Detect It Easy (DiE) is a powerful tool for file type identification, popular among malware analysts, cybersecurity experts, and reverse engineers worldwide. Supporting both signature-based and heuristic analysis, DiE enables efficient file inspections across a broad range of platforms, including Windows. Its adaptable, script-driven detection architecture makes it one of the most versatile tools in the field, with a comprehensive list of supported OS images.
Detect It Easy’s flexible signature system and scripting capabilities make it an essential tool for malware analysis and digital forensics. With traditional static analyzers often limited in scope and prone to false positives, DiE’s customizable design enables precise integration of new detection logic, ensuring reliable results across diverse file types.
Detect It Easy supports a wide range of executable and archive types, including:
• PE (Portable Executable format for Windows)
• ELF (Executable and Linkable Format for Linux)
• APK (Android Application Package)
• IPA (iOS Application Package)
• JAR (Java Archive)
• ZIP (Compressed archives)
• DEX (Dalvik Executable for Android)
• MS-DOS (MS-DOS executable files)
• COM (Simple executable format for DOS)
• LE/LX (Linear Executable for OS/2)
• MACH (Mach-O files for MacOS)
• NPM (JavaScript packages)
• Amiga (Executable format for Amiga computers)
• Binary (Other unclassified files)
Publisher’s description
What is Detect It Easy?
Detect It Easy by horsicq is open-source Windows software in the developer utilities category. It ranks 16th by popularity among developer utilities in this catalogue. It is written in JavaScript. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 64-bit and 32-bit Windows. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 3.21, released on April 22, 2026. The version history goes back to January 23, 2024: 3 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 1.3 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 32,718 times. The source code on GitHub (horsicq/Detect-It-Easy) has 11,772 stars. On Windows it registers 12 file types, including .jar, .zip, .exe, .apk and .elf. Similar programs include WinMerge, jq and x64dbg.
Project description on GitHub: “Program for determining types of files for Windows, Linux and MacOS.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
- Also runs on Linux
- Large user base
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: Detect It Easy is an open-source developer utilitie tool for 64-bit and 32-bit PCs.
Key features
- MS-DOS: DOS MZ
- Windows: Portable Executable (PE)
- *Nix: Executable and Linkable Format (ELF)
- macOS: Mach Object (Mach-O)
AppStream · Flathub
Is Detect It Easy safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
078F2934F267392247F9C7B759A1C2457A48BC2000B25B80C2F129955EE4A3B9· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 3 versions ›3 versions over 2 years · about 1.3 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.21Latest | April 22, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP32-bit ZIP |
| 3.10 | November 3, 2024 | — | 32-bit ZIP64-bit ZIP |
| 3.09 | January 23, 2024 | — | 32-bit ZIP64-bit ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id horsicq.DIE-engine -echoco install die -yscoop install extras/detect-it-easyRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
flatpak install flathub io.github.horsicq.detect-it-easyInformation
- Publisher
- horsicq
- Category
- Developer utilities
- Licence
- MIT
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/horsicq/Detect-It-Easy
- Written in
- JavaScript
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, 32-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Other platforms
- Linux
- Version
- 3.21
- Released
- April 22, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- January 23, 2024
- Versions listed
- 3
- Updates / year
- 1.3
- Chocolatey downloads
- 32,718
- GitHub stars
- 11,772
- GitHub forks
- 987
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- horsicq.DIE-engine
- Chocolatey package
- die
- Scoop package
- extras/detect-it-easy
File types it opens (12)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Detect It Easy free?
Yes. Detect It Easy is open-source software under the MIT licence.
Is Detect It Easy safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Detect It Easy with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Does Detect It Easy run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit and 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Detect It Easy?
The versions page lists all 3 versions with links to their official installer files, back to January 23, 2024.
Can I use Detect It Easy without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to Detect It Easy?
WinMerge, jq, x64dbg, jadx and dnSpy. The alternatives page compares them.
