Cross-platform · Free tier + Pro $34 one-time vs. $30–$60 per platform
Both Diffract and Beyond Compare are cross-platform tools that handle text, folder, binary, and image comparison. The main differences are in pricing structure — Beyond Compare charges per platform, while Diffract’s Pro license covers all three platforms for a single one-time fee — and in document comparison: Diffract renders PDF, Word, and Excel files visually side by side, while Beyond Compare extracts text for comparison.
| Feature | Diffract | Beyond Compare |
|---|---|---|
| Text file comparison | ✓ | ✓ |
| Directory comparison | ✓ | ✓ |
| Three-way merge | Pro | Pro only |
| Git integration | Pro | ✓ (launch from VCS) |
| Binary / hex comparison | ✓ | ✓ |
| Image comparison | Pro | ✓ |
| PDF comparison | Pro | text-extract only |
| Word (.docx) comparison | Pro | text-extract only |
| Excel (.xlsx) comparison | Pro | table view |
| Archive (ZIP / tar) | Pro | ✓ |
| Multiple diff algorithms | ✓ | ✓ (Standard, Myers, Patience) |
| Moved-block detection | ✓ | ✗ |
| Syntax highlighting | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLI / headless mode | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dark mode | ✓ | ✓ (BC5) |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| macOS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Linux | ✓ | ✓ |
| Price | Free + $34 one-time | $30–$60 per platform |
Pro = requires Diffract Pro license ($34 one-time, all platforms). Free tier has no time limit.
Try Diffract free — no time limit, no account required.
Upgrade to Pro at any time for document comparison, three-way merge, and Git integration.