Exterro FTK Imager
Exterro FTK Imager: A free acquisition utility for imaging, hashing, mounting, and volatile memory capture. Ranked #18 of 30 in Digital Forensics Software by our editors (5.8/10); pricing: Free plan; best for free forensic imaging and volatile capture.
At a glance
- Editor score5.8 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forFree forensic imaging and volatile capture
- Free planYes
- Paid fromNone
- Mobile forensicsNo
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Creates E01, AFF, and RAW forensic images
- Captures volatile RAM from live systems
- Calculates MD5, SHA-1, and SHA-256 hashes
Where it doesn't
- Runs on Windows only
- Does not directly acquire mobile-device evidence
- Focuses on acquisition rather than full forensic analysis
Our verdict on Exterro FTK Imager
Exterro FTK Imager is a free Windows-based digital forensics tool for acquiring and previewing electronic evidence. It is suited to incident-response teams, law-enforcement examiners, and corporate investigation teams that need to image hard drives, optical media, thumb drives, USB devices, files, folders, or volatile RAM. The product supports Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2025, and Windows Server 2022.
Its strongest capability is evidence acquisition with practical verification and review options. FTK Imager creates E01, AFF, and RAW images, mounts forensic images, previews files and folders before full acquisition, and creates custom-content images from selected data. It also exports files and folders for further analysis and calculates MD5, SHA-1, and SHA-256 hashes. Together, these features make it useful when the immediate priority is preserving, checking, and selecting evidence rather than conducting a complete investigation inside one application.
The product is available through a free FTK Imager plan, with forensic imaging, file and folder preview, memory capture, and evidence hashing included. Its boundaries matter for buyers planning a broader forensic workflow: direct mobile-device acquisition is not part of FTK Imager, and the product is primarily an acquisition utility. Teams needing mobile collection should choose a tool that directly supports mobile evidence, while teams seeking broader analysis may prefer a more comprehensive forensic platform. FTK Imager is the better fit for focused Windows acquisition, volatile capture, image mounting, and evidence export.
Exterro FTK Imager pricing
All 1 Exterro FTK Imager plans and prices →
Exterro FTK Imager fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | None |
| Evidence sources | Windows and Linux hard drives; CDs and DVDs; thumb drives and USB devices; files and folders; volatile RAM |
| Mobile forensics | No |
| Disk imaging | Yes |
| Memory forensics | Yes |
| Case collaboration | Not verified |
| Supported platforms | Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2025, Windows Server 2022 |
| Export formats | E01, AFF, RAW |
| Deployment | Desktop |
| Platforms | Windows |
| Support | Docs · 24/7 |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan (source) |
| Website | exterro.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to Exterro FTK Imager
- AutopsyA free, cross-platform platform for broad, case-based digital investigations.9.0
- Paraben E3 Forensic PlatformA broad evidence-processing platform for teams handling varied digital investigations.9.0
- Magnet AXIOM CyberA broad investigation platform for collecting and analyzing endpoint, mobile, cloud, and memory evidence.7.7
See all Exterro FTK Imager alternatives →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026
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