VGSources / Compare / Game asset extractors
Head to head
Crowbar vs UABEA
Both are on VGSources's list of game asset extractors.
Crowbar
steamcommunity.com
Crowbar is a free Windows modding tool for decompiling, compiling and viewing GoldSource and Source models, as well as working with game packages.
VisitUABEA
github.com
UABEA works on Windows and Linux with Unity Asset Bundles, Serialized Files and Addressables bundles, allowing them to be read and written.
VisitSide by side
| Crowbar | UABEA | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | No | No |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Runs on | Windows | Linux, Windows |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Place | #12 of 24 | #1 of 24 |
| Checked | 7 Oct 2026 | 19 Oct 2026 |
In short
Crowbar: Crowbar brings model and package workflows together for GoldSource and Source modding. Check the required game tools and runtime before relying on its compiling or viewing features.
UABEA: Windows and Linux builds, batch operations and an MIT license make it easy to fit into a personal workflow. The decision changes when the task depends on mesh pipelines, audio encoding, video assets or the newest Unity releases. Those areas have documented gaps and extra file handling. Treat UABEA as an editor for targeted changes, not a universal extractor or asset-conversion suite.