OpenOCD vs x64dbg
OpenOCD
openocd.orgx64dbg
x64dbg.comSide by side
| Figure | OpenOCD | x64dbg |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Debuggers | 7.8 (#12) | 7.1 (#24) |
| Purpose | OpenOCD provides debugging, in-system programming, and boundary-scan testing for embedded target devices using a debug adapter. | x64dbg is an open-source debugger for Windows, optimized for reverse engineering and malware analysis. |
| Scripting | OpenOCD configuration files can contain commands, and the guide documents a Tcl scripting API. | It includes an integrated, debuggable ASM-like scripting language for automation. |
Plans
In their own words
OpenOCD
OpenOCD provides debugging, in-system programming, and boundary-scan testing for embedded target devices through a debug adapter. It communicates with targets over JTAG or Serial Wire Debug (SWD), and can run as a server for GDB clients. Users can also interact through Telnet or GDB; its Tcl interface is intended for machine interaction, and configuration files can contain commands using the documented Tcl scripting API. The target list includes ARM, MIPS, RISC-V, Xtensa, ARC, AVR32, and other architectures. Release 0.12.0 notes support for Espressif ESP32, ESP32-S2, ESP32-S3 cores, and Raspberry Pi Pico RP2040, along with Zephyr and a no-RTOS option. OpenOCD supports remote debugging and exception breakpoints. It is free and listed for Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted setups. The project says it is packaged in popular operating-system repositories and provides access to source code; community binaries are marked unofficial. Host configuration may take extra steps: Linux usually needs a udev rule for adapter access, and Windows requires driver configuration for each peripheral.