Frequently asked questions

Beginning with version 2.14, WinMerge ended support for older 32-bit systems including Windows 9x, ME, and NT4. Version 2.16 does not support Windows 2000. Current 32-bit builds need XP SP3 or newer; 64-bit builds need Windows 7 or newer.

Official WinMerge targets Windows. There are currently no plans for official cross-platform support in the main project line.

MRU means Most Recently Used. In the Select Files or Folders dialog it stores the last twenty paths used on each side.

WinMerge is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2.0 (GPLv2). You may use the software without a purchase fee. Redistribution and modification must follow GPLv2 terms. Review the license text shipped with the product for binding conditions.

WinMerge is an open source project maintained and developed by volunteers. The interface is translated into many languages by the community.

No. WinMerge is a legitimate open-source differencing and merging application with public source under GPLv2. Antivirus products may still raise heuristic false positives on installers. Verify SHA-256 checksums and prefer packages that match the published 2.16.56.2 filenames. See the Trust & Security page.

Official release notes publish SHA-256 checksums for each package. Hash the file after download and compare digests character for character. Mismatches mean you should discard the file and download again from winmerge.io.

Different line ending styles (Windows vs Unix) are compared by default. Enable Ignore carriage return differences under Edit, Options, Compare. Full steps are in the line endings guide.

Browse into the folder, leave nested items unselected, and click Open when Folder Selection appears. Or type a random unused name and click Open so WinMerge opens the containing folder. See the folder select guide.

Yes, when archive support is configured. In Options, Archive Support, enable Detect archive type from file signature so non-standard extensions and OpenOffice packages can be opened as archives.

Yes. Use View, Diff Context, 0 lines to show only different lines.

Yes. Basic printing is available via File, Print.

Full CVS client integration was considered low value because many good CVS clients already exist. WinMerge can integrate with the diff function of clients such as TortoiseCVS and can resolve conflict files.

WinMerge 2.16.56.2 is the latest stable version, released 2026-05-27, and is recommended for most users. See the Download page for package list and sizes.