# CBMC model checker

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/cbmc/

5 people recommended CBMC model checker in Hacker News comments, 1 had mixed feelings and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 5 of 12 months, in 6 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Free model checker that people use to formally verify C code; it is very capable but scales worse, suiting smaller modules rather than complete systems.

Summary written by Claude from 11 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Verifies C code effectively (4 comments in the sample): "99% of code that I've written can be verified via the CBMC / CProver model checker" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46252770)) "I use C and C++ model checkers, like cbmc and its variants (esbmc) successfully" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46301654)) "I have found huge value in CBMC and KLEE for statically verifying C code" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46067367))

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "CBMC model checker", https://hackerapproved.com/p/cbmc/ (5 recommend, 1 mixed, 1 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.