Altova DiffDog vs sqldef
Altova DiffDog
altova.comsqldef
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Altova DiffDog | sqldef |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Database Schema Comparison Tools | 8.3 (#4) | 7.6 (#12) |
| Intended users | Altova describes DiffDog as a technical diff/merge tool for developers and IT professionals. | The project describes sqldef as a tool for managing schema changes across supported relational databases using SQL. |
| Purpose | DiffDog compares and merges text and source-code files, XML and JSON files, Word documents, directories, and database schemas and content. | sqldef is a CLI tool for diffing SQL schemas and managing relational database migrations with regular SQL DDLs. |
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.
sqldef
sqldef is a free command-line tool for managing relational database migrations with SQL DDLs. Users maintain a SQL file describing the desired schema; sqldef compares it with the current database schema to generate and apply changes. It lists support for MySQL, MariaDB, TiDB, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and SQLite3. The workflow can export the current schema and use a dry run to preview migrations before execution. It can also compare two SQL files without a database connection, for schema validation, CI/CD, and migration script generation. Repeated runs are safe: when the database matches the desired schema, another run shows no changes. Rename annotations are documented for tables, columns, indexes, and ENUM values. Each database tool is distributed as a single binary without dependencies. Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted availability are listed. Linux binaries and Docker images are available, but Debian packages are not; a Homebrew tap is listed for four database tools. Source files use the MIT License, while the parser uses Apache License 2.0.