DirectCompare

Version 1.9
Professional cross-platform directory comparison - full feature details
Download v1.9 Free
Available for Windows & Linux | No DLL dependencies | Fully portable

Why DirectCompare?

Compare directories from any source - local drives, GitHub repositories, Git branches, FTP servers, and archives - all in one powerful tool. Perfect for developers, system administrators, and power users who need more than basic file comparison.

N-Way
Compare 2, 3, 4+ sources
10+
Archive formats supported
Zero
External dependencies
100%
Cross-platform parity

Core Features

N-Way Comparison

  • Compare 2, 3, 4+ directories simultaneously
  • Dynamic column generation
  • Identify files unique to each source
  • Find common files across all sources

Git & GitHub Integration

  • Compare branches without checkout
  • Compare repos without cloning
  • GitHub Trees API integration
  • Private repository support

Archive Support

  • ZIP, TAR, 7Z, RAR, ISO, CAB
  • GZ, BZ2, XZ compression
  • Password-protected archives
  • No extraction required

FTP/FTPS/SFTP

  • Compare remote servers directly
  • Secure protocols (FTPS, SFTP)
  • No manual downloads needed
  • Credential management

Amazon S3 Bucket

  • Compare S3 buckets against local folders or other sources
  • Verify deployments and backups
  • Supports bucket/prefix and region
  • Access key + secret authentication

Similarity Search

  • Find duplicate files
  • Text similarity (Jaccard)
  • Image similarity (dHash, aHash)
  • Content hashing (SHA-256)

3-Way Merge Premium

  • Base / Mine / Yours ancestor view
  • Conflict resolution UI
  • Myers diff algorithm
  • Side-by-side comparison
  • Inline editing support
  • Free in Basic tier - no Git tool required

Smart Features

  • Automatic folder alignment
  • Syntax highlighting
  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Bookmark management

Export & Productivity

  • CSV, HTML, JSON export
  • Advanced filtering (wildcards, regex)
  • Recent history tracking
  • Comprehensive reports

New in v1.9

Microsoft Store

DirectCompare is now available on the Microsoft Store. Signed by Microsoft — no SmartScreen warnings, automatic updates, same features and licensing.

Server-Issued 30-Day Trial

Fresh 30-day Premium trial for all users. Enter your email to start — trial key is issued instantly and unlocks every feature.

Early-Bird Discounts

Save up to 30% when upgrading during your trial period. Discount emails sent automatically at key milestones.

In-App Auto-Updater

Update notifications appear in-app with one-click install. Downloads, extracts, and restarts — no manual re-downloading required.

New in v1.8

Rewritten In-App Help

Completely rewritten in-app help documentation covering all features. 5 new help topics: Special File Types, Customization, Advanced Features, FTP & SFTP, and Enterprise Features.

Merge Engine Fix

Fixed merge engine corrupted output on overlapping edits — merges are now reliable even with complex conflict regions.

Race Condition Fixes

Fixed race conditions in CLI automation, database writes, and named pipe communication for rock-solid stability.

Linux Build Compatibility

Improved Linux build compatibility with GCC 15 — compiles cleanly on the latest toolchains.

New in v1.7

Built-in PDF Viewer

View and diff PDF files directly in the diff viewer — no external tools, no poppler, no DLLs. Works fully offline out of the box.

PDF Encoding Selector

Toolbar button in the diff viewer lets you cycle through Auto / WinAnsi / MacRoman / Raw Bytes — fix garbled text in legacy PDFs instantly.

New in v1.6

Git Mergetool Integration

Use DCP as your Git merge conflict resolver. Available in Premium tier. Add one block to .gitconfig and run git mergetool.

Home Screen

Quick-access screen at startup — open recent sessions, start a new comparison, or jump straight to common workflows.

Colorblind-Friendly Theme

Blue/orange diff palette instead of red/green. Cycles with the theme toggle: Light → Dark → Colorblind.

30-Day Trial

Go to Help → Start 30-Day Trial, enter your email, and unlock every feature for 30 days. No credit card required.

Zero DLL Dependencies

The exe is now fully statically linked. No redistributables, no git2.dll, no surprises. Just unzip and run.

License Status in Title Bar

Title bar shows [FREE], [TRIAL - N days], or [TRIAL EXPIRED] so you always know your current tier at a glance.

New in v1.04 - v1.05

Filter Toolbar

Toggle results between All / Diffs / Same / Minor with one click. Instantly focus on what matters.

Per-Row Copy Arrows

Copy individual files left, right, or both ways directly from the results tree. No dialog needed.

Status Bar

Live diff count breakdown (different / minor / identical / missing) and disk free space per source.

Plugin File Viewers

Preview STL, OBJ, WAV, and ACF files directly in the diff viewer. Standard tier and above.

License Expiry Notifications

30-day advance warning at startup. Clear explanation if a key expires and the app downgrades to Basic.

Diff Viewer Load Time

Load time shown in the line-detail bar so you know exactly how long formatting took.

Quick Start

Compare Two or More Directories

  1. Launch DirectCompare
  2. Click Add Source and select your first folder
  3. Click Add Source again for each additional source (local, Git, GitHub, FTP, or archive)
  4. Click Compare
  5. Use the filter toolbar to show All / Diffs / Same / Minor
  6. Double-click any file to see the diff — or use the Actions column to copy files across

GitHub Repository Comparison

  1. Launch DirectCompare
  2. Click Add Source and select GitHub
  3. Enter the GitHub URL (e.g., https://github.com/owner/repo)
  4. (Optional) Set an authentication token in Settings for private repos
  5. Add any other sources, then click Compare

What's Different from Other Tools?

System Requirements

Windows:

  • Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
  • 2 GB RAM minimum (4 GB recommended)
  • 20 MB disk space
  • No additional dependencies required - fully static build

Linux:

  • Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian, Kali, or compatible (64-bit)
  • 2 GB RAM minimum (4 GB recommended)
  • 20 MB disk space
  • Requires: libwxgtk3.2, libgit2, libarchive, libssl, libcurl

Licensing & Pricing

DirectCompare offers multiple licensing tiers to suit your needs:

Basic (Free)

2-way directory comparison, export (CSV, HTML, JSON), bookmarks & sessions, keyboard shortcuts & themes. Free forever.

Trial (30 days)

Full Premium features, time-limited. No credit card required.

Standard ($39/year)

Everything in Basic plus N-way comparison (3+ sources), Git integration, and archive support.

Premium ($79/year)

Everything in Standard plus GitHub integration, FTP/SFTP, similarity search, 3-way merge editor, image comparison, and CSV/Excel comparison.

Enterprise

All features plus Admin Centre, collaborative workspaces, admin policies, registry toolkit, and priority support.

See in-app Registration dialog for details and activation.

Built With