JD-GUI vs angr: 2026 Comparison
JD-GUI is a free offensive security tool. angr is a free offensive security tool. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best offensive security fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of available product data, here is our conclusion:
Java developers and penetration testers who need to audit third-party compiled libraries or validate obfuscation effectiveness will get more from JD-GUI than commercial alternatives, since the graphical interface actually makes class file navigation faster than command-line decompilers when you're hunting for suspicious code patterns. With 15,050 GitHub stars and zero licensing friction, it's become the default in security shops doing Java reverse engineering; most teams already have it installed. Not the right tool if you're analyzing obfuscated bytecode at scale or need batch processing across thousands of JARs, where CFR or Procyon's CLI mode handles the workload more efficiently.
Security researchers and red teamers who need to reverse-engineer unfamiliar binaries without source code will find angr indispensable; its symbolic execution engine can explore execution paths automatically and uncover vulnerabilities that static analysis alone misses. The 8,549 GitHub stars reflect active maintenance and a researcher community that continuously extends the framework with plugins for new architectures and analysis techniques. Skip angr if your team lacks Python proficiency or needs a GUI; this is a command-line tool for practitioners comfortable writing analysis scripts, not a point-and-click reverse engineering platform.
