Apktool vs Guardsquare DexGuard: 2026 Comparison
Apktool is a free mobile app security tool. Guardsquare DexGuard is a commercial mobile app security tool by Guardsquare. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best mobile app security fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of NIST CSF 2.0 coverage, core features, company size fit, deployment model, here is our conclusion:
Mobile app security teams and penetration testers who need to audit Android applications will rely on Apktool for its ability to decompile APKs into readable source code and resources, something commercial tools often obscure behind licensing walls. The tool has been the de facto standard for Android reverse engineering for over a decade, with active maintenance and a straightforward workflow that takes minutes to set up. Skip this if your threat model requires automated vulnerability scanning or compliance reporting; Apktool is manual inspection work, not a scanner.
Mobile security teams shipping Android apps to consumers will get real value from DexGuard's polymorphic builds and runtime self-protection, which force attackers to reverse-engineer a unique binary each time rather than reusing exploits across your user base. The tamper detection, debugger blocking, and emulator checks address the NIST Platform Security control directly by making the app itself resistant to tampering. Skip this if you're building internal enterprise apps for employees; the overhead and complexity aren't worth it when you control the device environment.
