Autopsy
Autopsy: A free, cross-platform choice for structured digital forensic investigations. Ranked #17 of 21 in Incident Response Software by our editors (7.4/10); pricing: Free plan; best for free cross-platform forensic investigations.
At a glance
- Editor score7.4 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forFree cross-platform forensic investigations
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Case managementYes
- Founded2000 · Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Free open-source software for Windows, macOS, and Linux
- Case collaboration, evidence analysis, timelines, and reporting
- Extensible plug-in architecture with API access
Where it doesn't
- Focused on digital forensics rather than broad incident-response workflows
- Paid vendor offerings cover training, support, and custom modules
- Requires a downloadable application for investigations
Our verdict on Autopsy
Autopsy is an open-source digital forensics platform and graphical interface to The Sleuth Kit and other investigation tools. It is designed for law enforcement, military, corporate investigation, litigation support, and national security work. The software supports case-based digital investigations across hard drives, mobile devices, disk images, and other digital media, with collaboration across multiple examiners. Windows, macOS, and Linux availability makes it suitable for teams working across those operating systems.
Autopsy is free to download and use, with no paid software plans described. Sleuth Kit Labs separately offers paid training, support, and custom modules. That structure keeps the core investigation software accessible while giving organizations options for additional services. The product’s case management, evidence tracking, responder collaboration, and reporting capabilities support a structured review process, while keyword search and indexing help investigators work through digital evidence.
Its strongest fit is teams that need forensic depth rather than a general-purpose incident-response workspace. Disk image and digital media analysis, timeline analysis, hash analysis and hash-set management, and web artifact and application data extraction cover several important evidence-review tasks. Reports and investigation result review support documentation, while the plug-in and module architecture provides room for extensions. API access and case collaboration add operational flexibility, but the product’s center of gravity remains digital forensics. Choose Autopsy for free, cross-platform investigations with collaborative case work and extensibility; consider another product when the primary need is a broader incident-response workflow rather than evidence analysis.
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Autopsy pricing
Autopsy fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Case management | Yes |
| Evidence tracking | Yes |
| Responder collaboration | Yes |
| On-call scheduling | Not verified |
| Audit log | Not verified |
| API access | Yes |
| Deployment options | Not verified |
| Deployment | Desktop |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Support | Email, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | autopsy.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to Autopsy
- TheHiveA broad incident response workspace covering triage, investigation, evidence, and reporting.9.4
- DFIR-IRISA focused case-management platform for open-source incident response teams.9.2
- LimaCharlieAffordable endpoint-centric response with telemetry, cases, containment, and automation.9.0
See all Autopsy alternatives →
Also Ranked In
Autopsy is ranked in 3 of our directories.
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Featured on iTechGuides
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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