Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

hx review

Free#23 of 32 in Hex Editors

A focused, open-source terminal hex editor for straightforward byte editing on Linux.

6.5/10Editor score
Visit hx
hx6.5 Visit hx

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

hx is an open-source hex editor for terminal environments, aimed at Linux users who want direct control over file bytes without a graphical interface. Written in plain C99 with POSIX libraries and without a curses dependency, it supports opening files, navigating by byte offset and file position, and editing data directly. The core workflow covers inserting, appending, replacing, and deleting bytes, with search for both text and hexadecimal byte values. It is distributed as source code under the MIT License and can be compiled and installed with make.

Editing depth is the product's clearest strength. Users can save changes in place and undo or redo editing actions, while command mode handles writing, quitting, and display settings. Configurable octets per line and byte grouping make the byte view adjustable for different files and inspection preferences. This gives hx a practical set of operations for focused terminal work, especially when navigation, search, and direct byte changes matter more than visual tooling.

The trade-off is a deliberately narrow scope. hx does not provide comparison, templates, scripting, or disk editing, so users needing broader analysis workflows should choose a hex editor built around those capabilities instead. Its platform positioning is also centered on Linux terminal use; POSIX support is documented, and FreeBSD is mentioned in the build configuration, but the product is best considered for users comfortable compiling source code and working in a terminal. Pick hx for straightforward file-byte editing with a small, focused interface; choose an alternative for graphical workflows or wider hex-editor functionality.

hx pros and cons

  • Where it wins
    • Free and open source under the MIT License
    • Supports byte editing, searching, offsets, and undo/redo
    • Configurable display with command mode controls
  • Where it doesn't
    • Linux-focused, with no formal broader platform support matrix
    • No comparison, templates, or scripting features
    • No disk-editing workflow is described

hx fact sheet, pricing and score →

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Last updated · How we research and update