UltraCompare vs WinMerge
UltraCompare
ultraedit.com
WinMerge
winmerge.ioSide by side
| Figure | UltraCompare | WinMerge |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $8.33/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Spec score · File Comparison Software | 8.3 (#7) | 7.0 (#28) |
| File comparison | It supports side-by-side comparison and visual merging of two or three files from different locations. | File comparison includes side-by-side panes, inline difference highlights, syntax highlighting, a difference pane, and moved-line detection. |
| Integrations | It integrates as a diff and merge tool for Git and also supports Subversion and CVS. | WinMerge offers 64-bit Windows Explorer shell integration, 7-Zip archive browsing, plugins, and use as an external diff tool alongside version control tools. |
| Intended users | The maker lists developers and engineers, IT and system administrators, QA and technical writers, and legal, compliance, and business teams as users. | The site describes workflows for developers comparing branches, administrators syncing configuration folders, and power users comparing files, tables, and images. |
| Purpose | UltraCompare compares and merges text files, folders, and documents including Word, Excel, and PDF. | WinMerge is a free, open-source tool for visually comparing and merging files and folders on Windows. |
| Support | The maker offers an AI assistant for feature, setup, workflow, or licensing help, support cases, FAQs, documentation, and a community run forum. | The site provides FAQ, step-by-step guides, and antivirus troubleshooting guidance. |
Plans
UltraCompare
- UltraEdit Core Subscription$99.95 a year
- UltraEdit Enterprise Subscription$119.95 a year
- UltraEdit Core Perpetual$179.95, paid once
- UltraEdit Enterprise Perpetual$249.95, paid once
In their own words
UltraCompare
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.
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.