License
WinMerge is distributed under the GNU General Public License version 2.0 (GPLv2). Use, study, and redistribution are governed by that license. The full license text accompanies the software packages.
Policy
Trust, security & ethics
Clear expectations for legal use, open-source transparency, and responsible handling of a powerful file and folder comparison tool on Windows.
Policy
Legal usage policy
Authorized purposes
WinMerge is intended for comparing and merging files and folders you are authorized to access: your own projects, systems you administer, and content you have legal rights to review or modify.
Do not use WinMerge to access, alter, or exfiltrate data without permission. Comparing confidential materials belonging to others without authorization may violate law, employment policy, or contract. winmerge.io presents product information only; it does not grant rights beyond the GPLv2 grant in the software itself.
Conduct
Ethical usage statement
Differencing tools make change visible. That power should support honest engineering, transparent operations, and careful handling of private data.
Respect privacy
Avoid diffing personal or regulated datasets unless you have a documented need and approval.
Preserve integrity
Merge deliberately. Prefer reviewable hunks over bulk overwrites when production systems are involved.
Stay transparent
When WinMerge is part of a release process, keep patch outputs and conflict resolutions auditable.
Transparency
Open-source transparency
WinMerge is developed by volunteers in the open. Each stable release offers a full source archive (winmerge-2.16.56.2-full-src.7z, about 16.54 MB).
Public GPLv2
Licensing is public and ships with every release package.
Source beside binaries
Source archives ship alongside installers for independent review.
Documented releases
Features, requirements, and SHA-256 checksums are published with builds.
Clarification
No malware clarification
WinMerge is not malware, adware, or a trojan. It is a visual diff and merge application for Windows.
Expected behavior
Install under Program Files or a per-user location, optional Explorer context menus, read/write files you open for compare/merge, and create patch outputs you explicitly request.
If AV alerts
Check the SHA-256 digest, confirm the filename matches 2.16.56.2 packages, follow the antivirus guide, and report false positives to your vendor with the hash.
Disclaimer
User responsibility
Software is provided as-is under GPLv2 without warranty of any kind, to the extent permitted by applicable law. You assume responsibility for validating builds, backups, and merge outcomes on your machines.
winmerge.io does not replace the license text, release notes, or help manuals shipped with WinMerge. Always keep recoverable backups before merging production configurations or source trees.
By downloading or using WinMerge you agree to comply with applicable laws, organizational policies, and the GPLv2 terms included with the software.