Exiv2 vs HexPrism: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
Exiv2 is a free digital forensics and incident response tool. HexPrism 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 investigators and incident responders working with image evidence will get the most from Exiv2 because it's the only tool that lets you extract, modify, and strip metadata across all four major formats,Exif, IPTC, XMP, and ICC,from the command line without GUI friction. The 1,113 GitHub stars and active maintenance mean you're working with a vetted utility that's been battle-tested in real investigations for over a decade. Skip this if your team needs automated metadata analysis or threat intelligence feeds; Exiv2 is a manual extraction engine, not a detection platform, so it demands operator skill to turn raw metadata into investigative leads.
Incident responders and forensic examiners who need to quickly parse binary artifacts without friction will find HexPrism's speed and privacy-first design a genuine differentiator; it loads massive files fast and keeps data local, unlike web-based competitors that lag or phone home. The tool's proven performance in CTF environments demonstrates it handles the kind of unstructured binary searching and pattern matching that consumes hours in traditional hex editors. Skip this if you need automated carving, recovery of deleted artifacts, or integration with your SIEM; HexPrism is a focused editor, not a full forensics platform.
