AccessData FTK Imager vs AMExtractor: 2026 Comparison
AccessData FTK Imager is a free digital forensics and incident response tool. AMExtractor is a free digital forensics and incident response tool. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best digital forensics and incident response fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of available product data, here is our conclusion:
Forensic examiners and incident response teams handling disk imaging and evidence preservation should start here; FTK Imager is free and handles the core imaging job without licensing friction that kills adoption in mid-sized shops. It's NIST-validated for forensic acquisition and integrates cleanly with EnCase workflows if you're already in that ecosystem. Skip it if you need integrated timeline analysis or automated artifact parsing; those belong in the paid tier (Forensic Toolkit), and trying to build that workflow in Imager alone wastes investigator time.
Forensic investigators and incident responders who need to extract Android device memory for offline analysis should use AMExtractor for its simplicity; it acquires physical memory via /dev/kmem without requiring kernel source code or custom compilation, making it immediately deployable on rooted devices. The tool is free and available on GitHub with active maintenance signals. Skip this if you're looking for automated memory analysis or post-acquisition parsing; AMExtractor stops at the dump,you'll need separate forensic platforms to examine what you've extracted.
