# H5Workbench — Native HDF5 Viewer

A native desktop application for browsing, inspecting, and validating HDF5 files — no Java runtime required. A clean, responsive interface on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Actively maintained by the engineers who build it.

Attribute ViewDataset inspectionSpreadsheet ViewImage view

HDF5 (Hierarchical Data Format version 5) is a binary container format used across scientific computing for storing large, multidimensional datasets. H5Workbench lets you open these files and inspect their internal hierarchy — groups, datasets, attributes, and metadata — without writing code.

H5Workbench reads any file that uses the HDF5 binary format. That includes the standard `.h5`, `.hdf5`, and `.he5` extensions, as well as **MATLAB v7.3 `.mat` files** and **NetCDF-4 datasets**, both of which are HDF5-based under the hood. Many machine-learning checkpoint formats — PyTorch, TensorFlow/Keras `.h5` weights — are also HDF5 files that H5Workbench can browse.

Unlike [HDFView](/content/software/h5workbench/comparison/index.html), the long-standing reference viewer from the HDF Group, H5Workbench is a native desktop application — there’s no Java runtime required.

### No Java required

H5Workbench is a native application — install it like any other app. No JRE, no classpath, no IT tickets.

### Actively maintained

Bug reports get responses, not silence. Fixes ship in days, not years. Early adopters get direct input on the roadmap.

### Visual HDF5 hierarchy browser

Navigate large datasets with a familiar tree view.

### Inline dataset inspection

View datasets as images, spreadsheets, or text — with color mapping, precision control, and selection statistics.

### Attribute and metadata management

View attributes on groups, datasets, and the root. Editing support is coming in a near-term release.

### Cross-platform

Native builds for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Consistent, modern UX across all three.

Introductory — 50% off

$30/year

Regular price: ~~$60/year~~

H5Workbench is a native application — no Java runtime, no IT approval hassle, no classpath debugging. It doesn't yet match every HDFView feature ([see the side-by-side comparison](/content/software/h5workbench/comparison/index.html)), but it's actively maintained, ships fixes quickly, and you get direct input on the roadmap. While we close the feature gap during v1.x, early adopters pay **$30/year** instead of the regular $60/year.

Introductory pricing remains in effect through v1.x and moves to full price with the v2.0 release.

What is H5Workbench?

H5Workbench is a native desktop application for opening, browsing, and inspecting HDF5 files on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It does not require a Java runtime.

How is H5Workbench different from HDFView?

H5Workbench is a native application built with Qt; HDFView requires the Java runtime. H5Workbench offers a modern UI, color-mapped image rendering with 100+ presets, selection statistics in the spreadsheet view, and active development. See the [feature-by-feature comparison](/content/software/h5workbench/comparison/index.html) for a full breakdown.

What HDF5 file formats does H5Workbench support?

H5Workbench reads any file that uses the HDF5 binary format. That includes the standard `.h5`, `.hdf5`, and `.he5` extensions, as well as MATLAB v7.3 `.mat` files and NetCDF-4 datasets, both of which are HDF5-based under the hood.

Does H5Workbench require Java?

No. H5Workbench is a native desktop application. There is no Java runtime, classpath, or IT-approval requirement to install or run it.

Can H5Workbench open large HDF5 files?

Yes. H5Workbench uses the official HDF5 C library and its chunked I/O capabilities, so multi-gigabyte files load quickly without copying their full contents into memory.

How much does H5Workbench cost?

H5Workbench is offered at an introductory price of $30 per year while we close the feature-parity gap with HDFView. The regular price will be $60 per year starting with the v2.0 release.

When will H5Workbench be available?

H5Workbench is in pre-release.