Araxis Merge is intended for comparing and synchronizing files and folders. The tool supports various types of files, including documents, images and binaries.
The tool uses different comparison methods, which depend on the type of elements. If it is folders you are comparing, it lets you explore their contents as a tree. The app works differently if you intend to compare images: it marks the modified pixels. Likewise, binaries files can also be compared byte by byte with the help of this tool.
In the case of text, it can help you compare two versions by highlighting their differences. Luckily, most types of documents, such as DOC, XLS, PDF, TXT, HTML and RTF are supported. Besides, it lets you paste text directly from other apps. It allows side-by-side comparison and uses a system of colors and linking lines to help you spot the differences more easily. Then, you can merge two versions of the same file thanks to the availability of a built-in editor.
In all cases, when you are done comparing and merging, Araxis Merge allows generating reports in multiple formats, including HTML and XML.
All in all, Araxis Merge provides valuable help when you frequently need to compare large amounts of data or work with various versions of the same files. Thus, it is useful for code reviewers, legal professionals, software engineers, quality controllers and many others.
The app is available in two editions Standard and Professional. One advantage of using the Professional edition is that it supports three-way comparison, which is quite convenient for merging two versions of a file into a third. Unfortunately, its price tag is twice as big as those of other quite similar tools.
Pros
- Supports multiple types of files
- Convenient ways to spot differences
- Built-in text editor
- Convenient system of colors and linking lines
- Three-way comparison
Cons
- Irresponsive when handling large files