JD-GUI vs xortool.py: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros and cons, compared head to head.
JD-GUI is a free malware analysis tool. xortool.py is a free malware analysis tool. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best malware analysis fit for your security stack. Independent and vendor-neutral: we never sell rankings.
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.
Forensics analysts and incident responders who frequently encounter obfuscated malware samples will find xortool.py invaluable for quickly breaking single-byte XOR encryption without manual key guessing. The tool's frequency analysis engine accurately identifies key lengths in seconds and handles the repetitive cryptanalysis work that otherwise consumes hours of manual effort. Skip this if you're looking for a GUI or multi-cipher support; xortool.py is CLI-only and handles XOR specifically, which is precisely why it's faster than generic cryptanalysis frameworks for this narrow use case.
