diff --git a/assert.go b/assert.go
index 6800dd4..3b3999a 100644
--- a/assert.go
+++ b/assert.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package abide
 
 import (
+	"encoding/hex"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
@@ -14,6 +15,28 @@ import (
 	"github.com/sergi/go-diff/diffmatchpatch"
 )
 
+// ContentType expected response body type.
+type ContentType string
+
+// ContentType possible values.
+const (
+	ContentTypeJSON   ContentType = "json"
+	ContentTypeText   ContentType = "text"
+	ContentTypeBinary ContentType = "binary"
+)
+
+// SetContentType define the response type in the options.
+func SetContentType(typ ContentType) func(*AssertOptions) {
+	return func(options *AssertOptions) {
+		options.ContentType = typ
+	}
+}
+
+// AssertOptions possible options for the assert.
+type AssertOptions struct {
+	ContentType ContentType
+}
+
 // Assertable represents an object that can be asserted.
 type Assertable interface {
 	String() string
@@ -26,46 +49,82 @@ func Assert(t *testing.T, id string, a Assertable) {
 }
 
 // AssertHTTPResponse asserts the value of an http.Response.
-func AssertHTTPResponse(t *testing.T, id string, w *http.Response) {
+func AssertHTTPResponse(t *testing.T, id string, w *http.Response, opts ...func(*AssertOptions)) {
+	options := &AssertOptions{}
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		opt(options)
+	}
+
 	body, err := httputil.DumpResponse(w, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	assertHTTP(t, id, body, contentTypeIsJSON(w.Header.Get("Content-Type")))
+	// keep backward compatibility checking for JSON type when the response type
+	// wasn't provided
+	if options.ContentType == ContentType("") && contentTypeIsJSON(w.Header.Get("Content-Type")) {
+		options.ContentType = ContentTypeJSON
+	}
+	assertHTTP(t, id, body, options.ContentType)
 }
 
 // AssertHTTPRequestOut asserts the value of an http.Request.
 // Intended for use when testing outgoing client requests
 // See https://golang.org/pkg/net/http/httputil/#DumpRequestOut for more
-func AssertHTTPRequestOut(t *testing.T, id string, r *http.Request) {
+func AssertHTTPRequestOut(t *testing.T, id string, r *http.Request, opts ...func(*AssertOptions)) {
+	options := &AssertOptions{}
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		opt(options)
+	}
+
 	body, err := httputil.DumpRequestOut(r, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	assertHTTP(t, id, body, contentTypeIsJSON(r.Header.Get("Content-Type")))
+	// keep backward compatibility checking for JSON type when the content type
+	// wasn't provided
+	if options.ContentType == ContentType("") && contentTypeIsJSON(r.Header.Get("Content-Type")) {
+		options.ContentType = ContentTypeJSON
+	}
+	assertHTTP(t, id, body, options.ContentType)
 }
 
 // AssertHTTPRequest asserts the value of an http.Request.
 // Intended for use when testing incoming client requests
 // See https://golang.org/pkg/net/http/httputil/#DumpRequest for more
-func AssertHTTPRequest(t *testing.T, id string, r *http.Request) {
+func AssertHTTPRequest(t *testing.T, id string, r *http.Request, opts ...func(*AssertOptions)) {
+	options := &AssertOptions{}
+	for _, opt := range opts {
+		opt(options)
+	}
+
 	body, err := httputil.DumpRequest(r, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	assertHTTP(t, id, body, contentTypeIsJSON(r.Header.Get("Content-Type")))
+	// keep backward compatibility checking for JSON type when the content type
+	// wasn't provided
+	if options.ContentType == ContentType("") && contentTypeIsJSON(r.Header.Get("Content-Type")) {
+		options.ContentType = ContentTypeJSON
+	}
+	assertHTTP(t, id, body, options.ContentType)
 }
 
-func assertHTTP(t *testing.T, id string, body []byte, isJSON bool) {
+func assertHTTP(t *testing.T, id string, body []byte, contentType ContentType) {
 	config, err := getConfig()
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	data := string(body)
+	var data string
+	if contentType == ContentTypeBinary {
+		data = hex.EncodeToString(body)
+	} else {
+		data = string(body)
+	}
+
 	lines := strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(data), "\n")
 
 	if config != nil {
@@ -83,7 +142,7 @@ func assertHTTP(t *testing.T, id string, body []byte, isJSON bool) {
 	}
 
 	// If the response body is JSON, indent.
-	if isJSON {
+	if contentType == ContentTypeJSON {
 		jsonStr := lines[len(lines)-1]
 
 		var jsonIface map[string]interface{}
diff --git a/example/__snapshots__/example.snapshot b/example/__snapshots__/example.snapshot
index cd96eaa..496ba4c 100755
--- a/example/__snapshots__/example.snapshot
+++ b/example/__snapshots__/example.snapshot
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ main.MyStruct {Field1:String1 Field2:1234567 Field3:true field4:string4}
 /* snapshot: assertable string */
 string to be asserted
 
+/* snapshot: fifth route */
+485454502f312e3120323030204f4b0d0a436f6e6e656374696f6e3a20636c6f73650d0a436f6e74656e742d547970653a206170706c69636174696f6e2f7064660d0a0d0a0102030405060708090a
+
 /* snapshot: first route */
 HTTP/1.1 200 OK
 Connection: close
diff --git a/example/main.go b/example/main.go
index c3f76eb..10d2eb0 100644
--- a/example/main.go
+++ b/example/main.go
@@ -61,10 +61,16 @@ func fourthHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	w.Write([]byte(`Hello World.`))
 }
 
+func fifthHandler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/pdf")
+	w.Write([]byte{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10})
+}
+
 func main() {
 	http.HandleFunc("/first", firstHandler)
 	http.HandleFunc("/second", secondHandler)
 	http.HandleFunc("/third", thirdHandler)
 	http.HandleFunc("/fourth", fourthHandler)
+	http.HandleFunc("/fifth", fifthHandler)
 	http.ListenAndServe(":8080", nil)
 }
diff --git a/example/main_test.go b/example/main_test.go
index 7d1a24d..0a4b791 100644
--- a/example/main_test.go
+++ b/example/main_test.go
@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@ func TestRequests(t *testing.T) {
 	thirdHandler(w, req)
 	res = w.Result()
 	abide.AssertHTTPResponse(t, "third route", res)
+
+	req = httptest.NewRequest("GET", "http://example.com/", nil)
+	w = httptest.NewRecorder()
+	fifthHandler(w, req)
+	res = w.Result()
+	abide.AssertHTTPResponse(t, "fifth route", res, abide.SetContentType(abide.ContentTypeBinary))
 }
 
 func TestReader(t *testing.T) {