PE Explorer

At a glance

• Editor score
  4.2 / 10
• Pricing
  30-day trial
• Best for
  Windows PE inspection and patching
• Free plan
  No
• Decompiler
  No
• Founded
  2000
• Facts checked
  22 Sep 2026

• Where it wins

  • Edits PE headers, data directories, resources, and checksums
  • Disassembles Win32 PE files and scans linked-library dependencies
  • Supports unpacking, signatures, imports, exports, and custom plugins

• Where it doesn't

  • Windows-only desktop application
  • No free plan; paid licensing is required after the evaluation period
  • Disassembles PE files but does not decompile source code

Our verdict on PE Explorer

PE Explorer is a Windows desktop application for examining and modifying Portable Executable files, including EXE, DLL, driver, and ActiveX files. It is aimed at software development, reverse engineering, forensics, binary security analysis, and auditing. Its scope is static analysis of 32-bit PE files, combining header and section inspection with resource editing, import and export viewing, dependency scanning, digital-signature inspection, unpacking support, and Win32 assembly-language disassembly.

The feature set suits analysts who need direct visibility into PE structure rather than a broad multi-platform reverse-engineering environment. Users can view and edit PE headers and data directories, inspect linked libraries, work with executable resources, verify integrity, modify checksums, and review digital signatures. UPX, UPack, and NSPack unpacking support adds a practical path for examining packed files, while custom plug-in support extends the application beyond its built-in functions. The published documentation distinguishes disassembly from decompilation, so it is better suited to binary-level inspection than source-code recovery.

PE Explorer is distributed as a downloadable Windows application with a 30-day fully functional evaluation period and no free plan. The published purchase options include Personal, Business, 5-user, and 10-user licensing, with the 5-user business license listed at $949.95 one-time and the 10-user business license at $1,599 one-time. Update and support renewal options are listed at $59 for a personal license, $115 for a business license, $449 for five users, and $799 for 10 users. Choose it for focused Windows PE work; choose an alternative if you need source decompilation or support beyond Windows.

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PE Explorer pricing

All 8 PE Explorer plans and prices →

PE Explorer fact sheet

Alternatives to PE Explorer

• GGhidraA broad, free toolkit for native-code and bytecode reverse engineering.9.4
• IDA ProA comprehensive native reverse-engineering suite with substantial annual licensing costs.9.2
• ImHexA desktop binary inspection workbench with editing, patterns, comparison, and disassembly.8.7

See all PE Explorer alternatives →

Featured on iTechGuides

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update