Beyond Compare vs WinMerge
Beyond Compare
beyond-compare.com
WinMerge
winmerge.ioSide by side
| Figure | Beyond Compare | WinMerge |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 6 | 1 |
| Spec score · File Comparison Software | 8.3 (#6) | 7.0 (#28) |
| Intended users | The maker describes developers, system administrators, and others as users of the application. | The site describes workflows for developers comparing branches, administrators syncing configuration folders, and power users comparing files, tables, and images. |
| Purpose | Beyond Compare is client software for comparing and synchronizing files and folders. | WinMerge is a free, open-source tool for visually comparing and merging files and folders on Windows. |
| Support | Support resources include a help file, video tutorials, knowledge base articles, user forums, and a contact channel for reporting problems. | The site provides FAQ, step-by-step guides, and antivirus troubleshooting guidance. |
Plans
Beyond Compare
- Standard — per-user (1–4)$35, paid once
- Pro — per-user (1–4)$70, paid once
- Standard — site$5,250, paid once
- Pro — site$10,500, paid once
- Standard — enterprise$21,000, paid once
- Pro — enterprise$42,000, paid once
In their own words
Beyond Compare
Beyond Compare is desktop software for comparing and synchronizing files and folders on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It can compare folders, text files, images, and tables, then combine changes from two versions into one output. Folder Sync helps reconcile differences and copy data to or from disks, FTP servers, and ZIP files. Repetitive comparison or synchronization work can be automated with its scripting language and command-line interface. Pro adds text and folder merging, source-control commands, SFTP and FTPS, registry comparison, and integrations for WebDAV, Dropbox, OneDrive, Amazon S3, and Subversion. The download includes Standard and Pro functionality for a 30-day trial; continued use requires a license. Per-user perpetual licenses for one to four users cost $35 as a one-time purchase for Standard and $70, paid once for Pro. Site and enterprise options are also listed. The maker says compared data is not sent externally unless a networked repository is used. Licenses are not available as floating, concurrent, or server licenses.
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.