Beyond Compare save time, save data

Beyond Compare 3 is the ideal tool for comparing files and folders on your Windows or Linux system. Visualize changes in your code and carefully reconcile them.

Beyond Compare allows you to quickly and easily compare your files and folders. By using simple, powerful commands you can focus on the differences you're interested in and ignore those you're not. You can then merge the changes, synchronize your files, and generate reports for your records.

You can compare entire drives and folders at high speed, checking just sizes and modified times. Or, thoroughly verify every file with byte-by-byte comparisons. FTP sites and zip files are integrated seamlessly, so you can update your website with the touch of a button.

Once you've found specific files you're interested in, Beyond Compare can intelligently pick the best way to compare and display them. Text files can be viewed and edited with syntax highlighting and comparison rules tweaked specifically for documents, source code, and HTML. Data files, executables, binary data, and images all have dedicated viewers as well, so you always have a clear view of the changes.

Features in BC3

Here are some of the significant features in Beyond Compare 3.  Items flagged with are available in the Pro edition of BC3.

Expanded Session concept

• Any comparison can be saved as a session, not just folder comparisons

• Plug-ins are now built-in session types

• Saved sessions can be organized in folders

• Auto-saved sessions

Fully unicode enabled

• Unicode filenames now supported as well as unicode file content

Interface Improvements

• Tabbed interface for session views

• Handy "home" view for launching and managing sessions

• Layout of open sessions can be saved, restored

• Built-in "Check for updates"

Folder compare features

• Folder icons colors now match your preferences

• Multiple operations can be queued

• File actions now respect filters by default

• Dedicated folder sync session

• Touch and Attrib commands can now recurse through subfolders

• Attrib supports Unix attributes

• New Ignored command flags mismatched file as OK

• New Move to Folder command

• Flatten folders lets you compare differing folder structures

• Alignment overrides

Text comparison features

• Full in-pane editor with dynamic re-comparisons

• Syntax highlighting

• Adaptive gutter buttons for copying sections

• Unlimited undo after save

• Grammar-based comparison rules

• Independent file formats for each side of the comparison

• New Ignored command flags mismatched sections as OK

• Multiple bookmarks

• Hex display option for line details

• 3-way text merge

• Replacements

Improved FTP support

• FTP profiles, selectable per session

• Multiple simultaneous connections

• Built-in support for secure FTP protocols (SFTP and FTP over SSL)

3-way Merge

Introduced in version 3, Beyond Compare's new merge view allows you to combine changes from two versions of a file into a single output.  Its intelligent approach allows you to quickly accept most changes while carefully examining conflicts.  Color coding and section highlighting allow you to accept, reject, or combine changes, simply and easily.  And, you can change any line in the output with the built-in syntax-highlighting editor.  By using Beyond Compare's powerful file type support and ability to favor changes from one file, you can trivially accept many changes without even seeing them.

You can use Beyond Compare directly from most version control systems, giving you all of the powerful comparing and merging support you need when you need it most.  Integrated source control commands are also available, allowing you to check in and check out files without interrupting your work.

Synchronize Folders

Beyond Compare's intuitive Folder Sync interface lets you reconcile differences in your data automatically.  You can efficiently update your laptop, backup your computer, or manage your website, and Beyond Compare will handle all the details.  You can copy to and from disks, FTP servers, and zip files, all using the same interface.  Anything you don't want affected can be easily filtered out, and all of the powerful comparison techniques are available, making the backup as fast or robust as you need.

You can automate repetitive tasks using a flexible scripting language, and any script can be called from the command line, allowing you to schedule your syncs for when it's most convenient.

System Requirements for Beyond Compare

Hardware Requirements

• Intel Pentium processor; 200 MHz or faster recommended

• 32 MB RAM; additional memory recommended for large comparisons

• 15 MB of available hard drive space
   

OS Requirements (All service packs supported unless otherwise noted)

Supported Windows Platforms

• Windows 95 OSR 2 and HTML Help

• Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, Windows ME

• Windows NT 4.0 SP4 or later

• Windows 2000

• Windows XP

• Windows XP x64

• Windows Server 2003

• Windows Server 2003 x64

• Windows Vista

• Windows Vista x64

• Internet Explorer 4 or later required

Beyond Compare for Linux

BC version 3 only

Supported Linux distributions (32-bit)

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 WS Update 4

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5

• Fedora Core 4 - 7

• Novell Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop 10

Partially supported Linux distributions

• Ubuntu 6.06, 7.10
  (UI elements or fonts may not scale well)

Unsupported

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3

• Any 64-bit Linux kernel

Introducing
                       Beyond Compare v4

What's New in Beyond Compare 4

Mac OS X Version

At long last, Beyond Compare runs natively on Macs!

BC for Mac has all the power and functionality you've come to expect from Beyond Compare, now with native look and feel, speed, and enhancements to make it feel at home.

New Home View

The new Home View adds session search and web resources.  The layout is easier to manage with on-screen controls.

And, we think it's prettier too!

3-way Folder Merge

Three-way merging now extends to folders.  Compare independent changes against a common ancestor to quickly merge your changes with someone else's.  It makes merging your customizations into a new release a snap.

Ad Hoc Unimportant Text

It is now easier to define unimportant text in your Text Compares.  Define unimportant terms directly from the Rules dialog, rather than having to edit your file formats. 

WebDAV, Subversion and Dropbox Support

In addition to FTP, you can access WebDAV resources, subversion repositories, and Dropbox's cloud storage directly from within Beyond Compare.  Organize your remote service profiles with friendly names and folder hierarchies.

Overhauled Picture Compare

Picture Compare has a new look, with automatic zoom, pixel-level details, and simplified controls.  Tolerance comparison mode uses grayscale to reveal the image along with the differences.  

Overhauled Preferences Dialog with Search

The reorganized options dialog includes a search feature for finding specific settings quickly.  Commands for all comparison types can be customized without first having to open a view.

Other Significant Features

• Hex Compare wraps lines to fit the window, and adds in-line editing.

• New View Patch command shows diff/patch files as a text comparison.

• Added new text comparison algorithm choice based on Bram Cohen's Patience Diff.

• HTML folder comparison reports can now embed links to file comparisons.

• Improved appearance on high DPI (retina) displays.

• Version Compare now compares the fixed PE header in addition to the version resource.

• Zipx archives can be compared, complete with PPMd, LZMA, WavPack, and WinZip's JPEG compression.