Our tools thrive because of the people who use them. From plugin developers to educators to security researchers, the Hex-Rays community pushes IDA and its ecosystem forward every day.
We've recently expanded and refined the programs that support you: Contributor Program, IDA Plugin Contest, Bug Bounty Program, and IDA Classroom.
So whether you’re coding plugins, competing in CTFs, hardening security, or shaping the next wave of talent, each program provides recognition, resources, and a path to build your reputation while advancing the state of reverse engineering.
Contributor Program
What It Is
A new initiative created to recognize and support developers who enhance the IDA ecosystem. Until now, it’s only been shared by email with existing plugin authors, and this is the first public introduction.
Learn more: https://hex-rays.com/contributor-program
Why It Matters
If you’re actively maintaining or planning a plugin, or you’ve built something that helps IDA users, we’d love to hear from you. Participants can expect dedicated support, early technical information, and recognition from Hex-Rays.
What You Get
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Access to Hex-Rays technical support for contributors
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Early looks at API changes and feature roadmaps
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Recognition on our website, blog, and social channels
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Free or discounted licenses for qualifying projects
IDA Plugin Contest
What It Is
Our flagship competition for plugin developers. We’ve beefed up the prizes and streamlined the entry process to make it easier than ever to participate. We currently run this on an annual basis, but may increase the frequency in the future.
Learn more: https://hex-rays.com/plugin-contest
Why It Matters
This contest celebrates the creativity and skill of developers building on top of IDA, and helps surface innovative tools that benefit the entire community.
What You Get
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Cash, free licenses, and exclusive conference passes for 1st place
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Easier, faster submission process
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Promotion of your plugin to the Hex-Rays audience
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A spotlight opportunity to show off your work
📅 Submission Deadline is January 15, 2026!
Keep and eye on your inbox or our social channels for this rounds' winners and the next submission window.
Content Collaborator
What It Is
This program is designed to recognize and support community members who create meaningful content around IDA. Historically, this has been an invite-only initiative, shared directly with select IDA power users producing high-quality blog posts or video content. This is the first time we’re introducing it publicly.
Contributions can take many forms, such as (but not limited to!) case studies, CTF write-ups, workflow breakdowns, or videos demonstrating how IDA is used in real-world analysis.
➥ Some examples of our content collaborations can be found here, here and here.
To inquire about a potential collab, contact: marketing@hex-rays.com
Why It Matters
IDA’s ecosystem is strengthened by people who share how they solve real problems. If you’re already building workflows, researching vulnerabilities, or exploring binaries in depth, your experience can help others learn faster and more effectively.
This collaboration program creates a direct line between content creators and Hex-Rays, offering support, visibility, and early insight to help you continue (or start) sharing your work with the community.
What You Get
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A free IDA license for individuals creating qualifying content
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Access to Hex-Rays technical support
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Early visibility into upcoming features (via Beta Program)
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Publication on our website, inclusion in our newsletters and recognition on our social channels
Bug Bounty Program
What It Is
An official channel for the community to share potential vulnerabilities in Hex-Rays products. Submit your findings, help improve our software, and get rewarded for your contribution.
Learn more: https://hex-rays.com/bug-bounty
Why It Matters
We’ve clarified our reporting process and response timelines, making it easier to submit potential security issues. We’ve also recently rewarded two researchers for responsibly disclosing vulnerabilities.
And, you could be next.
What You Get
- Up to 3,000 USD bounty for validated security bugs
- Transparent, faster response times for reports
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Public acknowledgment of your contributions (with permission)
- A direct line of communication with the Hex-Rays security team
IDA Classroom
What It Is
A global education initiative that supports universities, research institutes, and training organizations by providing free IDA licenses for teaching reverse engineering and related disciplines.
Learn more: https://hex-rays.com/classroom
Why It Matters
This initiative enables the next generation of reverse engineers to gain hands-on experience with industry-standard tools, while providing educators with the resources they need to succeed.
What You Get
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Free IDA Classroom licenses or heavily discounted IDA Pro licenses
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Access to teaching resources and technical support
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The ability to integrate a real-world reverse engineering tool into your curriculum
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Recognition as an IDA Classroom Partner on our site
Questions? Email classroom@hex-rays.com
How to get involved
Whether you’re building plugins, entering our annual contest, reporting security findings, or teaching the next generation, these programs are our way of saying thank you — and making it easier to collaborate with Hex-Rays. Our programs offer tangible benefits designed to support your work and showcase your contributions.
We can’t wait to see what you build, discover, and teach next.
