nwipe vs WipeDrive
nwipe
github.comWipeDrive
whitecanyon.comSide by side
| Figure | nwipe | WipeDrive |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Data Destruction Software | 8.0 (#5) | 7.9 (#7) |
| Spec score · Disk Wiping Software | 7.9 (#13) | 7.9 (#14) |
| Erase methods | Available methods include zero and one fills, DoD and Gutmann wipes, HMG IS5 Enhanced, Schneier, BMB21-2019, and verification passes. | The manual lists NIST 800-88r1, DoD patterns, SSD Smart Wipe, and custom overwrite patterns among its options. |
| Purpose | nwipe securely erases block devices and can wipe one drive or multiple disks in parallel. | WipeDrive permanently erases hard drive data, operating systems, program files, and other file data, and can delete configured partitions. |
| Support | The project welcomes bug reports, feature requests, and pull requests on GitHub and asks reporters to include their distribution, nwipe version, hardware details, logs, and command-line options. | The maker says its Enterprise Support Team can guide customers through customization, and it lists global technical support among WipeDrive's support features. |
Plans
In their own words
nwipe
nwipe is a free Linux utility for securely erasing block devices, either one drive at a time or multiple disks in parallel. It runs from the command line or through an ncurses-based graphical interface. Erase methods include zero and one fills, DoD and Gutmann wipes, verification passes, and BMB21-2019. For supported drives, the GUI also offers ATA and NVMe hardware-native block erase, cryptographic scramble, and pattern overwrite. Random-pattern methods can use selectable pseudorandom generators, including AES-256-CTR and ChaCha20. I/O modes include automatic, direct, and cached; automatic mode falls back to cached I/O if direct I/O is unsupported. hdparm is required at runtime, while smartmontools and dmidecode are optional recommended tools for features such as SMART certificate data and HPA/DCO detection. nwipe can generate a three-page PDF certificate. Hardware-sanitize options are interactive in the GUI and cannot be batched with automated multi-drive commands such as autonuke. Legacy ATA Secure Erase and freeze-lock handling are not supported.
WipeDrive
WipeDrive securely overwrites disk data to prevent recovery and records details of the sanitization. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. The WipeDrive 9 Home plan costs $19.95 as a one-time purchase for a single drive wipe; Enterprise pricing is on request. Enterprise deployment options include bootable CD or USB, an executable, PXE network boot, and remote execution. The process can address hidden areas such as HPAs and DCOs, though the Enterprise manual warns that a locked DCO may not be detected and some locks cannot be bypassed. Listed drive types include IDE, SCSI, SATA, SAS, SSD, NVMe, and eMMC. Erasure choices include NIST 800-88r1, DoD patterns, SSD Smart Wipe, and custom patterns. Where supported by a drive, Enhanced Secure Erase or Sanitize Device commands can erase reallocated sectors. WipeDrive records drive identifiers and wipe details, supports custom reporting fields, and can send logs to destinations including FTP, email, SQL databases, and network shares. The maker also lists remote wiping, RAID dismantling, Crypto Erase, and certified erasure reports among its capabilities.