cwdiff vs KDiff3
cwdiff
github.comKDiff3
apps.kde.orgSide by side
| Figure | cwdiff | KDiff3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · File Comparison Software | 7.6 (#19) | 8.2 (#10) |
| License | The NetBSD package page lists the license as GNU GPL version 2. | KDiff3 is distributed under the GNU GPL version 2 or any later version, identified on the product page as GPL-2.0-or-later. |
| Purpose | cwdiff is a wrapper for wdiff that supports directories and colorizes output. | KDiff3 compares and merges files and folders. |
Plans
In their own words
cwdiff
cwdiff is a free Linux command-line wrapper for wdiff. It adds directory comparison support and colorizes differences in the output. The README describes configuring it as a Mercurial extdiff command, then running comparisons with hg wdiff. Users can disable colors by adding --no-color to the wdiff options. The project is presented as a shell-language repository. Listed acquisition options include a tarball, MacPorts, Arch Linux AUR, NetBSD, and Gentoo packages. A NetBSD package page provides a NetBSD 10.0 binary for cwdiff 0.4.0 and lists no runtime dependencies. Documentation is hosted on junghans.github.io, and bug reports go to GitHub Issues. The associated maintainer account identifies Christoph Junghans, whose profile lists Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA. The NetBSD package page lists GNU GPL version 2. The plan is free.
KDiff3
KDiff3 is a free, open-source desktop app for comparing and merging files and folders on Linux, macOS, and Windows. It can compare two or three text files or folders, showing differences line by line and character by character. For merge work, it can combine changes automatically and includes an editor for resolving conflicts, including three-way merges. Folder comparison and Git integration are supported. KDiff3 handles Unicode, UTF-8, and other file encodings; users can highlight or hide whitespace and comment changes, and print differences. It also supports version-control keyword and history merging, with network transparency through KIO. Its listed license is GPL-2.0-or-later. The Free plan costs nothing, and there is no free trial. Linux installation options include Discover or another AppStream store, a distribution package manager, or Flathub. The app page links to a handbook, forum, and bug-reporting page. KDE describes itself as an international community building and distributing free, open-source software since 1996.