Altova DiffDog vs Meld
Altova DiffDog
altova.comMeld
meldmerge.orgSide by side
| Figure | Altova DiffDog | Meld |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Diff and Merge Tools | 8.3 (#4) | 7.3 (#24) |
| Intended users | Altova describes DiffDog as a technical diff/merge tool for developers and IT professionals. | The site describes Meld as a tool for reviewing code changes, understanding patches, and comparing version controlled projects. |
| Purpose | DiffDog compares and merges text and source-code files, XML and JSON files, Word documents, directories, and database schemas and content. | Meld compares files, directories, and version controlled projects. |
Plans
Altova DiffDog
- DiffDog 2026 Professional Edition$189, paid once
- DiffDog 2026 Enterprise Edition$269, paid once
In their own words
Altova DiffDog
Altova DiffDog has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Meld
Meld is a free, open-source desktop tool for comparing files, directories and version-controlled projects. It provides two-way and three-way comparisons, with live updates while files are edited and merged. Three-way merge assistance handles conflicts and shows the base version. Folder comparisons identify missing or modified files, let users open deeper file comparisons, and can ignore selected files or folders. Meld supports Git, Mercurial, Bazaar and Subversion, including use with tools such as git mergetool. It is packaged for most Linux and Unix distributions and is available through Flathub. Windows users download an installer; automatic updates and portable installations are not supported. Meld is not yet supported on macOS, although the site points to semi-official builds and package-manager options. The project is licensed under GPLv2 or later, except as noted. The listed Meld plan costs nothing, and the stable release shown is 3.24.0.