Altova DiffDog vs WinMerge
Altova DiffDog
altova.com
WinMerge
winmerge.ioSide by side
| Figure | Altova DiffDog | WinMerge |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · File Comparison Software | 8.3 (#4) | 7.0 (#28) |
| Intended users | Altova describes DiffDog as a technical diff/merge tool for developers and IT professionals. | The site describes workflows for developers comparing branches, administrators syncing configuration folders, and power users comparing files, tables, and images. |
| Purpose | DiffDog compares and merges text and source-code files, XML and JSON files, Word documents, directories, and database schemas and content. | WinMerge is a free, open-source tool for visually comparing and merging files and folders on Windows. |
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.
WinMerge
WinMerge is a free, open-source Windows application for visually comparing and merging files and folders. File comparison uses side-by-side panes, inline difference highlights, syntax highlighting, a difference pane, and moved-line detection. Folder comparison can be recursive or single-level, apply regular-expression filters, recognize binary files, and compare three versions. Image comparison offers block highlights and overlay mode, while CSV and TSV files appear in table form. WinMerge creates Normal, Context, and Unified patches and can resolve conflict files produced by other tools. It includes 64-bit Windows Explorer shell integration, 7-Zip archive browsing, plugins, and use as an external diff tool with version-control tools. Current 32-bit builds require Windows XP SP3 or newer; 64-bit builds require Windows 7 or newer. Official cross-platform support is not planned. GPLv2 licensing, source archives, release SHA-256 checksums, guides, and FAQ support are provided.