UltraCompare file and folder compare full feature list

This page contains a list of all features in the application. Related features are grouped into different categories. Click on a category to jump to those features.

UltraCompare Lite users: Most of these features are not available in UltraCompare Lite. See UltraCompare Lite features, or see the difference between UltraCompare Professional and Lite.

Text compare features

Large file support for comparison of files several GB large
- (Note: UltraCompare does include a memory threshold limitation so as not to consume all of the free RAM on your system. This threshold is based upon a variety of factors but ultimately is determined by the amount of memory required to complete the compare versus the amount of free memory on your system.)
Powerful three way text file compare
Windows explorer shell integration (right click menu in Windows Explorer) (not yet available for 64-bit systems)
Ability to edit text lines and merge within UltraCompare
- Changes can either be saved or merged to other file
- Changed lines are highlighted until they are saved
Download webpage or web file for text compare by typing its URL into the file address bar
Manually re-sync two lines and begin the compare from those chosen lines
Copy/paste multiple selected contiguous lines to clipboard
Copy compare frame to clipboard
Ability to compare whitespace differences between text files (tabs and spaces)
Inline editing of text files
Full Unicode support
- Load files with Unicode file paths/names
- Display and diff Unicode/UTF-8 data
Set tab value to a specific number of spaces (like UltraEdit/UEStudio)
Compare column ranges of data
- Set column range(s) to be compared
- Set column range(s) to be ignored
Ability to compare text snippets, including ability to:
- Paste text into blank compare frames
- Clear compare frames (temp files are automatically deleted)
- Merge and save compare results as a separate file
Bookmark support
Ability to delete lines from file
Line-by-line compare of individual text files
Status bar shows number of lines/blocks with differences
Dockable output window with difference summary (cut/copy/paste output)
Compare difference summary includes:
- data in source but not in destination file (or vice versa)
- character differences between files on the same line
Launch folder compare or text compare from command line
Ignore options:
- Ignore case
- Ignore spaces
- Ignore blank lines
- Line terminator differences
- Lines which begin with: <character or string>
- Lines which contain: <character or string>
- Lines which end with: <character or string>
- A defined number of lines at the beginning of file
- A defined number of lines at the end of file
EBCDIC compare supported
Double-byte compare supported

Directory (Folder) compare features

2-way folder compare
Threaded compare engine for quick handling of large directories
Intuitive tree-style view
- Includes open/close nodes for subdirectories
- Double-click a compared file or folder to launch a new compare in a new session
Compare three folders at at time
Mark and hide or unhide files and folders
Compare remote (FTP/SFTP/FTPS) folder to local or remote folder
CRC support for FTP compares (avoid downloading files to compare them)
Compressed archive compare
- ZIP file compare
- ZIP file password support
- RAR file compare
- Java JAR file compare
Side-by-side directory compare presentation
Windows explorer shell integration (right click menu in Windows Explorer) (not yet available for 64-bit systems)
Switch comparison method on the fly (basic, full, or smart [includes text compare])
Split compare screen to preview text in one pane while moving from file to file
Compare files based on time, date, or size
Optionally ignore user-specified directories and file types
Optionally ignore file timestamp differences
Full Unicode support - compare folders from Unicode paths
Ability to customize display of file date/time format in folder compare
Set a NOT operator for filter (ie, NOT *.bak, etc.)
Provide live update on progress (useful when working with large nested directory trees)
Favorite files and folders allow quick access to commonly used compare items
Explore source or destination directory by right clicking in folder compare mode
Compare individual directories
Recursive compare of directories (includes subdirectories)
Difference summary includes:
- same named files with different sizes
- same named files with different creation dates/times
- file type: binary or ascii
- option to automatically display immediately following directory compare
Select files with different names in folder compare mode and compare them
Right-click on column headings and select fields

Folder synchronization features

Folder Synchronization
- Quickly sync different files between two folders (including subfolders)
- Use pre-defined, customizable sync rules for determining how to handle differences
- Create your own sync rules
- Sync local, networked/shared, and remote/FTP files
- Adjust sync actions for individual files as needed
- Review sync actions before executing synchronization
- Organize folder syncs in "Folder Synchronization" sessions
- Launch folder sync session directly from UltraCompare's Windows explorer context menu integration
- Schedule folder sync tasks for full automation
Find Duplicates
- Quickly locate duplicate files between two or more folders (including subfolders)
- Specify criteria for what constitutes a duplicate file (name, size, date, and/or content)
- Set ignore options system files, hidden files, recycle bin, etc.
- Set include/exclude filters to optionally include and exclude files/folders
- Search for duplicates in local, network/shared, and remote/FTP files
- Browse list of found duplicates and specify which to keep and which to delete

Word/PDF compare features

Compare Microsoft Word documents
Compare .doc and .docx files (.docx requires MS Word 2007 or later)
Compare text of PDF files
Compare RTF Files

Fast binary compare features

Byte-for-byte binary comparison
Binary compare from command line
Option to display decimal offset rather than hexadecimal

Smart binary compare features

Binary comparison allowing for shifted data
Command line invocation
Option to display decimal offset rather than hexadecimal

Merge features

Undo merge
Merge compared lines/blocks between files for two and three way text compare
Merge compared files between directories for two and three way folder compare
Selected line merge capability
Accept all (or merge all) button for text mode, and folder mode
Word-level (or selection-level) replacement and insertion
Mark merged lines for review
Enhanced merging - allows changes to be added to changes in other file
Merge contents of compared directories
Automatically move to the first difference when loading
Automatically move to next difference after merge

Print/output features

Print compare results in color
Ability to use UltraCompare in batch files to produce reports, side-by-side difference output
Print right or left compared file from File menu
Print compare difference summary showing matching lines or differences only
Print and save differences in context
Print and save differences of one file
Print and save files side by side
Print and save differences from binary compare
User configurable report headers/footers

File management features

FTP support
Open left/right compare file independently
Drag and drop files to compare frame from Windows explorer
Close All in the file menu and as a button
Automatic file change detection

Display features

Integrated IE browser support - display and compare HTML files as they would appear in the browser
Show file in browser
Text relational lines mode
Full width display of active line of each compared file at bottom of application
Ability to word wrap compare files
Graphical scrolling display to easily locate changes
Synchronized horizontal scrolling
Flip comparison frames to switch source/destination files/directories
Toolbar customization
Display line number and column number in the status bar

Miscellaneous features

Version control support via extended command line options and file path aliasing
Execution control toolbar to start, stop, or refresh a compare
Tabbed sessions allow you to run multiple concurrent compares within one instance of the application
Workspace manager (file explorer tab)
- Browse all system and network drives
- Drag-and-drop to compare frames
- Optionally display, browse, and open files from FTP accounts in explorer tree
- Filter files
Workspace manager (sessions tab)
- Save, name, group, and organize compare sessions for quick access to frequently-used compares
- Launch and execute sessions directly from session list
- Set compare/ignore/other options for each session in new session properties dialog
- Recent sessions option provides quick access to sessions from your last UltraCompare session
Set UltraCompare to single instance
Manual check for updates
Set filter to specify file types to be displayed during folder compare
Configurable key mapping
Set font for text file compare panes
Optional FTP account sharing with UltraEdit/UEStudio
Customize/manage toolbars and menus
Command line option for quick difference check

UltraCompare Lite features

Text compare
- Support for line-by-line text compare of individual files
- Status bar shows number of lines/blocks different
- Compare difference summary includes:
- data in source but not in destination file or vice versa
- data difference between text files on the same line
Invoked from UltraEdit or UEStudio
HTML help