Ghidra vs Recaf

GGhidra—Visit Recaf—Visit

G Ghidra #1 in Decompiler Software —/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Ghidra

vs

Recaf #8 in Decompiler Software —/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Recaf

• Ghidra fits best

  Free, broad native and bytecode analysis

• Recaf fits best

  Java and Android bytecode analysis

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Side by side

Feature	GGhidra —/10 Visit ↗	Recaf —/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	—	—
Ranking	#1 in Decompiler Software	#8 in Decompiler Software
Best for	Free, broad native and bytecode analysis	Java and Android bytecode analysis
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, Linux, macOS	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Docs, Community	Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Ghidra 5/5 · Recaf 4/5
Native-code decompilation	✓ (best)	—
Bytecode decompilation	✓	✓
Debugger integration	✓	✓
Scripting API	✓	✓
Plugin support	✓	✓
Specs
License type	Free	Free
Our review
Pros	Free open-source framework for native-code disassembly and decompilation Supports Java and DEX bytecode analysis alongside native architectures Includes debugging, scripting, headless analysis, and plugin support	Edits bytecode and assembler, then recompiles changed classes Combines decompilation, search, obfuscation analysis, and live patching Free open-source desktop tool with Windows, macOS, Linux, and CLI support
Cons	Its broad feature set may require a technical reverse-engineering workflow Plugin and scripting extensions add configuration choices to the environment Focused on compiled-program analysis rather than general software development	Does not target native-code decompilation Publishing currently centers on CI snapshots rather than regular independent releases Its verified integration breadth is limited
Our verdict	Ghidra is an open-source software reverse-engineering framework created and maintained by the National Security Agency Research Directorate. It is designed for analysts, security researchers, and developers examining compiled programs… Read the review →	Recaf is an open-source desktop tool for analyzing and editing compiled Java and Android applications. It is aimed at reverse engineering, malware analysis, Java modding, and other workflows involving JVM or Android bytecode. The product… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Ghidra — where it wins

  • Free open-source framework for native-code disassembly and decompilation
  • Supports Java and DEX bytecode analysis alongside native architectures
  • Includes debugging, scripting, headless analysis, and plugin support

  Where it doesn't

  • Its broad feature set may require a technical reverse-engineering workflow
  • Plugin and scripting extensions add configuration choices to the environment
  • Focused on compiled-program analysis rather than general software development

• Recaf — where it wins

  • Edits bytecode and assembler, then recompiles changed classes
  • Combines decompilation, search, obfuscation analysis, and live patching
  • Free open-source desktop tool with Windows, macOS, Linux, and CLI support

  Where it doesn't

  • Does not target native-code decompilation
  • Publishing currently centers on CI snapshots rather than regular independent releases
  • Its verified integration breadth is limited

• GGhidra—/10 · Free plan

  A free, broad toolkit for native-code, Java, and DEX analysis.

  Visit GhidraFull verdict →
• Recaf—/10 · Free plan

  A capable free toolkit for inspecting, editing, and instrumenting Java and Android bytecode.

  Visit RecafFull verdict →