Best Hex Editor For Windows 10 & 11 [Online Picks Included]
Choose a fast hex editor, with useful options as part of the package
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Key notes
- Hex editors are used to view, edit and analyze contents of computer files. Some come built-in with an integrated text editor.
- They are particularly useful when working with binary files such as executables, device drivers, boot sectors, etc.
A Hex editor is a must-have tool for any programmer. It is used to view and edit the raw data of computer files. Hex editors are also useful for modifying specific parts of binary files, such as device drivers or graphics resources.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through some of the best hex editors for PC that you need to know about. We’ll cover what they are and their key features and capabilities so that you can make an informed choice.
Why do I need a hex editor?
Modern computers are complex machines, and it’s not uncommon for them to have problems. If you’re having trouble with your computer, or if you just want to see what makes it tick, you might want to look at the files that make up your operating system.
These files are stored on your hard drive in binary format, and they’re not easy for humans to understand. This is where a hex editor comes in. A hex editor lets users open and edit binary files. It works by translating those binary files into text that can be read by humans.
This is important because you can use a hex editor to fix errors in your operating system or other programs. You can also use it — as long as you know what you’re doing — to change some details about how your computer operates.
Other benefits of using a hex editor include:
- Viewing and editing binary files – You can view and edit binary files, such as executable files, Microsoft Office documents, PDF documents, MP3 files, and so on.
- Searching specific data in a file – If you are looking for a specific string of text in a file, then it will be easier to find it using a hex editor than any other tool.
- Deleting unwanted data from a file – If you want to remove unwanted data from an executable program, you can do so with a hex editor.
- Modifying executable programs – You can modify an executable program by changing its code or its data with the help of a hex editor.
What is the best free hex editor?
HxD – Popular hex editor
HxD is a popular free hex editor that is used by many IT professionals and developers. It has been around for years, so it’s definitely proven its worth.
The program has all the features you’d expect from a hex editor: searching for specific values in a file, changing data, copying data to another location, etc.
Additional features include:
- Comes as a portable and installable file
- Large file support
- Can save files in multiple formats
- Free of charge
WinHex – Powerful editor
WinHex is another popular option with advanced searching capabilities and support for multiple languages. It is a powerful hexadecimal editor with many advanced features that were designed to handle any kind of binary file, in any size and in any quantity.
Easy to use, fast and flexible, WinHex is the ideal tool for Windows users who need to work with raw disk sectors, device drivers, or other binary data files.
Additional features include:
- Extremely fast
- Supports disk cloning
- Equipped with data recovery techniques
Hex Workshop – Intuitive editor
Hex Workshop is an advanced hex editor that can edit files of any size. The program is easy to learn, but it has many powerful features that allow you to work with even large files quickly and efficiently.
The interface is very clean and easy to understand. It includes all the basic functions you would expect from a hex editor — editing and modifying data, copying and pasting, comparing files, and more. You can also create new files and folders, as well as delete them if needed.
Additional features include:
- Data interpretation feature
- Drag and drop for easier editing
- Supports third-party apps
uHex – Multiplatform editor
The main feature that sets UHex apart from other hex editors is its ability to work with multiple files at once. This makes it easy to open multiple files at once, and even compare them with each other.
It makes it a great tool for developers who are working on projects that involve multiple files, as it makes it easier for them to see how changes affect different parts of a file at once.
Additional features include:
- Minimal system requirements
- Large file support
- Supports video text mode
⇒ Get uHex
Hackman Suite – All-purpose editor
Hackman is one of the best free hex editors for Windows. It is a very simple application that allows you to edit files in hexadecimal format.
The program has some basic features such as searching, replacing, and inserting text into a file. In addition to editing files in hexadecimal format, it also supports editing files in ASCII and Unicode formats.
Additional features include:
- Lightweight software
- No file size limit
- Supports encryption and decryption of data
UltraEdit – Flexible editor
UltraEdit is a powerful and flexible text, hexadecimal, HTML, and code editor. It’s not just an editor, it’s a tool to help you do your work better. UltraEdit is designed to provide the power and flexibility that experienced programmers need in a simple interface that’s easy to use.
It also includes a built-in FTP client that allows you to edit files on remote web servers without needing to use your browser or any other third-party application.
Additional features include:
- Serves as a text editor too
- Customizable keyboard shortcuts
- Supports major programming languages
Hex Editor Neo – Portable editor
Hex Editor Neo is one of the best free hex editors for Windows, Mac and Linux. It’s a lightweight but full-featured tool that provides a great user experience.
If you are looking for an advanced hex editor that offers many options for editing binary files, this could be the right choice for you.
Additional features include:
- Fast data processing
- Portable format available
- Customizable user interface
HexEd.it – Browser-based editor
HexEd.it is a browser-based offline and online hex editor that allows you to edit files, copy data from one file to another and convert between binary, octal, decimal, and hexadecimal formats.
It has features like file upload, edit, and download, text search and replace, multiple undo, etc. The program allows you to edit files of any size directly in the browser without downloading anything.
Additional features include:
- Supports uploading of files
- Can edit offline
- Supports multiple languages
Hexplorer – Open-source hex editor
Hexplorer is a free and open-source hex editor that can be used to view, edit, and convert binary files. It is written in Java and can be run on Windows.
Hexplorer provides many useful features including a binary file viewer, hexadecimal viewer, filter, and compare tools.
Additional features include:
- Allows text filter
- Unlimited undo function
- Supports multiple formats
Cygnus – Free editor
Cygnus Hex Editor is a freeware hex editor for Windows. It has basic features like editing, copying and pasting, printing, and saving files in different formats.
This software supports the editing of files up to 2 GB in size and allows inserting and deleting data from files. It also allows searching for and replacing specific data within the file. The software has an intuitive user interface, which makes it easy to use even by inexperienced users.
Additional features include:
- Data inspector
- Drag and drop feature
- Supports plugins
You have plenty of options if you’re looking for the best hex editor. We’ve shared information about our top picks here, and provided you with an overview for each. Hopefully, these reviews have given you a good sense of which option is likely to work best for your needs, and why.
Features are important and there’s no point in having a super fast hex editor if it doesn’t have some useful options. The top-ranked editors in our list had a pleasing combination of speed, bug-free coding, and a good range of options to edit files.
We also share the best website design software if you’d like to start your coding journey. If you don’t fancy downloading programs, we also have a list of the best browsers for developers so be sure to check that out too.
If you are using a hex editor, we’d love to know which one and why it’s your pick. Start us off in the comment section below.
