Best Executable Packers in 2026
Updated
In short: Obsidian is ranked #1 of 27 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of StarForce Reader and UPX. The best-ranked option with a free plan is StarForce Reader. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Obsidian at $0.33/mo.
Executable packers are designed for working with executable files, and the listed attributes help you assess whether an option fits your requirements. Start with architecture support, binary formats, and supported platforms to compare compatibility. Compression levels and protection features offer additional distinctions, while license model, free-plan availability, and the paid-from price help clarify access and cost. The ranking opens with Virbox Protector, VMProtect, and Dhaedalida. UPX, Enigma Virtual Box, Themida, MPRESS, and TinyLoad follow among the early entries. Weigh these details together against the files and environments you need to support, rather than treating any single comparison point as a complete picture.
27 executable packers ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 Obsidian Top pick · 7.5 Free plan · $0.33/mo
#2 StarForce Reader Runner-up · 7.4 Free plan · Free
#3 UPX Also great · 7.0 Free plan · Free- Free plan AndroidextensioniOSLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows
- Binary formats
- PE (Portable Executable), EXE, PyInstaller one-file executable
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$0.33/mofirst paid tier About ObsidianVisit site - Free plan AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Supported platforms
- Windows
- Binary formats
- PE EXE, PE DLL, .NET EXE, .NET DLL
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Binary formats
- PE, ELF, Mach-O, COFF, DOS/COM, DOS/EXE, DOS/SYS, Atari/TOS
- Compression levels
- advanced
- Protection features
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatformsFree About UPXVisit site - Free plan macOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows, macOS
- Binary formats
- PE32, PE32+, .NET, Mach-O
- Compression levels
- advanced
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Windows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows
- Binary formats
- Portable Executable (.exe)
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Windows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows
- Binary formats
- EXE, DLL, OCX
- Protection features
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial apiLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Supported platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Binary formats
- Win32, Windows x64, .NET executables and DLLs, Java JAR/WAR, macOS APP/Mach-O/DYLIB, Linux ELF executables and shared objects
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Supported platforms
- Windows, Linux, ARM Linux, macOS, Android, HarmonyOS, iOS
- Binary formats
- exe, dll, elf, so, dylib, jar, class, war, apk, aab, aar, app, js
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Supported platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
- Binary formats
- PE, Mach-O, ELF, .NET assemblies
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$16.58/mofirst paid tier About VMProtectVisit site - Windows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows x64
- Binary formats
- PE, EXE
- Compression levels
- custom
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Windows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows 10/11 and Windows Server 2019/2022; native x86/x64 PE targets
- Binary formats
- PE32, PE32+, .exe, .dll
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Windows
- Paid from
- 429 one-time
- Supported platforms
- Windows
- Binary formats
- EXE, DLL, SCR, OCX, native PE modules
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Windows
- Supported platforms
- Windows
- Binary formats
- EXE
- Compression levels
- advanced
- Protection features
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Windows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows
- Binary formats
- Windows PE executables
- Protection features
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Windows
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 49 one-time
- Supported platforms
- Windows
- Binary formats
- EXE, DLL
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Windows
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 149 one-time
- Supported platforms
- Windows XP through Windows 11
- Binary formats
- EXE, DLL, OCX
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Linux
- Compression levels
- advanced
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Windows
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 59 one-time
- Supported platforms
- Windows, Linux
- Binary formats
- EXE, DLL
- Compression levels
- custom
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Supported platforms
- Linux
- Binary formats
- ELF64, ELF32, PE32+, PE32
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Windows
- Supported platforms
- Windows 32-bit
- Binary formats
- PE; .exe
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Windows
- Supported platforms
- Windows
- Binary formats
- PE
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Linux
- Supported platforms
- Linux
- Binary formats
- ELF64, .zlf, .tar.zlf, .sfx, .tar.sfx
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Windows
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 249 one-time
- Supported platforms
- Windows
- Binary formats
- EXE, DLL, .NET EXE, SCR, OCX, BPL, SRC
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Windows
- Free plan
- No
- Supported platforms
- Windows
- Binary formats
- EXE, DLL, SCR, .NET Framework executables
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Windows
- Free plan
- No
- Supported platforms
- Windows
- Binary formats
- PE executables, DLL, SCR, OCX, SYS
- Protection features
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which executable packer is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
Obsidian is ranked #1 of 27 with a score of 7.5. StarForce Reader is second and UPX third.
How many of these have a free plan?
6 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Obsidian has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.33/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.