Beyond Compare

ApplicationScooter Software

Also called bcompare, bc4, bc5

Scooter SoftwareProductivity

Scooter Software's paid diff and merge tool. The process is BCompare.exe. It is not WinMerge.

What you need to know

Beyond Compare is BCompare.exe. WinMerge is free and different.

BCompare.exe is Scooter Software's paid compare tool. WinMergeU.exe is the free WinMerge project. Git can call either as an external diff. They do not share licenses.

What is it?: Paid diff and merge tool
Same as WinMerge?: No. WinMerge is free and different
Process name?: BCompare.exe

Feex says

If a merge opens WinMergeU.exe, someone set the wrong external diff. I would look at Git or Tortoise settings for BCompare.exe. Those are different compare tools.

What is Beyond Compare?

Beyond Compare is a commercial file and folder compare tool. It is not WinMerge, not git diff, and not Visual Studio's merge UI.

If you have never used it

If a team said use Beyond Compare for merges, this is Scooter Software's paid tool. Download it from scootersoftware.com/download. BCompare.exe compares files and folders. WinMerge is the free alternative. Git and Tortoise clients can launch this as an external diff.

What is it used for?

File and folder compare

Two-way and three-way views. WinMerge also compares files. The session types and FTP profiles are Scooter's.

Git and Tortoise external diff

IDEs and TortoiseGit can call BCompare.exe. That hook is not WinMerge unless you set it.

Paid license

Home and Pro editions. WinMerge does not use this license dialog.

Who is it for?

Shops that standardize on Scooter for merges
People who outgrew a free two-pane compare
Anyone who installed WinMerge and thought it was Beyond Compare

Current status

Beyond Compare (1996) is a current diff and merge from Scooter Software. The vendor still points Windows users at https://www.scootersoftware.com/download.

How old is it?

Scooter Software shipped Beyond Compare in 1996. It is older than WinMerge (2000) and older than most Git GUIs. Beyond Compare 5 is the current Windows line. A BC2 key from a forum is the wrong era.

Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Beyond Compare 5

BC4 (older line)

System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

Minimum

Minimum system requirements
Operating system	A current 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per Scooter Software
RAM	The UI is light. Huge folder compares want more RAM

Resource profile

CPU demand: Follows what you open inside the app
RAM demand: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries

Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

Installed processes
BCompare.exe	Beyond Compare window

Startup components

Beyond Compare does not need a tray. Editors launch it for a merge.

File locations

Common Beyond Compare locations
Typical install	C:\Program Files\Beyond Compare 5\

File formats

many text and binary typesfolder snapshots

Common problems

License nag after evaluation

Expected. A crack is junk. WinMerge will not show this Scooter dialog.

Git still opens another compare tool

difftool config is per repo or global. Setting WinMerge there will not launch Beyond Compare.

Getting unstuck

Install from scootersoftware.com/download

Scooter hosts the real installer. A Beyond Compare pack on a freeware site is junk.

Confirm BCompare.exe under Program Files\Beyond Compare

WinMergeU.exe is the free sibling article.

Register the license in Beyond Compare, not in WinMerge

Help > Enter Key is this product.

Alternatives

WinMerge if you want a free compare. VS Code can diff two files. Git's built-in diff is a terminal.

Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

Official contacts
Download	www.scootersoftware.com/download Official installer or vendor page
Help	www.scootersoftware.com/support Vendor support
Official site	www.scootersoftware.com/ Start here, not a random exe host
Support center	www.scootersoftware.com/support Licensing and compare help

Related hardware

The UI is light. Huge binary compares want RAM and disk.

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. How we research.

Beyond Compare official site · Vendor product page
Beyond Compare help · Vendor support
Scooter Software support · Official Beyond Compare help
Foxhole process map · First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

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