Araxis Merge vs Diffract
Araxis Merge
araxis.comDiffract
getdiffract.comSide by side
| Figure | Araxis Merge | Diffract |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 2 |
| Spec score · File Comparison Software | 8.4 (#3) | 8.2 (#9) |
| Spec score · Diff and Merge Tools | 8.4 (#3) | 8.3 (#7) |
| Folder comparison | It compares and synchronizes directory trees, and supports archive comparison on Windows. | It recursively compares directory trees and shows added, removed and modified files with content-level drill-down. |
| Headquarters | Isle of Man, British Isles | Leutenbach, Germany |
| Integrations | The feature list names integrations with editors and version-control or configuration-management systems including Mercurial, Git, Subversion, and Perforce. | The documentation describes OS context-menu integration and Git difftool use; remote URL comparisons are a Pro feature. |
| Purpose | Araxis Merge is a Windows and macOS application for two-way and three-way file comparison, merging, and folder synchronization. | Diffract is a desktop tool for comparing code, folders, documents and binary files side by side. |
| Support | New licences include one year of support and product updates, and renewal after the first year is optional. | The terms say the maker is not obligated to provide maintenance or technical support; the site invites questions and bug reports by email. |
Plans
In their own words
Araxis Merge
Araxis Merge has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Diffract
Diffract is a desktop tool for comparing code, folders, documents and binary files on Linux, macOS and Windows. Text and code comparisons include syntax highlighting for more than 30 languages, word-level changes, moved-block detection and collapsible unchanged regions. Folder comparisons traverse directory trees, show added, removed and modified files, and allow inspection of file contents. The command-line interface supports standard, Myers and patience diff algorithms for scripts, Git hooks and CI pipelines. Pro adds three-way Git merge conflict resolution, document comparisons for PDF, Word and Excel, semantic code comparison, and Git history and commit browsing. The Free tier includes unlimited file and directory comparisons, desktop and CLI tools, three algorithms, and hex or binary comparison. The maker says comparisons run locally and files stay on the computer. Free is $0 forever and permits commercial use, but not redistribution. Pro costs $34, paid once per seat; its license key specifies a seat count and version ceiling, and includes all v1.x updates. A full refund can be requested within 30 days of purchase.