Diffinity vs UltraCompare

Diffinity is a free Windows utility for comparing and merging text files and folders. It shows line-level differences, highlights changed characters or words, and marks added, removed, and changed lines. A thumbnail view summarizes differences, while search can highlight every instance of a selected word. The maker emphasizes readable source-code comparisons, including improved diffing for C-style code and XML. Editing tools include syntax highlighting, customizable tabs, manual alignment markers, and inline differences that update while typing. Diffinity supports Unicode, detects encoding automatically, and warns when compared files use different encodings. It integrates with Windows Explorer, can run from an external device, and accepts file or folder paths with command-line options, including a folder-diff view. Documentation covers configuration with Git and Perforce Helix P4V. The license allows free personal and commercial use and redistribution of unmodified copies, while prohibiting modification and reverse engineering. Listed release 0.9.6, dated 2026-09-16, requires .NET 8.0.

UltraCompare compares and merges files, folders, and documents, including Word, Excel, and PDF. It can show two or three files side by side and lets users merge differences visually. Folder tools compare, merge, and synchronize directory structures, with rule-based automation available. For spreadsheets and other tabular data, it can compare and merge cells, rows, or columns, including across multiple Excel sheets. UltraCompare works as a diff and merge tool with Git, Subversion, and CVS. It can compare remote files over FTP or SFTP and by URL, and folders over FTP and network shares. ZIP, RAR, and JAR contents can be compared without extraction. Additional tools include highlighting for characters, words, or lines; options to ignore whitespace or case; editable comparisons; saved sessions; and HTML or text reports. The maker lists Windows, macOS, and Linux, while a fully functional Windows trial includes all features for 30 days. There is no free plan. Subscriptions start at $99.95 a year for Core or $119.95 a year for Enterprise; perpetual options cost 179.95 USD or 249.95 USD once.