Hexadecimal editors allow you to open any type of file, regardless of its content, although they are mainly used to edit binary files to access their information and, where appropriate, edit, copy or delete it, with all that this entails. What is the best app? If we don’t know where to start, in this article we show you the hexadecimal editors in the form of an application and via the web.
Editing the hexadecimal code of a file was originally intended to edit certain values ​​to modify the behavior of an application. Although this is still their main use today, they are also widely used to modify game save files to modify their behavior.
The hexadecimal codes are a physical representation of the files. Computers store files in binary format, a series of bytes that have a value from 0 to 255. Each byte is assigned a specific address starting with 0.
Hex file editors show us the binary code of a file sorted into three columns: offset values, hex code display, and character values. With hex editor, we can edit, copy, paste and even print and save the changes.
Hexadecimal files can be stored in text or binary format. If it is a file in text format, we can use the Notepad application included natively in all versions of Windows. However, if it is a file in binary format, natively Windows does not offer us any application to be able to access and edit its content.
If you want to know which are the best applications and websites to open and edit hexadecimal code, we invite you to continue reading.
Programs to access the hexadecimal code
Editing the hexadecimal code of a file is a much faster and easier process using one of the applications that we show you below than using a web editor.
HxD Hex Editor
One of the most well-known, veteran and used applications to edit hexadecimal code is HxD Hex Editor, an application that happens to be one of the simplest and most basic to use. It has the basic functions necessary for unassuming editing of this type of code.
With HxD Hex Editor, we can cut, copy and paste code, compare different files, add code, search, replace code. In addition to being ideal for editing hexadecimal code, we can also use it to edit decimal and octal code.
This application is available two versions. The number 2.5.0.0 is compatible from Windows XP onwards, while the version number 1.7.7.0 is compatible with Windows 95, Windows 97, Windows ME, Windows NT 4, Windows and Windows 2000, a version that we can also use in Windows XP onwards, although it has fewer features. We can download HxD Hex Editor through its website by clicking on the following link.
Advantage
- completely free
- Compatible from Windows 95
- Includes decimal and octal editor
- Translated to Spanish
drawbacks
- We haven’t found any
BitEdit9
BitEdit9 is an interesting completely free alternative to edit hexadecimal files that is also compatible with decimal, binary and octal files, also allowing you to edit this type of file, being the perfect application if you also work with this type of file.
It is compatible from Windows 2000 onwards, working without any problems in Windows 10 and Windows 11. BitEdit 9 is completely translated into Spanish, so language will not be a barrier to get the most out of it if we do not have English knowledge . The application is available for download completely free of charge through the following link.
We like
- Full of hexadecimal, binary, octal and other files.
- Translated into Spanish and free
We do not like it
- It is not translated into Spanish
- It has been several years without updating
wxHexEditor
If we are looking for a hexadecimal file editor that is cross-platform and also completely free, the application we are looking for is wxHexEditor, an application available for Windows, Linux and macOS with which we can edit any hexadecimal file in a very simple way, as long as let’s know what we’re doing.
It allows you to edit several files to edit and compare them, perform complex searches for strings of codes or text, includes different types of visualization. Downloading this application is completely free and, although it hasn’t been updated for a few years, it works on practically all versions of Windows from Windows 2000 onwards.
The download of wxHexEditor for Windows, Linux and macOS is available through its page Web.
Advantage
- Allows you to edit and work with multiple files together
drawbacks
- It is not available in Spanish
- It has been years without updating
WinVi
Another open source application that we have at our disposal to edit hexadecimal files is found in WinVi, an application that not only allows us to see the inside of these files, but also allows us to edit them. It is also compatible with ASCII, DOS, EBCDIC, UTF-8 and UTF-16 files, which will allow us to reduce the number of editing applications.
It includes a powerful search function that allows us to search for specific strings and later edit them and/or replace them with other integers. It also allows you to merge two or more files into one. It is compatible from Windows 2000 to Windows 11, although the application has not been updated for more than a decade and we can download it directly from its website by clicking on East link.
Advantage
- completely free
- Compatible with Hex, ASCII, DOS, EBCDIC, UTF-8 and UTF-16 files
drawbacks
- Compatible from Windows 2000
- It is not translated into Spanish
Catch22 HexEdit
The main feature of Catch22 is the ability to edit files of a maximum of 16 Exabytes, which is the maximum size limit for files on NTFS partitions. Furthermore, it is a completely free editor, being ideal for users who need to edit large hexadecimal files.
Includes hexadecimal, octal, decimal and binary editor. It allows you to edit multiple files together, perform searches, replace text, print the code and is compatible from Windows 2000 onwards. We can download Catch22 HexEdit directly from its website by pressing the following link.
We like
- Available in 32 and 64 bit versions
- Allows you to edit files up to 16 Exabytes
We do not like it
- It is not translated into Spanish
- outdated interface
Free Hex Editor Neo
An interesting hex editor to consider is Free Hex Editor, an editor available in various versions including a free one and described as one of the fastest on the market. Through this application, we can write, cut, copy, paste, fill, delete, insert, import and export code in addition to other more advanced functions.
It allows us to modify the binary code using the clipboard, it includes the undo function, it stores a history with the changes, it allows searching for various words and codes, being ideal for analyzing large files. The maximum file size it is capable of opening is 1TB, a rather unlikely scenario.
The application is available for download through its website, by clicking on the following link. In addition to the free version, we can also find the Standard, Professional and Ultimate version, all of them paid.
We like
- Also available in a portable version.
- Open files up to 1TB in size.
We do not like it
- Free version lacks some features
- It is not translated into Spanish
Web to view and edit the hexadecimal code
If we don’t like to install applications on our computer to satisfy our curiosity or perform a task sporadically or infrequently, we can resort to one of the different web pages that allow us to edit hexadecimal code and that we show you below.
hexed.it
One of the best options available via the web to edit hexadecimal files is found at hexed.ita website completely translated into Spanish, so it is ideal for all those users who are taking their first steps in editing this type of website and who have not yet mastered English.
Within the configuration options, it allows us to select what types of data we want to be visible, the character set to use, the number of bytes we want to show per row, it is compatible, in addition to hexadecimal code, with octal, linear and binary. It allows searching using the Ctrl + F keys and we can save the changes as well as create new files and edit several together.
OnlineHexEditor
Online Hex Editor is, due to its simplicity, an excellent online tool to edit hexadecimal files with a large number of functionalities, among which we find a powerful search function to find complete strings, it includes a sum calculator to find the hash value, see the sequential byte order in different formats.
It is compatible with large files, although the maximum file limit is not specified, its use is completely free. and it is not translated into Spanish. Online Hex Editor is available through the following link.
Which is the best option?
Due to the large number of options and the compatibility with a large number of Windows versions, one of the best options for editing hexadecimal files is found in HxD Hex Editor, an application that, unlike many of those we have mentioned, is updated every years, so the user interface is consistent with the latest versions of Windows.
Among the web versions, the one that offers us the greatest number of functions, both for searching and editing and viewing, is HexEd.it, a website that is also completely translated into Spanish and is an excellent option for not downloading an application that we probably use very sporadically.
