Disk Arbitrator vs DMG2IMG: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
Disk Arbitrator is a free digital forensics and incident response tool. DMG2IMG 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:
Mac incident responders who need to validate forensic integrity during disk imaging should use Disk Arbitrator; it's the only free tool that actively prevents acquisition errors through real-time verification rather than post-hoc validation. The 700 GitHub stars and active maintenance reflect solid adoption among practitioners who can't justify commercial forensic suites for occasional imaging work. Skip this if your team relies on commercial forensic platforms like Cellebrite or EnCase, which bundle imaging with broader evidence analysis; Disk Arbitrator does one job well and stops there.
Forensic investigators and incident responders handling seized Apple devices need DMG2IMG to convert proprietary DMG archives into mountable HFS+ images without proprietary tools; the tool supports all three major compression formats (zlib, bzip2, LZFSE) and costs nothing, making it indispensable for chain-of-custody workflows. With 255 GitHub stars and active maintenance, it's proven in real investigations where you can't wait for commercial licensing. Skip this if your team exclusively uses commercial forensic suites like Cellebrite or Axiom that handle DMG conversion natively; DMG2IMG shines when you need a standalone, auditable converter that doesn't lock you into a vendor ecosystem.
