Support - DirectCompare

Support options

Choose the fastest path depending on whether you need installation help, bug reporting, licensing support, or general product guidance.

Email support

Best for installation problems, licensing questions, product issues, and feature requests.

Typical response: within 2 business days

dircomparepro@gmail.com

In-app bug report

Use Help → Submit Bug Report in the app when you want to send actionable feedback from inside DirectCompare.

Detailed reports can be more helpful than short emails because they include the problem description in the right workflow context.

GitHub discussions

Useful for public questions, workflow discussion, and community-style support.

Open discussions

Security reporting

If you believe you found a security issue, report it privately instead of posting it publicly first.

Report privately

Frequently asked questions

These are the practical questions most people ask around install, activation, source types, and upgrades.

How do I start the 30-day trial?

Go to Help → Start 30-day Trial. You get full Premium access for 30 days. After that, the app continues as Basic (free) unless you activate a license.

How do I activate my license?

Open Help → Register, paste your license key, and activate it there. Keys are machine-bound.

Can I move my license to another computer?

Because licensing is tied to the machine, moving to a new computer usually requires support help and a replacement key.

What’s included in the free tier?

The Basic (free) tier includes 2-way comparison, exports (CSV/HTML/JSON), bookmarks, sessions, and themes. There is also a 30-day full-featured trial if you want to evaluate paid capabilities first.

What does Standard unlock?

Standard ($39/yr) adds N-way comparison (3+ sources), Git branch/commit compare, and archive support (ZIP, TAR, 7Z, RAR, ISO, CAB).

What does Premium unlock?

Premium ($79/yr) adds GitHub integration, FTP/SFTP compare, similarity search, merge editor, image comparison (perceptual hashing), and CSV/Excel comparison.

Does it work offline?

Yes for local workflows and license use after activation. Internet is only needed for remote source workflows like GitHub, web URL, or FTP/SFTP comparison.

Can it compare more than plain folders?

Yes. It supports archives, CSV files, Excel spreadsheets, images, hex/binary files, patches, and more.

How do I report a difficult bug clearly?

Include what you compared, which mode you were using, what you expected, what happened instead, and whether the issue is repeatable.

Troubleshooting and known friction points

These are the issues most likely to block installation or comparison workflows.

App won’t start

Verify you downloaded the correct package for your platform.
Check whether antivirus quarantined or blocked the executable.
Download a fresh copy if the existing archive may be damaged.
Verify checksums if you publish them for release files.

Large comparisons feel slow

Reduce scope with file filters where possible.
Avoid deeper comparison modes unless you need them.
Use session history and bookmarks for repeated workflows.
Very large trees can take time regardless of tool choice.

GitHub or remote sources fail

Double-check repository URL, login details, host, and ports.
For GitHub private repos, token configuration may be required.
For FTP/SFTP, verify credentials and outbound firewall rules.
Remember that remote workflows require internet access.

Tip: If you’re contacting support, include the exact source type involved — local, archive, CSV, Excel, image, Git, GitHub, web URL, or FTP/SFTP — because that speeds up diagnosis a lot.

License note: Machine-bound licensing means hardware changes may affect activation. If that happens, contact support with the old key details and the new machine information shown in the app.