Frequently Asked Questions

Requirements

What versions of Binary Ninja does Sidekick support?

Due to many changes being required to support Sidekick, you will need Binary Ninja 4.0+ to use the Sidekick plugin that interfaces with the Sidekick service.

Sidekick is supported on Linux, macOS, and Windows Binary Ninja clients and supports all editions except Demo (because it lacks the ability to run plugins).

What are the minimum system requirements for Sidekick?

In addition to the minimum requirements for Binary Ninja itself, Sidekick also requires 1.5 GB of additional disk space (mainly for installing dependencies).

Purchasing

Do you have a student discount?

We do not have a student or educator discount available for Sidekick at this time. Sorry!

Is Sidekick subscription-based?

The Sidekick plugin is free and does not require a subscription. However, many (but not all) of the features provided by the plugin do require a subscription to the Sidekick service. See this page in our Sidekick documentation for which features can be used without the Sidekick service.

How do I renew my subscription?

Subscriptions to the Sidekick service renew automatically once you have enrolled in a plan. You do not need to take any action to renew your subscription once it runs out. If your saved payment method can't be charged, however, your plan will be paused.

Can I pause or cancel my subscription?

At any time, you may pause your Sidekick subscription for 1 billing cycle. At the start of the next billing cycle, your subscription will not be charged, and your API key for this subscription will be invalidated. At the start of the billing cycle after the next billing cycle, your plan subscription and service will automatically resume, and your API key for this plan will be renewed. You may un-pause/reactivate your paused subscription at any time. Note: If you un-pause your subscription during the next billing cycle, your subscription will be charged immediately at that time as the start of a new billing cycle.

At any time, you may also cancel your Sidekick subscription. You will continue to have access to the Sidekick service through the remainder of the time you paid for. You may un-cancel/reactivate your canceled subscription at any time before the end of the current billing cycle. Note: If your subscription remains canceled at the end of the current billing cycle, then the subscription will be deactivated and you must purchase a new subscription if you wish you obtain service again in the future.

Are there geographic restrictions or regional pricing when purchasing a Sidekick subscription?

As a United States based company, Vector 35 (and its online payment processor Fastspring) only sell to locations not excluded by sanctions. Otherwise, there are no geographic restrictions on purchasing or using Sidekick. Likewise, there is no regional pricing.

Can I purchase via a purchase order or get an invoice?

Purchase orders and invoices not generally supported as Sidekick is a subscription service, but we may offer them in specific circumstances for customers on our Custom plan. Contact us with additional details if this is a requirement for you.

Will you agree to custom terms or sign additional paperwork before a purchase?

Yes, for our customers on our Custom plan. Contact us for details.

Will the price ever change?

Yes. Our current pricing is introductory and may change going forward, even if we have no current plans to do so.

Customers will be contacted via email at least 1 month before any change to the prices of our plans.

Can I change from one plan to another?

No. You may, however, cancel your current subscription plan and sign up for another. You will continue to have service on the cancelled plan until the end of the period that was paid for.

Can I change the email associated with my Sidekick account?

Yes, although right now there is no self-service way to do so. Please contact us and we'll help you make the change.

What do you consider "commercial" use?

Please see this entry in the main Binary Ninja FAQ for more details. In particular, if you have a commercial version of Binary Ninja, but purchased it for features and not for commercial usage, you may still use a non-commercial Sidekick plan.

What is your return policy?

We do not offer refunds for Sidekick subscription purchases. You may cancel at any time and your plan will remain active until the last day of service you have paid for. You may renew at any time during this period.

Design

Can Sidekick work offline?

Yes, but not all features of Sidekick can work while offline. See this page in our Sidekick documentation for which features are available while working offline.

Is Sidekick an AI assistant?

Not entirely, but it does include one! Sidekick includes many features, some of which are not backed by AI at all (and, therefore, do not rely on the Sidekick service). See this page in our Sidekick documentation for which features do not require the Sidekick service.

Do you support any automation/API?

The Sidekick plugin does include Python code that can be imported as a module. But, it has not been documented or properly exposed in order for developers to take advantage of it at this time. So, while it's theoretically possible to perform some automation, we can't say we have a supported API at this time.

Service

What are Teams?

Teams allow you to create and manage a group of members that access plans purchased for the team.

Each member is assigned a role that determines what actions they can perform within the team.

If you have been invited to join a team, then click on the Manage link for that team within your account and decline or accept the invite.

What is an API Key?

An API key is used to access the Sidekick service for your plan. The Sidekick client plugin must have a valid API key to use features supported by the Sidekick service.

How is an API Key Generated?

For user plans, an API key is generated for the plan automatically after purchase. For team plans, an API key is generated automatically for a member when the member is assigned to the plan and invalidated immediately when the member is unassigned from the plan or removed from the team.

How do you use an API Key?
  • Open the Settings tab within Binary Ninja from the Binary Ninja -> Preferences -> Settings menu
  • Search for "sidekick.api_key"
  • Copy one of the API keys associated to your account to the "Sidekick API Key" setting

Privacy

What is your website privacy policy?

See here.

What is your Sidekick data privacy policy?

See here.

What is your data retention policy?

See here.

Does the Sidekick plugin send the entire binary to the service?

No, the Sidekick service does not operate on the entire binary. The Sidekick plugin only sends enough information derived from the binary to the server (the "context") to complete your request. This "context" is typically the selected function and its disassembly and/or IL representation, plus whatever data variables are being referenced.

What other data does the Sidekick plugin send back to Vector 35?

Vector 35 collects the following from all Binary Ninja clients using the Sidekick plugin in online mode:

  • Your IP address
  • Your Binary Ninja serial
  • The version of Binary Ninja you're running
  • The version of Python you're using to run the Sidekick plugin
  • Your OS
  • Your architecture
  • Any data required by a user request made inside the plugin (see this answer above for more details)

All of this can be prevented either by turning on offline mode (using the switch in the status bar), use of a firewall, or simply disabling all network settings within Binary Ninja.

Security

Do you have a bug bounty?

We have no official bug bounty at this time. That said, we're always grateful for bug reports and encourage security reports.

About

Who makes Binary Ninja Sidekick?

Binary Ninja Sidekick is made by Vector 35, a company focused on building reverse engineering tools, video games, and video games built on top of reverse engineering tools. We're the same team that created Binary Ninja itself.

Is Binary Ninja Sidekick Cloud or SaaS Software?

There are several versions of Binary Ninja, but none of the paid solutions are cloud software:

  • Binary Ninja Non-Commercial/Commercial: Downloadable software you run on your computer
  • Binary Ninja Enterprise: An on-premise server that supports collaboration, floating licenses, and more
  • Binary Ninja Cloud: A free version of Binary Ninja with limited functionality available online as a cloud service that requires sharing your binaries.
Do you have a trial available?

We do not currently have any free trials or demo versions available for the Sidekick service.

My question wasn't answered?

If you have an additional question that hasn't been answered here already, or if you would like further clarification on something, please try asking on our public Slack, the chat feature on our main website, or contacting us via email (binaryninja [at] vector35 [dot] com).