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dnSpy VS ILSpy

Compare dnSpy VS ILSpy and see what are their differences

dnSpy logo dnSpy

.NET assembly editor, decompiler, and debugger

ILSpy logo ILSpy

ICSharpCode. Decompiler. Console..
  • dnSpy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-14
  • ILSpy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-02

dnSpy features and specs

  • Comprehensive Feature Set
    dnSpy offers a wide range of features, including debugging, decompiling, and editing .NET assemblies, making it a comprehensive tool for .NET developers and reverse engineers.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, dnSpy allows users to inspect, modify, and contribute to its codebase, fostering community contributions and ensuring transparency.
  • Active Community
    The project has an active user and developer community, which provides support, plugins, and frequent updates, enhancing its utility and robustness.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    dnSpy provides an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it accessible for both novice and experienced users.
  • Assembly Editing
    It allows users to edit assemblies and apply changes in real-time, a useful feature for patching applications or conducting detailed analyses.

Possible disadvantages of dnSpy

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Despite its powerful capabilities, dnSpy has a steep learning curve for newcomers, particularly those without prior experience in reverse engineering or .NET development.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users may experience performance lags or memory usage spikes when dealing with large assemblies or complex projects.
  • Legal/Ethical Concerns
    The tool can be used for unauthorized reverse engineering or tampering with software, raising potential legal and ethical concerns.
  • Limited Non-.NET Support
    While excellent for .NET applications, dnSpy lacks robust support for analyzing non-.NET binaries, potentially limiting its use cases.

ILSpy features and specs

  • Open Source
    ILSpy is open source, allowing developers to contribute to its development and customize it according to their needs.
  • User Friendly
    The user interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, which makes it accessible for both beginners and experienced developers.
  • Active Community
    There is an active community of users and contributors who provide support, plugins, and updates.
  • Supports Multiple Versions
    ILSpy can decompile assemblies generated with various versions of .NET, making it versatile for different projects.
  • Continuous Updates
    Regular updates ensure compatibility with the latest .NET versions and introduce new features and improvements.

Possible disadvantages of ILSpy

  • Limited Debugging
    ILSpy primarily focuses on decompilation and lacks comprehensive debugging features found in some other tools.
  • Performance Issues
    When dealing with large assemblies, ILSpy may experience slowdowns or performance issues during decompilation.
  • Complex Assemblies
    For very complex or obfuscated assemblies, the decompiled code might not be very readable or accurate.
  • No Direct Editing
    ILSpy does not support editing the decompiled code directly, which means developers need to use additional tools for modifications.

dnSpy videos

How to Debug .NET Application with DnSPY?

More videos:

  • Review - ConfuserEx Trick Remove Anti Tamper (DnSpy)

ILSpy videos

How to decompile (read source code of) .NET Framework assemblies using ILSpy

More videos:

  • Tutorial - ILSpy -- How to Add Execute Extension

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to dnSpy and ILSpy)
IDE
55 55%
45% 45
Decompiler
56 56%
44% 44
Software Development
67 67%
33% 33
Developer Tools
53 53%
47% 47

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare dnSpy and ILSpy

dnSpy Reviews

Reverse engineering tools review
Reincarnation of the excellent dnSpy described above, made by a Polish guy ElektroKill. Updated libraries to support latest .NET versions, fixed bugs. Just download and test.
Source: www.pelock.com

ILSpy Reviews

We have no reviews of ILSpy yet.
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing dnSpy and ILSpy, you can also consider the following products

dotPeek - dotPeek is a free tool based on ReSharper. It can reliably decompile any . NET assembly into C# or IL code. Download dotPeekCommunity. Materials Newsletters, webinars.

Java Decompiler - Yet another fast Java decompiler

.NET Reflector - .

Telerik JustDecompile - Free. For everyone. Forever. With an open source decompilation engine

IDA - The best-of-breed binary code analysis tool, an indispensable item in the toolbox of world-class software analysts, reverse engineers, malware analyst and cybersecurity professionals.

CFR - CFR is a JVM bytecode decompiler - it will decompile modern Java features - up to and including much of Java 9, but is written entirely in Java 6, so will work anywhere! - It'll even make a decent go of turning class files from other JVM languages (…