Compare It! review
A low-cost Windows utility for detailed two-way file comparison and merging.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Compare It! is a Windows desktop utility for visually comparing and merging files. It presents differences side by side, supports editing within comparison panes, and can compare files across folders. Its scope covers text files, Unicode, syntax highlighting, Word, Excel, PDF, RTF and ZIP files, along with binary and image viewing. It is suited to developers, document reviewers and Windows users who need more than a basic text diff, particularly when a low upfront cost matters.
The Personal license costs $29 as a one-time purchase. It includes free email technical support and one year of free minor and major updates. The product has no free plan, so ongoing access starts with a paid license. The feature set at that tier includes visual comparison, merging by copying change blocks or editing panes, within-line difference highlighting, syntax highlighting, text editing and automatic backup of old file versions. HTML and text reports add a way to share or retain comparison results.
Compare It! also covers several workflows that benefit from broader file handling. Regular-expression comparison filters can narrow attention to relevant changes, while command-line usage supports scripted comparison tasks. Microsoft Visual SourceSafe and file managers are listed as integrations. Binary and image viewers extend the utility beyond editable text, and support for multiple document formats makes it applicable to mixed file collections. However, the product is Windows-only and provides two-way rather than three-way merging. Choose it for affordable desktop comparison across documents, folders, binaries and images; choose an alternative if you need three-way merge workflows or a non-Windows platform.
Compare It! pros and cons
- Where it wins
- $29 one-time Personal license with a year of free updates
- Compares Word, Excel, PDF, RTF, ZIP, binary and image files
- Folder comparison, reports, filters and command-line usage included
- Where it doesn't
- Windows-only platform support
- Two-way comparison rather than three-way merging
- No free plan is available
Compare It! fact sheet, pricing and score →
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