HFSExplorer is free, read-only desktop software for reading Mac-formatted hard disks and disk images on Linux, macOS, and Windows. It supports HFS, HFS+, and HFSX file systems. Its graphical browser can display volume information and extract files, and the program can create disk images. It reads most Mac .dmg and .sparsebundle images, including zlib- or bzip2-compressed images and AES-128- or AES-256-encrypted images. Supported partition schemes are Master Boot Record, GUID Partition Table, and Apple Partition Map. HFSExplorer is released under GPL version 3 and listed at no cost, with no warranties. It requires Java SE Runtime Environment 5.0 or later; the product page says OpenJDK works. Access to physical disks requires administrator or equivalent privileges. The page also describes a separate minimal text-mode program as unmaintained and limited to HFS+ support. Bug reports and discussion are directed to GitHub. The listed latest version is 2026.4.9, dated April 9, 2026.
Who it is for
HFSExplorer may suit users who need to browse or extract files from Mac-formatted drives or disk images on Linux, macOS, or Windows. It is read-only, so it is not for changing files on those volumes.
What is good
- Reads HFS, HFS+, and HFSX volumes.
- Supports several compressed and encrypted disk images.
- Works with three listed partition schemes.
- Free software released under GPL version 3.
What to know first
- Operates in read-only mode.
- Requires Java SE Runtime Environment 5.0 or later.
- Physical disk access requires administrator privileges.
- Text-mode program is unmaintained and supports HFS+ only.
Verdict
HFSExplorer can browse and extract from a range of Mac-formatted volumes and images across desktop platforms. Its read-only operation and Java requirement are important constraints to consider.
HFSExplorer plans and pricing
All plansCompared on file viewer software
- Free plan
- Yes
- Primary access
- desktop
- Archive preview
- No
- Office file preview
- No
- Code file preview
- No
