Exterro FTK Central vs X-Ways Forensics

Exterro FTK Central9.1Visit X-Ways Forensics8.8Visit

Higher score Exterro FTK Central #4 in Digital Forensics Software 9.1/10 Pricing on request ✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Exterro

vs

X-Ways Forensics #7 in Digital Forensics Software 8.8/10 Paid ✓ 4 of 4 features Try X-Ways Forensics

• Exterro FTK Central fits best

  Large teams with governed forensic workflows

• X-Ways Forensics fits best

  Deep Windows forensic examination

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Side by side

Feature	Exterro FTK Central 9.1/10 Visit ↗	X-Ways Forensics 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	8.8
Ranking	#4 in Digital Forensics Software	#7 in Digital Forensics Software
Best for	Large teams with governed forensic workflows	Deep Windows forensic examination
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	Pricing on request	—
Free plan	Not checked yet	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Desktop
Platforms	Web, Windows	Windows
Support	Docs · 24/7	Email, Community, Docs
Built for	Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Exterro FTK Central 2/4 · X-Ways Forensics 4/4
Mobile forensics	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Disk imaging	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Memory forensics	✓	✓
Case collaboration	✓	✓
Specs
Evidence sources	Live enterprise endpoints; Windows, macOS, and selected Linux artifacts; Microsoft 365; Exchange; SharePoint; OneDrive; Google Workspace; Gmail; Google Drive; Slack; Microsoft Teams; Confluence; AFF4; E01; AD1; RAW/DD	Raw DD images, ISO, VHD, VHDX, VDI, VMDK, physical disks, RAIDs, filesystems, Android/iOS data imported through third-party tools, iTunes backups
Supported platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11 and Windows Server 2008/2012/2016/2019/2022/2025
Export formats	Not checked yet	HTML, tab-delimited text, XML
Our review
Pros	Centralizes collection, processing, analysis, review, and case management Supports shared cases with permissions, approvals, and audit records Connects with SIEM, SOAR, endpoint, collaboration, and Microsoft tools	Analyzes physical, raw, ISO, VHD, VHDX, VDI, and VMDK evidence Combines carving, memory analysis, search, tagging, and reporting Supports multi-user case collaboration and an X-Tensions programming API
Cons	Pricing requires a sales conversation rather than a published plan Its broad workflow may exceed the needs of small investigation teams Mobile forensics and disk imaging are handled by separate Exterro products	Runs on Windows only No free plan; licenses are paid Mobile evidence analysis depends on compatible third-party tools and add-ons
Our verdict	Exterro FTK Central is a centralized digital forensics platform for enterprise investigation teams, forensic laboratories, government agencies, and corporate security groups. It brings live endpoint investigation, remote inspection,… Read the review →	X-Ways Forensics is a Windows desktop application for computer forensic examiners handling investigations across law enforcement, government, corporate, and specialist settings. Its scope covers disk imaging and cloning, raw and virtual… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Exterro FTK Central — where it wins

  • Centralizes collection, processing, analysis, review, and case management
  • Supports shared cases with permissions, approvals, and audit records
  • Connects with SIEM, SOAR, endpoint, collaboration, and Microsoft tools

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires a sales conversation rather than a published plan
  • Its broad workflow may exceed the needs of small investigation teams
  • Mobile forensics and disk imaging are handled by separate Exterro products

• X-Ways Forensics — where it wins

  • Analyzes physical, raw, ISO, VHD, VHDX, VDI, and VMDK evidence
  • Combines carving, memory analysis, search, tagging, and reporting
  • Supports multi-user case collaboration and an X-Tensions programming API

  Where it doesn't

  • Runs on Windows only
  • No free plan; licenses are paid
  • Mobile evidence analysis depends on compatible third-party tools and add-ons

• Exterro FTK Central9.1/10 · Pricing on request

  A governed platform for coordinated endpoint, cloud, and evidence investigations.

  Visit ExterroFull verdict →
• X-Ways Forensics8.8/10 · Paid

  A deep Windows forensic toolkit with broad evidence analysis and case-management features.

  Try X-Ways ForensicsFull verdict →