Memory Validator vs ANTS Memory Profiler
ANTS Memory Profiler has not received a meaningful update since late 2020.
A single maintenance release appeared in August 2023 after nearly three years of silence, and nothing has shipped since.
If you are evaluating your .NET memory profiling toolchain, this guide compares ANTS Memory Profiler with Memory Validator from Software Verify.
Quick Summary
| Capability | ANTS Memory Profiler | Memory Validator |
|---|---|---|
| .NET managed heap (GC analysis) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Native C++ heap (malloc, new, VirtualAlloc) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| GDI handle tracking | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Win32 handle tracking | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| COM reference count tracking | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Mixed-mode apps (C++/CLI, native hosting .NET) | ⚠️ Managed layer only | ✅ Full application |
| Last update | Aug 2023 (v11.0) | Actively developed, 2026 |
| MSVC support | Managed code / .NET only | VC6 through VS 2026 |
| Delphi support | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (5.0+) |
| C++Builder support | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (5.5+) |
| Fortran support | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| VB6 support | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Rust support | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Price model | Annual subscription | Perpetual licence + optional annual maintenance |
What ANTS Memory Profiler Does
ANTS Memory Profiler targets .NET managed memory: the GC heap, object retention, generation promotion, memory pressure. It helps you answer questions like “why is this object still in memory?” and “what is holding this string in Gen 2?” It shows object graphs, counts, sizes, and retention paths through .NET’s garbage collector.
This is genuinely useful for pure .NET applications. ANTS has been a credible .NET memory profiling tool.
The problem: if your application has any native component – a C++ DLL, a P/Invoke call, a COM component, a mixed-mode C++/CLI layer – ANTS cannot see the native side of that boundary. And since August 2023, it has received no further updates.
What Memory Validator Does
Memory Validator covers the complete memory picture for Windows applications regardless of how they are built.
For .NET applications: Memory Validator profiles managed heap allocations, tracks object lifetimes across GC generations, and identifies what is holding objects in memory. The same analysis ANTS provides.
For native C++ applications: Memory Validator tracks heap allocations (malloc, new, HeapAlloc, VirtualAlloc, and all variants), detects leaks and double-frees, records full call stacks, and reports by allocation site. In a synthetic stress test, Memory Validator monitored 1 billion malloc calls and 1 billion free calls in a single session, completing in 4 hours on an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS. Applications that allocate heavily are within its operating envelope.
For mixed-mode applications (C++/CLI, native + .NET): Memory Validator covers the whole application. Native allocations and managed allocations are tracked in the same session. You do not need to run two separate tools or reconcile two separate reports.
Handle tracking beyond memory: Memory Validator also tracks GDI, kernel32, user32, advapi, shell32, comctl, sockets, winhttp and printer handles, plus COM reference counts. See the Hook Reference.
ANTS Memory Profiler does not track these categories.
Compiler and Language Coverage
ANTS Memory Profiler is a .NET profiler. It works with any language that compiles to managed code and runs on the CLR – C#, VB.NET, F#.
Memory Validator works with:
- MSVC (Visual C++ 6.0 through Visual Studio 2026), native and .NET
- Delphi 5.0 and later (32-bit and 64-bit)
- C++Builder 5.5 and later
- GCC and MinGW
- Intel C++ Compiler
- Clang
- Fortran compilers
- VB6
- Rust
If your project uses any compiler outside the .NET ecosystem, ANTS Memory Profiler cannot help. Memory Validator was built for exactly this breadth.
The Update Cadence Problem
ANTS Memory Profiler v11.0 was released on August 24, 2023. That was the first release in nearly three years – following a long period of no updates that generated significant complaint activity on Red Gate’s support forums.
Since August 2023, nothing has shipped. As of May 2026, ANTS Memory Profiler has had no update for 21+ months.
This matters if you pay annual maintenance. Maintenance fees are paid in exchange for updates – updates that have not come. It also matters as a signal: a product receiving no updates is approaching end-of-life, whether or not the vendor has announced it. AQTime followed this pattern before SmartBear announced its exit in early 2026. Parasoft Insure++ followed the same pattern before its announced exit.
Memory Validator ships multiple updates per year.
Migration Path
Pure .NET applications: Memory Validator can profile .NET applications directly. Start a session against your application as you would with ANTS – Memory Validator will attach and begin collecting managed heap data. The core workflow is familiar: find the allocation, find the retention path, find the leak.
Mixed-mode applications: Run a single Memory Validator session. You will see both the native and managed memory in the same report, without needing to correlate output from two tools.
Call stack depth: Memory Validator records full call stacks to allocation sites. Deep call stacks are fully captured, not truncated.
No project modification required: You do not need to recompile or relink your application to use Memory Validator. Attach to the process or launch it through Memory Validator directly.
Licence Model
ANTS Memory Profiler is sold on an annual subscription. When your subscription lapses, the software stops working.
Memory Validator uses a perpetual licence model. You buy it once and it continues to work. An optional annual update subscription keeps you on the latest version; if you let it lapse, you retain the last version you were entitled to. Memory Validator also provides a floating licence option that allows you to share your licences with multiple team members.
For teams who prefer to own their tools rather than rent them, perpetual licensing is a material difference.
Summary
| Factor | ANTS Memory Profiler | Memory Validator |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | .NET managed heap only | Native + managed + mixed-mode |
| Last update | Aug 2023 – 21+ months ago | Actively developed 2026 |
| Mixed-mode support | Partial (managed layer only) | Full application, native and .NET |
| Handle/GDI tracking | No | Yes |
| Compiler breadth | .NET languages only | 10+ compilers/languages |
| Licence | Annual subscription | Perpetual |
If your application is entirely managed .NET and you are happy on an inactive product, ANTS Memory Profiler still functions for that specific scenario.
For any application with native components – or for any team that wants a product that is still being developed – Memory Validator covers the same ground and more.
Memory Validator is available as fully functional 30-day trial. No feature restrictions during the trial.