All comparisons

[ KL / COMPARE / EFTLAB ]

KeyLab vs EFTLab — Is There a Free Alternative?

EFTLab is the established commercial vendor of payment-testing software (BP-Tools, the BP-Sim simulators). KeyLab covers the everyday cryptographic toolkit and HSM simulation side of that work — in the browser, free.

Summary

EFTLab is an Australian company that has built payment-testing software for over a decade. Its best-known product, BP-Tools, became the de-facto desktop workbench for payment cryptography — key blocks, PIN operations, EMV, ISO 8583 — and the wider portfolio includes the BP-Sim family of simulators for host and HSM testing. The software is Windows-based and commercially licensed; the full BP-Tools license costs USD 999/year per seat.

KeyLab overlaps with the part of that portfolio most engineers touch daily: 50+ free cryptographic tools (PIN blocks, DUKPT, TR-31/TR-34, ARQC/ARPC, ISO 8583, Brazilian SPB/PIX, post-quantum) plus a Thales payShield 10K simulator — all running client-side in the browser, no install. The KeyLab Desktop app adds offline use and a bench that sends commands to a real payShield over TCP port 1500.

EFTLab remains the deeper choice for shops that need its full breadth — decades of accumulated command coverage, card-scheme test tooling, and vendor support contracts. KeyLab is the zero-friction choice: open a browser tab, run the operation, share the link. Many teams will simply use both; if your question is specifically about BP-Tools, see our tool-by-tool comparison at /compare/bptools.

Feature Comparison

FeatureKeyLabEFTLab
PriceFree (all tools)Commercial — BP-Tools at $999/year per seat
PlatformBrowser + Desktop (Mac/Windows/Linux) + CLIWindows desktop
Install requiredNo (browser) or optional desktopYes (installer + license key)
Cryptographic toolkit50+ tools, client-sideBP-Tools suite (comprehensive)
HSM simulationThales payShield 10K, 50+ host commands, in-browserBP-Sim family (commercial)
Talks to a real HSMYes — desktop bench, payShield over TCP :1500Within its commercial product line
Brazilian SPB / PIXYes (STR, SPI, DICT)No
Post-Quantum (ML-KEM, ML-DSA)YesNo
CLI for CI/CDYes (`npm install keylab`)No
AI assistantYes (50 free credits/mo)No
Account / licensingFree account to operate on the web; desktop runs without onePer-seat commercial license
Vendor support contractsNo (community + email)Yes

When KeyLab fits

  • •You want to run a PIN Block, DUKPT, TR-31, or ARQC check right now, with nothing to install or buy.
  • •You need an HSM simulator for learning, development, or certification prep without procuring licenses.
  • •You work across Mac, Linux, and Windows, or rotate between machines.
  • •You need Brazilian PIX/SPB or post-quantum tools, which the EFTLab suite does not cover.
  • •You want CI/CD integration via CLI, or a bench that talks to your own payShield from the desktop.

When EFTLab fits

  • •Your team already runs on BP-Tools / BP-Sim and has workflows built around them.
  • •You need breadth beyond cryptographic tooling — EFTLab's portfolio around host and scheme testing goes further than KeyLab does today.
  • •You require vendor-backed support contracts and a single accountable supplier.
  • •Windows-only desktop software fits your IT policy better than a browser tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is EFTLab?▾
EFTLab is an Australian software company specialising in payment-testing tools. Its best-known product is BP-Tools, a Windows workbench for payment cryptography used across the industry since the early 2010s; the portfolio also includes the BP-Sim simulator family. Licensing is commercial — the full BP-Tools license is USD 999/year per seat.
Is there a free alternative to EFTLab's BP-Tools?▾
Yes — KeyLab. It covers the everyday operations BP-Tools is used for (PIN blocks, DUKPT, TR-31/TR-34 key blocks, ARQC/ARPC, ISO 8583 parsing, Thales payShield command simulation) as free browser tools, plus areas the EFTLab suite does not reach, like Brazilian SPB/PIX and post-quantum cryptography. See the detailed tool-by-tool comparison on our BP-Tools page.
Does KeyLab simulate HSMs like BP-Sim does?▾
KeyLab ships a Thales payShield 10K simulator implementing 50+ host commands (key generation and import, PIN translation, MAC, PVV, ARQC/ARPC, key blocks), validated against real payShield traces — and it runs in the browser. The KeyLab Desktop bench can also send commands to a real payShield over TCP port 1500. BP-Sim is a commercial product line with broader coverage across simulator types.
Wasn't BP-Tools free?▾
It was free for many years, which is a big part of why it became the industry default; EFTLab later moved it to commercial licensing at $999/year. KeyLab is free today under the same playbook of earning users first — and our commitment is that tools which are free stay free.
Does KeyLab send my keys or PINs to a server?▾
No. All cryptographic operations run client-side in your browser or in the desktop app. Keys, PINs, and PANs never leave your device; only anonymous usage analytics (and AI-assistant prompts, if you use it) reach KeyLab servers.