About HxD HEX Editor
An independent resource dedicated to the hex editor trusted by developers, reverse engineers, and security researchers worldwide.
HxD HEX Editor is one of the most widely used hex editors on Windows. Built by German developer Maël Hörz, it handles raw binary data at the byte level — from tiny configuration files to entire hard drives spanning terabytes. Since its first public release in the early 2000s, HxD has earned a reputation as the go-to tool for anyone who needs to inspect, modify, or analyze binary data without paying a cent.
This website exists to help users find accurate information about HxD, including download links that point directly to the official source, setup guides, and feature breakdowns.
The Story Behind HxD
From a personal project to the hex editor millions rely on.
The Beginning
Maël Hörz started building HxD as a personal utility while studying computer science. Existing hex editors at the time were either expensive, bloated, or painfully slow with large files. He wanted something fast and practical.
Growing Adoption
After being released as freeware on mh-nexus.de, HxD quickly spread through developer forums and download sites. Its ability to open files instantly — regardless of size — and edit raw disk sectors made it popular with IT professionals and hobbyists alike.
Quiet Period
For several years, HxD received no major updates. The last version before the long hiatus was 1.7.7.0. Despite no new releases, the user base kept growing. People continued recommending it on Stack Overflow, Reddit, and security forums because it simply worked.
The Comeback
Maël returned with HxD 2.0, a major rewrite. This brought a portable edition, ARM support, theming, and improved large-file handling. Further refinements followed through version 2.5.0.0 (released February 2021), the current stable release.
What HxD Does
A hex editor built for real work, not just viewing bytes.
File Editing
Open and edit files of any size — from a few bytes to multiple exabytes. HxD loads them instantly using memory-mapped I/O.
Raw Disk Editing
Read and write raw sectors on hard drives, USB sticks, and optical media. Useful for data recovery, forensics, and partition repair.
RAM Editing
Inspect and modify the memory of running processes. Game modders and security researchers use this for runtime analysis.
Search & Replace
Find hex patterns, text strings, Unicode sequences, integers, and floating-point values across entire files or disk volumes.
File Comparison
Compare two files byte-by-byte with visual highlighting of differences. Useful for verifying firmware builds or tracking binary patches.
Checksums & Hashes
Generate MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256, SHA-512, and CRC checksums on files or selections. Verify file integrity without extra tools.
The Developer
One developer, two decades of work.
Maël Hörz
HxD is a solo project. Maël Hörz, a Germany-based software developer, has maintained it since the original release. He hosts the software on his personal site at mh-nexus.de, where he also publishes other utilities.
The project is freeware — free for both personal and commercial use. There are no ads, no premium tiers, and no telemetry. Maël has kept HxD available as a straightforward download with no strings attached for over 20 years.
Why Users Trust HxD
The hex editor that shows up in every recommendation thread.
Speed
HxD opens multi-gigabyte files without lag. No loading bars, no freezing. It maps files into memory and renders bytes on demand.
Zero Cost
Completely free. No trial limits, no nag screens, no upsells. Commercial use is allowed without a license purchase.
Portable
The portable edition runs from a USB drive with no installation. Drop it in your toolkit and carry it anywhere.
Trusted by Professionals
Reverse engineers, malware analysts, firmware developers, and forensics teams rely on HxD daily. It appears in university courses, CTF guides, and incident response playbooks.
About This Website
What hxdhexeditor.com is and what it is not.
Independent Resource
hxdhexeditor.com is a fan-made, independent informational website. We are not affiliated with Maël Hörz or mh-nexus.de in any way.
We provide guides, feature breakdowns, and download links that point to the official HxD source.
We do not host, modify, or redistribute the HxD software in any form.
Our goal is to make it easier for users to discover HxD and learn how to get the most out of it.
We respect the developer and encourage users to visit the official website at mh-nexus.de for updates and support.
Get in Touch
Questions, suggestions, or corrections? We are happy to hear from you.
Have a question about this website or want to report inaccurate information? Visit our Contact page. For official HxD support, visit mh-nexus.de.