOS, Linux and Android. Its licensing system uses RSA-based asymmetric cryptography for serial number creation and verification; online trial activation can issue time-limited serials without storing anything on the user computer. Lite, Professional and Ultimate editions are available. A free trial is offered, but there is no free plan. Personal one-time licenses include Lite at $399, paid once, Professional at $599, paid once and Ultimate at $999, paid once; updates renewals are also listed for existing licenses.