WinMerge

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Visual file and folder comparison and merging for Windows.

Latest v2.16.58 · · Windowsby WinMergeWebsiteWinMerge/winmerge

Release activity

Release activity — 10 releases across 10 days since Jan 4, 2026. Each cell is one day; darker means more releases that day. Nothing is recorded before Jan 4, 2026. Older weeks are hidden at this screen width.
MayJunJulAug
SundayNo releases on Apr 19, 2026No releases on Apr 26, 2026No releases on May 3, 2026No releases on May 10, 2026No releases on May 17, 2026No releases on May 24, 2026No releases on May 31, 2026No releases on Jun 7, 2026No releases on Jun 14, 2026No releases on Jun 21, 2026No releases on Jun 28, 20261 release on Jul 5, 2026No releases on Jul 12, 2026No releases on Jul 19, 2026No releases on Jul 26, 2026No releases on Aug 2, 2026
MondayNo releases on Apr 20, 20261 release on Apr 27, 2026No releases on May 4, 2026No releases on May 11, 2026No releases on May 18, 2026No releases on May 25, 2026No releases on Jun 1, 2026No releases on Jun 8, 2026No releases on Jun 15, 2026No releases on Jun 22, 2026No releases on Jun 29, 2026No releases on Jul 6, 2026No releases on Jul 13, 2026No releases on Jul 20, 20261 release on Jul 27, 2026No releases on Aug 3, 2026
TuesdayNo releases on Apr 21, 2026No releases on Apr 28, 2026No releases on May 5, 2026No releases on May 12, 2026No releases on May 19, 2026No releases on May 26, 2026No releases on Jun 2, 2026No releases on Jun 9, 2026No releases on Jun 16, 2026No releases on Jun 23, 2026No releases on Jun 30, 2026No releases on Jul 7, 2026No releases on Jul 14, 2026No releases on Jul 21, 2026No releases on Jul 28, 2026No releases on Aug 4, 2026
WednesdayNo releases on Apr 22, 2026No releases on Apr 29, 2026No releases on May 6, 2026No releases on May 13, 2026No releases on May 20, 20261 release on May 27, 2026No releases on Jun 3, 2026No releases on Jun 10, 2026No releases on Jun 17, 2026No releases on Jun 24, 2026No releases on Jul 1, 2026No releases on Jul 8, 2026No releases on Jul 15, 2026No releases on Jul 22, 2026No releases on Jul 29, 2026No releases on Aug 5, 2026
ThursdayNo releases on Apr 23, 2026No releases on Apr 30, 2026No releases on May 7, 2026No releases on May 14, 2026No releases on May 21, 2026No releases on May 28, 2026No releases on Jun 4, 2026No releases on Jun 11, 2026No releases on Jun 18, 2026No releases on Jun 25, 2026No releases on Jul 2, 2026No releases on Jul 9, 2026No releases on Jul 16, 2026No releases on Jul 23, 2026No releases on Jul 30, 2026No releases on Aug 6, 2026
FridayNo releases on Apr 24, 2026No releases on May 1, 2026No releases on May 8, 2026No releases on May 15, 2026No releases on May 22, 2026No releases on May 29, 2026No releases on Jun 5, 2026No releases on Jun 12, 2026No releases on Jun 19, 2026No releases on Jun 26, 2026No releases on Jul 3, 2026No releases on Jul 10, 2026No releases on Jul 17, 2026No releases on Jul 24, 2026No releases on Jul 31, 2026No releases on Aug 7, 2026
SaturdayNo releases on Apr 25, 2026No releases on May 2, 2026No releases on May 9, 2026No releases on May 16, 2026No releases on May 23, 2026No releases on May 30, 2026No releases on Jun 6, 2026No releases on Jun 13, 2026No releases on Jun 20, 2026No releases on Jun 27, 2026No releases on Jul 4, 2026No releases on Jul 11, 2026No releases on Jul 18, 2026No releases on Jul 25, 2026No releases on Aug 1, 2026

10 releases since Jan 4, 2026

Changelog

v2.16.58

v2.16.58 (2026.07)

Added 6
  • Add support for generating a single HTML report from multiple file comparisons
  • Add a file list with checkboxes to the Generate Patch dialog
  • Add support for creating comparison archives
  • Add /g command line option for single-instance groups
  • Add module-relative offsets to crash log stack traces
  • Add display line filter bar for file compare window
Changed 1
  • Improve syntax highlighting with Tree-sitter integration for better support of multiple languages
Fixed 13
  • Fix crash (Access Violation) when file changes externally over a given threshold
  • Fix parts of the panes becoming black text on a black background after copying changes in 3-way merge mode
  • Fix archive vs folder comparison selecting the wrong source
  • Fix HICON resource leaks in image list initialization
  • Handle exceptions raised while creating the common file dialog
  • Fix MRU handling for three-way comparisons

GitHub Releases (by Release)

WinMerge 2.16.58 Release Notes

July 2026

About This Release

This is a WinMerge 2.16.58 stable release. This release replaces earlier WinMerge stable releases as a recommended release.

Please submit bug reports to our bug-tracker.

What Is New in 2.16.58?
File compare

  • BugFix: Crash (Access Violation) when file changes externally over a given threshold (#3456, PR #3457)

  • BugFix: Parts of the panes become black text on a black background after copying changes in 3-way merge mode (#3468, #3469)

Folder compare

  • BugFix: Fix archive vs folder comparison selecting the wrong source (#3449, PR #3458)

  • BugFix: Fix HICON resource leaks in image list initialization

Select files or folders dialog

  • BugFix: Handle exceptions raised while creating the common file dialog (#3462, PR #3464)

  • BugFix: Fix MRU handling for three-way comparisons. (#3452)

File Compare Report
  • Add support for generating a single HTML report from multiple file comparisons (PR #3450)
Patch Generation
  • Add a file list with checkboxes to the Generate Patch dialog (PR #3470)
Archive Generation
  • Add support for creating comparison archives (PR #3483)
Command line
  • Add /g command line option for single-instance groups (PR #3472)
Translations

  • Translation updates:

    • Brazilian (PR #3459, PR #3476, PR #3489)
    • Chinese Simplified (PR #3460, PR #3479)
    • French (PR #3478, PR #3491)
    • German (PR #3480, PR #3486)
    • Italian (PR #3455, PR #3473, PR #3477, PR #3488)
    • Japanese
    • Korean (PR #3447, PR #3481, PR #3487)
    • Lithuanian (PR #3461, PR #3471, PR #3492)
    • Polish (PR #3463, PR #3490)
    • Turkish (PR #3465, PR #3474)
    • Russian (PR #3448, PR #3484)
What Is New in 2.16.57 Beta?
General

  • BugFix: Fixed an issue where file mapping failures could incorrectly trigger a crash (#3412)

  • Add module-relative offsets to crash log stack traces

File compare

  • BugFix: Avoid crash (issue #3402) by using GetFullLineLength() to avoid accessing line EOL directly

  • BugFix: Fix incorrect caret position in status bar

  • BugFix: Clear sync points before reloading compare files

  • BugFix: Fix assertion failure on empty buffer access when all lines are deleted from a pane

  • Add display line filter bar for file compare window (PR #3374)

  • Improve syntax highlighting with Tree-sitter integration for better support of multiple languages (PR #3306, PR #3337, PR #3338, PR #3350, PR #3415, PR #3427, PR #3440)

  • Refactor syntax parsing behind ISyntaxParser interface (PR #3415)

Folder compare

  • BugFix: Crash when trying to delete a "left-only" or "right-only" file during renaming (#3411)

  • BugFix: ZIP export includes unchanged files in subfolders (#3444, PR#3445)

  • Refactor filter evaluation parameters with new EvalContext for better code maintainability (PR #3353)

Archive support

  • BugFix: Fix error dialogs when comparing two Rar4 files (#3392)

  • Update 7-Zip to 26.02

Select Files or Folders dialog
  • Add support for clipboard URL comparison and clipboard history menu (PR #3352)
Plugins
  • Add HandleSchemeClipboard plugin (PR #3352)
Project files
  • Warn user before opening project files containing plugin arguments for security reasons (PR #3397, #3396)
Translations

  • Translation updates:

    • Brazilian (PR #3431)
    • Chinese Simplified (PR #3429, PR #3438)
    • Chinese Traditional (PR #3426)
    • Corsican (PR #3420)
    • French (PR #3393, PR #3406, PR #3408, PR #3435)
    • German (PR #3432)
    • Italian (PR #3399, PR #3434, PR #3446)
    • Korean (PR #3422, PR #3433)
    • Lithuanian (PR #3405, PR #3439)
    • Polish (PR #3418, PR #3430)
    • Portuguese (PR #3391, PR #3414)
    • Russian (PR #3395, PR #3428)
    • Spanish (PR #3421, PR #3423, PR #3424, PR #3425)
    • Turkish (PR #3403, PR #3436)
Known issues
  • Pressing OK in the Options window while the INI file specified by /inifile is open for comparison in WinMerge may corrupt the file. (#2685)
  • Suggestion to make the result of image comparison more reliable (#1391)
  • Crashes when comparing large files (#325)
  • Very slow to compare significantly different directories (#322)
  • Vertical scrollbar breaks after pasting text (#296)
What's Changed

Full Changelog: https://github.com/WinMerge/winmerge/compare/v2.16.56.2...v2.16.58

View originalPermalink
How v2.16.58 went
v2.16.57Pre-release

v2.16.57 (2026.07)

Added 5
  • Add module-relative offsets to crash log stack traces
  • Add display line filter bar for file compare window
  • Add support for clipboard URL comparison and clipboard history menu
  • Add HandleSchemeClipboard plugin
  • Warn user before opening project files containing plugin arguments for security reasons
Changed 4
  • Improve syntax highlighting with Tree-sitter integration for better support of multiple languages
  • Refactor syntax parsing behind ISyntaxParser interface
  • Refactor filter evaluation parameters with new EvalContext for better code maintainability
  • Update 7-Zip to 26.02
Fixed 11
  • Fixed an issue where file mapping failures could incorrectly trigger a crash
  • Avoid crash by using GetFullLineLength() to avoid accessing line EOL directly
  • Fix incorrect caret position in status bar
  • Clear sync points before reloading compare files
  • Fix assertion failure on empty buffer access when all lines are deleted from a pane
  • Crash when trying to delete a left-only or right-only file during renaming

GitHub Releases (by Release)

WinMerge 2.16.57 Beta Release Notes

July 2026

About This Release

This is a WinMerge beta release which is meant for preview the current state of WinMerge development. This release is not recommended for the production.

Please submit bug reports to our bug-tracker.

What Is New in 2.16.57 Beta?
General

  • BugFix: Fixed an issue where file mapping failures could incorrectly trigger a crash (#3412)

  • Add module-relative offsets to crash log stack traces

File compare

  • BugFix: Avoid crash (issue #3402) by using GetFullLineLength() to avoid accessing line EOL directly

  • BugFix: Fix incorrect caret position in status bar

  • BugFix: Clear sync points before reloading compare files

  • BugFix: Fix assertion failure on empty buffer access when all lines are deleted from a pane

  • Add display line filter bar for file compare window (PR #3374)

  • Improve syntax highlighting with Tree-sitter integration for better support of multiple languages (PR #3306, PR #3337, PR #3338, PR #3350, PR #3415, PR #3427, PR #3440)

  • Refactor syntax parsing behind ISyntaxParser interface (PR #3415)

Folder compare

  • BugFix: Crash when trying to delete a "left-only" or "right-only" file during renaming (#3411)

  • BugFix: ZIP export includes unchanged files in subfolders (#3445)

  • Refactor filter evaluation parameters with new EvalContext for better code maintainability (PR #3353)

Archive support

  • BugFix: Fix error dialogs when comparing two Rar4 files (#3392)

  • Update 7-Zip to 26.02

Select Files or Folders dialog
  • Add support for clipboard URL comparison and clipboard history menu (PR #3352)
Plugins
  • Add HandleSchemeClipboard plugin (PR #3352)
Project files
  • Warn user before opening project files containing plugin arguments for security reasons (PR #3397, #3396)
Translations

  • Translation updates:

    • Brazilian (PR #3431)
    • Chinese Simplified (PR #3429, PR #3438)
    • Chinese Traditional (PR #3426)
    • Corsican (PR #3420)
    • French (PR #3393, PR #3406, PR #3408, PR #3435)
    • German (PR #3432)
    • Italian (PR #3399, PR #3434, PR #3446)
    • Korean (PR #3422, PR #3433)
    • Lithuanian (PR #3405, PR #3439)
    • Polish (PR #3418, PR #3430)
    • Portuguese (PR #3391, PR #3414)
    • Russian (PR #3395, PR #3428)
    • Spanish (PR #3421, PR #3423, PR #3424, PR #3425)
    • Turkish (PR #3403, PR #3436)
Known issues
  • Pressing OK in the Options window while the INI file specified by /inifile is open for comparison in WinMerge may corrupt the file. (#2685)
  • Suggestion to make the result of image comparison more reliable (#1391)
  • Crashes when comparing large files (#325)
  • Very slow to compare significantly different directories (#322)
  • Vertical scrollbar breaks after pasting text (#296)
What's Changed

Full Changelog: https://github.com/WinMerge/winmerge/compare/v2.16.56...v2.16.57

View originalPermalink
How v2.16.57 went
v2.16.56.2

v2.16.56.2 (2026.05)

Added 5
  • Add override option for unrestricted Image Compare
  • Show error message when entering invalid path in header bar
  • Add recent items and clipboard history to header bar menu
  • Add Folder comparison mode with archive extraction support
  • Add codepage filter UI and hasbom field support
Changed 3
  • Update 7-Zip to 26.01
  • Use 7-Zip IsArc API for archive detection and refactor format guessing logic
  • Prioritize explicitly selected plugins over archive detection
Fixed 10
  • Fix incorrect copy when selection ends inside a word diff
  • Skip invisible lines in search/replace
  • Fix text misalignment and repaint artifacts when toggling line numbers in word wrap mode
  • Fix crash in 3-pane diff when move block detection is enabled
  • Preserve tree expansion and UI state after refresh
  • Do not convert drive-relative paths like C: to C:\

GitHub Releases (by Release)

WinMerge 2.16.56.2 Release Notes

May 2026

About This Release

This is a WinMerge 2.16.56.2 stable release. This release replaces earlier WinMerge stable releases as a recommended release.

Please submit bug reports to our bug-tracker.

What Is New in 2.16.56.2
File compare

  • BugFix: Fix incorrect copy when selection ends inside a word diff (PR #3358)

  • BugFix: Skip invisible lines in search/replace

  • BugFix: Fix text misalignment and repaint artifacts when toggling line numbers in word wrap mode

  • BugFix: Fix crash in 3-pane diff when move block detection is enabled

Folder compare

  • BugFix: Preserve tree expansion and UI state after refresh (#3366,PR #3369)

  • BugFix: Do not convert drive-relative paths like C: to C:\ (PR #3373)

  • BugFix: "Right only files" missing when showing left/right only (#3378)

Image compare

  • BugFix: Image compare does not remember the state of the "Blink" toggle between sessions (#3368)

  • BugFix: [FEATURE] override option for unrestricted Image Compare (#3382)

Plugins
  • BugFix: Fix missing "Unpacked file extension" value in Edit Plugin dialog
Archive support
  • Update 7-Zip to 26.01
Installer
  • Fixed missing Vietnamese WinMerge translation in installer
Translations

  • Translation updates:

    • French (PR #3347)
    • Korean (PR #3349)
    • Russian (PR #3348)
What Is New in 2.16.56
General

  • Show error message when entering invalid path in header bar (PR #3322)

  • Add recent items and clipboard history to header bar menu (PR #3330)

Folder compare

  • Add Folder comparison mode with archive extraction support (PR #3320)

  • Refactor: unify open parameters and move recurse to OpenFolderParams (PR #3326)

  • Add codepage filter UI and hasbom field support (PR #3318)

Archive support

  • Use 7-Zip IsArc API for archive detection and refactor format guessing logic (PR #3323)

  • Prioritize explicitly selected plugins over archive detection (PR #3324)

Translations
  • Translation updates:
    • Brazilian (PR #3328,#3341)
    • Chinese Simplified (PR #3307,#3331,#3344)
    • French (PR #3312)
    • German (PR #3329)
    • Italian (PR #3335,#3342)
    • Korean (PR #3334)
    • Lithuanian (PR #3308)
    • Russian (PR #3309)
    • Turkish (PR #3333)
Documentation

  • Update Italian documentation (PR #3319)

  • Update French manual (PR #3325)

What Is New in 2.16.55 Beta
General

  • Fix incorrect GetAsyncKeyState usage for modifier key detection (PR #3257)

  • Update POCO C++ Libraries to 1.15.1 (PR #3292)

File compare

  • BugFix: Fix keyboard input issue after Alt+mouse operations (PR #3254)

  • BugFix: Register self-compare in MRU and refactor command line parameter buil… (PR #3266)

  • Refactor save confirmation logic using SaveClosingDlg::ShowAndSave (PR #3256)

  • Enable IME text reconversion in editor view (PR #3214)

Image compare

  • BugFix: Fix crash caused by OnClose being called twice in image compare window (PR #3255)

  • Speedup image comparision slider during WipeEffect (PR winimerge/#33)

Folder compare

  • BugFix: Fix an issue where skipped items were not properly filtered during folder/file comparison. (PR #3267)

  • BugFix: Fix potential hang in DiffWorker shutdown (PR #3300)

  • Extend “Merge renamed items” option to support moved items (PR #3181)

  • Refactor compare engines to use DiffContext (PR #3197)

  • Refactor compare engines to write results into DIFFITEM and add FullQuickCompare (PR #3201)

  • Add e:/e!: filter prefixes for files and directories (PR #3205)

  • Add replaceWithList and regexReplaceWithList filter functions (PR #3213)

  • Add Replace Lists menu for Rename/Move detection keys (PR #3215)

  • Make replace and replaceWithList case-insensitive (PR #3222)

  • Add directives (@cs, @ci, @name) to filter expressions (PR #3253)

  • Add "Filter by This Column" to folder view header context menu (PR #3268)

  • Add display filter attributes and UI for filtering by comparison results (PR #3284)

  • Add ability to hide empty folders in tree mode (PR #3293)

  • Add Unpacker and Prediffer fields to file filter expressions (PR #3295)

  • Enable dynamic increase/decrease of compare threads (PR #3304)

Plugins

  • Add PrettifyPO and ValidatePO plugins for .po/.pot files (PR #3190)

  • Feature request: In CompareMSExcelFiles do not append a sheet order number to individual tsv, txt or html files (#3212)

  • Add CFR Java decompiler plugin for .class file comparison (PR #3242,#3243)

Translations
  • Translation updates:
    • Brazilian (PR #3185,#3194,#3219,#3231,#3245,#3275,#3287,#3303)
    • Chinese Simplified (PR #3183,#3191,#3220,#3228,#3244)
    • Corsican (PR #3259,#3299)
    • French (PR #3239)
    • German (PR #3187,#3196,#3217,#3232,#3237,#3251,#3274,#3288,#3297)
    • Hungarian (PR #3186,#3238,#3252)
    • Italian (PR #3199,#3218,#3229,#3235,#3236,#3246,#3249,#3269,#3272,#3285,#3302)
    • Japanese (PR #3258)
    • Korean (PR #3247,#3279,#3301)
    • Lithuanian (PR #3184,#3192,#3230,#3276,#3290)
    • Polish (PR #3233,#3273)
    • Russian (PR #3226,#3281)
    • Turkish (PR #3204,#3221,#3227,#3250,#3271,#3286,#3298)
Documentation

  • Added: Community standard files (like issue templates, pr template). (PR #3225)

  • Add context IDs to PO files & strip comments for releases (PR #3296)

Known issues
  • Pressing OK in the Options window while the INI file specified by /inifile is open for comparison in WinMerge may corrupt the file. (#2685)
  • Suggestion to make the result of image comparison more reliable (#1391)
  • Crashes when comparing large files (#325)
  • Very slow to compare significantly different directories (#322)
  • Vertical scrollbar breaks after pasting text (#296)

Full Changelog: https://github.com/WinMerge/winmerge/compare/v2.16.56...v2.16.56.2

View originalPermalink
How v2.16.56.2 went
v2.16.56

v2.16.56 (2026.04)

Added 10
  • Show error message when entering invalid path in header bar
  • Add recent items and clipboard history to header bar menu
  • Add Folder comparison mode with archive extraction support
  • Add codepage filter UI and hasbom field support
  • Enable IME text reconversion in editor view
  • Add e:/e!: filter prefixes for files and directories
Changed 5
  • Use 7-Zip IsArc API for archive detection and refactor format guessing logic
  • Prioritize explicitly selected plugins over archive detection
  • Unify open parameters and move recurse to OpenFolderParams
  • Update POCO C++ Libraries to 1.15.1
  • Extend Merge renamed items option to support moved items
Fixed 5
  • Fix incorrect GetAsyncKeyState usage for modifier key detection
  • Fix keyboard input issue after Alt+mouse operations
  • Fix crash caused by OnClose being called twice in image compare window
  • Fix an issue where skipped items were not properly filtered during folder/file comparison
  • Fix potential hang in DiffWorker shutdown

GitHub Releases (by Release)

WinMerge 2.16.56 Release Notes

April 2026

About This Release

This is a WinMerge 2.16.56 stable release. This release replaces earlier WinMerge stable releases as a recommended release.

Please submit bug reports to our bug-tracker.

What Is New in 2.16.56
General

  • Show error message when entering invalid path in header bar (PR #3322)

  • Add recent items and clipboard history to header bar menu (PR #3330)

Folder compare

  • Add Folder comparison mode with archive extraction support (PR #3320)

  • Refactor: unify open parameters and move recurse to OpenFolderParams (PR #3326)

  • Add codepage filter UI and hasbom field support (PR #3318)

Archive support

  • Use 7-Zip IsArc API for archive detection and refactor format guessing logic (PR #3323)

  • Prioritize explicitly selected plugins over archive detection (PR #3324)

Translations
  • Translation updates:
    • Brazilian (PR #3328,#3341)
    • Chinese Simplified (PR #3307,#3331,#3344)
    • French (PR #3312)
    • German (PR #3329)
    • Italian (PR #3335,#3342)
    • Korean (PR #3334)
    • Lithuanian (PR #3308)
    • Russian (PR #3309)
    • Turkish (PR #3333)
Documentation

  • Update Italian documentation (PR #3319)

  • Update French manual (PR #3325)

What Is New in 2.16.55 Beta
General

  • Fix incorrect GetAsyncKeyState usage for modifier key detection (PR #3257)

  • Update POCO C++ Libraries to 1.15.1 (PR #3292)

File compare

  • BugFix: Fix keyboard input issue after Alt+mouse operations (PR #3254)

  • BugFix: Register self-compare in MRU and refactor command line parameter buil… (PR #3266)

  • Refactor save confirmation logic using SaveClosingDlg::ShowAndSave (PR #3256)

  • Enable IME text reconversion in editor view (PR #3214)

Image compare

  • BugFix: Fix crash caused by OnClose being called twice in image compare window (PR #3255)

  • Speedup image comparision slider during WipeEffect (PR winimerge/#33)

Folder compare

  • BugFix: Fix an issue where skipped items were not properly filtered during folder/file comparison. (PR #3267)

  • BugFix: Fix potential hang in DiffWorker shutdown (PR #3300)

  • Extend “Merge renamed items” option to support moved items (PR #3181)

  • Refactor compare engines to use DiffContext (PR #3197)

  • Refactor compare engines to write results into DIFFITEM and add FullQuickCompare (PR #3201)

  • Add e:/e!: filter prefixes for files and directories (PR #3205)

  • Add replaceWithList and regexReplaceWithList filter functions (PR #3213)

  • Add Replace Lists menu for Rename/Move detection keys (PR #3215)

  • Make replace and replaceWithList case-insensitive (PR #3222)

  • Add directives (@cs, @ci, @name) to filter expressions (PR #3253)

  • Add "Filter by This Column" to folder view header context menu (PR #3268)

  • Add display filter attributes and UI for filtering by comparison results (PR #3284)

  • Add ability to hide empty folders in tree mode (PR #3293)

  • Add Unpacker and Prediffer fields to file filter expressions (PR #3295)

  • Enable dynamic increase/decrease of compare threads (PR #3304)

Plugins

  • Add PrettifyPO and ValidatePO plugins for .po/.pot files (PR #3190)

  • Feature request: In CompareMSExcelFiles do not append a sheet order number to individual tsv, txt or html files (#3212)

  • Add CFR Java decompiler plugin for .class file comparison (PR #3242,#3243)

Translations
  • Translation updates:
    • Brazilian (PR #3185,#3194,#3219,#3231,#3245,#3275,#3287,#3303)
    • Chinese Simplified (PR #3183,#3191,#3220,#3228,#3244)
    • Corsican (PR #3259,#3299)
    • French (PR #3239)
    • German (PR #3187,#3196,#3217,#3232,#3237,#3251,#3274,#3288,#3297)
    • Hungarian (PR #3186,#3238,#3252)
    • Italian (PR #3199,#3218,#3229,#3235,#3236,#3246,#3249,#3269,#3272,#3285,#3302)
    • Japanese (PR #3258)
    • Korean (PR #3247,#3279,#3301)
    • Lithuanian (PR #3184,#3192,#3230,#3276,#3290)
    • Polish (PR #3233,#3273)
    • Russian (PR #3226,#3281)
    • Turkish (PR #3204,#3221,#3227,#3250,#3271,#3286,#3298)
Documentation

  • Added: Community standard files (like issue templates, pr template). (PR #3225)

  • Add context IDs to PO files & strip comments for releases (PR #3296)

Known issues
  • Pressing OK in the Options window while the INI file specified by /inifile is open for comparison in WinMerge may corrupt the file. (#2685)
  • Suggestion to make the result of image comparison more reliable (#1391)
  • Crashes when comparing large files (#325)
  • Very slow to compare significantly different directories (#322)
  • Vertical scrollbar breaks after pasting text (#296)
What's Changed

Full Changelog: https://github.com/WinMerge/winmerge/compare/v2.16.54.2...v2.16.56

View originalPermalink
How v2.16.56 went
v2.16.55Pre-release

v2.16.55 (2026.04)

Added 7
  • Enable IME text reconversion in editor view
  • Add e:/e!: filter prefixes for files and directories
  • Add replaceWithList and regexReplaceWithList filter functions
  • Add Replace Lists menu for Rename/Move detection keys
  • Add directives (@cs, @ci, @name) to filter expressions
  • Add Filter by This Column to folder view header context menu
  • Add display filter attributes and UI for filtering by comparison results
Changed 7
  • Update POCO C++ Libraries to 1.15.1
  • Refactor save confirmation logic using SaveClosingDlg::ShowAndSave
  • Speedup image comparison slider during WipeEffect
  • Extend Merge renamed items option to support moved items
  • Refactor compare engines to use DiffContext
  • Refactor compare engines to write results into DIFFITEM and add FullQuickCompare
  • Make replace and replaceWithList case-insensitive
Fixed 6
  • Fix incorrect GetAsyncKeyState usage for modifier key detection
  • Fix keyboard input issue after Alt+mouse operations
  • Register self-compare in MRU and refactor command line parameter building
  • Fix crash caused by OnClose being called twice in image compare window
  • Fix an issue where skipped items were not properly filtered during folder/file comparison
  • Fix potential hang in DiffWorker shutdown

GitHub Releases (by Release)

WinMerge 2.16.55 Beta Release Notes

April 2026

About This Release

This is a WinMerge beta release which is meant for preview the current state of WinMerge development. This release is not recommended for production environments.

Please submit bug reports to our bug-tracker.

What Is New in 2.16.55 Beta
General

  • Fix incorrect GetAsyncKeyState usage for modifier key detection (PR #3257)

  • Update POCO C++ Libraries to 1.15.1 (PR #3292)

File compare

  • BugFix: Fix keyboard input issue after Alt+mouse operations (PR #3254)

  • BugFix: Register self-compare in MRU and refactor command line parameter buil… (PR #3266)

  • Refactor save confirmation logic using SaveClosingDlg::ShowAndSave (PR #3256)

  • Enable IME text reconversion in editor view (PR #3214)

Image compare

  • BugFix: Fix crash caused by OnClose being called twice in image compare window (PR #3255)

  • Speedup image comparision slider during WipeEffect (PR winimerge/#33)

Folder compare

  • BugFix: Fix an issue where skipped items were not properly filtered during folder/file comparison. (PR #3267)

  • BugFix: Fix potential hang in DiffWorker shutdown (PR #3300)

  • Extend “Merge renamed items” option to support moved items (PR #3181)

  • Refactor compare engines to use DiffContext (PR #3197)

  • Refactor compare engines to write results into DIFFITEM and add FullQuickCompare (PR #3201)

  • Add e:/e!: filter prefixes for files and directories (PR #3205)

  • Add replaceWithList and regexReplaceWithList filter functions (PR #3213)

  • Add Replace Lists menu for Rename/Move detection keys (PR #3215)

  • Make replace and replaceWithList case-insensitive (PR #3222)

  • Add directives (@cs, @ci, @name) to filter expressions (PR #3253)

  • Add "Filter by This Column" to folder view header context menu (PR #3268)

  • Add display filter attributes and UI for filtering by comparison results (PR #3284)

  • Add ability to hide empty folders in tree mode (PR #3293)

  • Add Unpacker and Prediffer fields to file filter expressions (PR #3295)

  • Enable dynamic increase/decrease of compare threads (PR #3304)

Plugins

  • Add PrettifyPO and ValidatePO plugins for .po/.pot files (PR #3190)

  • Feature request: In CompareMSExcelFiles do not append a sheet order number to individual tsv, txt or html files (#3212)

  • Add CFR Java decompiler plugin for .class file comparison (PR #3242,#3243)

Translations
  • Translation updates:
    • Brazilian (PR #3185,#3194,#3219,#3231,#3245,#3275,#3287,#3303)
    • Chinese Simplified (PR #3183,#3191,#3220,#3228,#3244)
    • Corsican (PR #3259,#3299)
    • French (PR #3239)
    • German (PR #3187,#3196,#3217,#3232,#3237,#3251,#3274,#3288,#3297)
    • Hungarian (PR #3186,#3238,#3252)
    • Italian (PR #3199,#3218,#3229,#3235,#3236,#3246,#3249,#3269,#3272,#3285,#3302)
    • Japanese (PR #3258)
    • Korean (PR #3247,#3279,#3301)
    • Lithuanian (PR #3184,#3192,#3230,#3276,#3290)
    • Polish (PR #3233,#3273)
    • Russian (PR #3226,#3281)
    • Turkish (PR #3204,#3221,#3227,#3250,#3271,#3286,#3298)
    • Ukrainian (PR #)
Documentation

  • Added: Community standard files (like issue templates, pr template). (PR #3225)

  • Add context IDs to PO files & strip comments for releases (PR #3296)

Known issues
  • Pressing OK in the Options window while the INI file specified by /inifile is open for comparison in WinMerge may corrupt the file. (#2685)
  • Suggestion to make the result of image comparison more reliable (#1391)
  • Crashes when comparing large files (#325)
  • Very slow to compare significantly different directories (#322)
  • Vertical scrollbar breaks after pasting text (#296)
What's Changed
New Contributors

Full Changelog: https://github.com/WinMerge/winmerge/compare/v2.16.54...v2.16.55

View originalPermalink
How v2.16.55 went
v2.16.54.2

v2.16.54.2 (2026.02)

Added 11
  • Add automatic crash detection and reporting
  • Add logInfo, logWarn, logError functions to filter expressions
  • Add new filter expression functions (if, ifEach, choose, chooseEach, andEach, orEach, notEach)
  • Add BaseName, IsFolder and new string transformation functions to filters
  • Add experimental customizable rename/move detection for folder comparison
  • Add Display Filter to Folder Compare
Changed 5
  • Update 7-zip to 26.00
  • Update expat to version 2.7.3
  • Update freeimage to 3.19.10
  • Replace line breaks with space in MSExcel formulas in CompareMSExcelFiles
  • Update jq to 1.8.1
Fixed 19
  • Fix white flash after opening WinMerge with Dark Mode
  • Fix 'Expand all subfolders' not working when rename/move detection is enabled
  • Fix incorrect results or crashes during recompare when 'Merge renamed items into a single item' is enabled
  • Fix Comparison Result showing 0 items after selecting 'Refresh Selected' from folder comparison context menu when rename/move detection is enabled
  • Fix folder comparison window not updating after saving renamed files in file comparison
  • Fix incorrect file comparison being opened for rename/move items in 3-way folder comparison
Removed 1
  • Remove build-time tools (lemon.exe, re2c.exe) from the installer package

GitHub Releases (by Release)

WinMerge 2.16.54.2 Release Notes

February 2026

About This Release

This is a WinMerge 2.16.54.2 stable release. This release replaces earlier WinMerge stable releases as a recommended release.

Please submit bug reports to our bug-tracker.

What Is New in 2.16.54.2
General
  • Add automatic crash detection and reporting (PR #3167)
Appearance
  • BugFix: white flash after opening WinMerge with Dark Mode (#3210)
Folder compare
  • BugFix: Fixed “Expand all subfolders” not working when rename/move detection is enabled
  • BugFix: Fixed incorrect results or crashes during recompare (F5) when "Merge renamed items into a single item" is enabled
  • BugFix: Fixed an issue where the Comparison Result showed 0 items after selecting “Refresh Selected” from the folder comparison context menu when rename/move detection is enabled
  • BugFix: Fixed the folder comparison window not updating after saving renamed files in file comparison
  • BugFix: Fixed incorrect file comparison being opened for rename/move items in 3-way folder comparison
  • BugFix: Prevent sorting while directory comparison is in progress
  • BugFix: Delayed file opening on double-click to prevent leftover clicks from affecting other windows
  • BugFix: Display each file extension when merged renamed items have different extensions
  • BugFix: Optimized column reloading and fixed a ReflectGetdispinfo-related crash
Options dialog
  • BugFix: Request to resize text boxes (#3163)
Plugins
  • BugFix: Fixed handling of empty replacement arguments in the Replace plugin
  • BugFix: Fixed incorrect substitution of plugin arguments (${1}, ${2}, …) by properly parsing the argument string
Archive support
  • Update 7-zip to 26.00
Manual
  • Fixes and completion of French translation including complete Manual (PR #3182)
Translations
  • Translation updates:
    • Brazilian (#3164,PR #3171)
    • Chinese Simplified (PR #3161,#3169)
    • French (PR #3165,#3182)
    • German (PR #3175)
    • Hungarian (PR #3173)
    • Italian (PR #3170)
    • Japanese
    • Korean (PR #3157)
    • Lithuanian (PR #3177)
    • Polish (PR #3158,#3176)
    • Portuguese (PR #3179)
    • Russian (PR #3159,#3160)
    • Turkish (PR #3178)
What Is New in 2.16.54
General
  • BugFix: Cyrilic shortcuts do not work for main menukeyboard shortcuts
  • BugFix: 2 recent-entries per project (#2990)
  • Updated expat to version 2.7.3
Folder compare
  • Add logInfo, logWarn, logError functions to filter expressions (PR #3131)
  • Add new filter expression functions (if, ifEach, choose, chooseEach, andEach, orEach, notEach) (PR #3132)
  • Add BaseName/IsFolder and new string transformation functions to filters (PR #3146)
  • Add experimental customizable rename/move detection for folder comparison (PR #3126)
Options window
  • Adjusted the height of the Options dialog and the position of the Defaults button
Shell extension
  • BugFix: Add-AppxPackage fails if path ends with backslash (PR #3145)
Installer
  • Removed build-time tools (lemon.exe, re2c.exe) from the installer package.
Translations
  • New translation: Vietnamese (PR #3142)
  • Translation updates:
    • Brazilian (PR #3150)
    • Chinese Simplified (PR #3156)
    • French (PR #3137)
    • German (PR #3148)
    • Hungarian (PR #3149)
    • Italian (PR #3147)
    • Japanese
    • Korean (PR #3125,#3127)
    • Lithuanian (PR #3144,#3153)
    • Polish (PR #3154,#3155)
    • Turkish (PR #3152)
    • Ukrainian (PR #3130)
What Is New in 2.16.53 Beta
General
  • Allow comparing files by editing header path (Ctrl+L / Alt+D) (PR #3093)
File compare
  • Async binary comparison for “Selected files are identical” dialog (PR #3060)
Binary compare
  • BugFix: Fixed crash when an error occurs while opening files in the binary comparison window.
Image compare

  • [ImageCompare] Problems with unsupported formats (#3044)

  • Update freeimage to 3.19.10

Webpage compare
  • BugFix: Fixed garbled filenames displayed in Web comparison tabs and header bar
Folder compare

  • BugFix: This line cannot be displayed correctly after translation. msgid "Failed to extract archive.\nCompare as text file?" (#3073)

  • BugFix: Unexpected file closure when moving files from a comparison (#3088)

  • Add Display Filter to Folder Compare (PR #3106)

  • Add folder statistics filter attributes and helper menu (PR #3111)

  • Introduce isWithin() and inRange() for explicit inclusive/exclusive range checks (PR #3124)

Options dialog
  • Add option to select user data location (AppData or Documents) (PR #3078)
Plugins

  • CompareMSExcelFiles: Replace line breaks with space in MSExcel formulas (PR #3028)

  • Updated jq to 1.8.1

Translations

  • Translation updates:

    • Brazilian (PR #3034,#3064,#3085,#3101,#3107,#3121)
    • Chinese Simplified (PR #3035,#3077,#3086,#3097,#3123)
    • Chinese Traditional (PR #3052,#3073,WinMerge/frhed#26)
    • Corsican (PR #3119)
    • French (PR #3072,#3105,#3106)
    • German (PR #3037,#3068,#3081,#3098,#3108,#3115)
    • Hungarian (PR #3036,#3061,#3080,#3100,#3116)
    • Italian (PR #3033,#3062,#3099,#3113,#3118)
    • Japanese
    • Korean (PR #3062,#3082)
    • Lithuanian (PR #3032,#3065,#3087,#3104,#3114)
    • Polish (PR #3050,#3089,#3103,#3112,#3122)
    • Turkish (PR #3043,#3063,#3083,#3102,#3111,#3117)
Manual
  • Added FAQ about file selection order in Windows Explorer. (#3090,#3094)
Known issues
  • Pressing OK in the Options window while the INI file specified by /inifile is open for comparison in WinMerge may corrupt the file. (#2685)
  • Suggestion to make the result of image comparison more reliable (#1391)
  • Crashes when comparing large files (#325)
  • Very slow to compare significantly different directories (#322)
  • Vertical scrollbar breaks after pasting text (#296)
What's Changed
New Contributors

Full Changelog: https://github.com/WinMerge/winmerge/compare/v2.16.54...v2.16.54.2

View originalPermalink
How v2.16.54.2 went

v2.16.54

Added 10
  • Add logInfo, logWarn, logError functions to filter expressions
  • Add new filter expression functions (if, ifEach, choose, chooseEach, andEach, orEach, notEach)
  • Add BaseName, IsFolder and new string transformation functions to filters
  • Add experimental customizable rename/move detection for folder comparison
  • New translation: Vietnamese
  • Allow comparing files by editing header path with Ctrl+L / Alt+D
Changed 4
  • Update expat to version 2.7.3
  • Adjust the height of the Options dialog and the position of the Defaults button
  • Implement async binary comparison for Selected files are identical dialog
  • Update freeimage to 3.19.10
Fixed 5
  • Cyrillic shortcuts do not work for main menu keyboard shortcuts
  • 2 recent entries per project
  • Add-AppxPackage fails if path ends with backslash
  • Fixed crash when an error occurs while opening files in the binary comparison window
  • Fixed garbled filenames displayed in Web comparison tabs and header bar
Removed 1
  • Remove build-time tools (lemon.exe, re2c.exe) from the installer package

GitHub Releases (by Release)

WinMerge 2.16.54 Release Notes

January 2026

About This Release

This is a WinMerge 2.16.54 stable release. This release replaces earlier WinMerge stable releases as a recommended release.

Please submit bug reports to our bug-tracker.

What Is New in 2.16.54
General
  • BugFix: Cyrilic shortcuts do not work for main menukeyboard shortcuts
  • BugFix: 2 recent-entries per project (#2990)
  • Updated expat to version 2.7.3 (#3151)
Folder compare
  • Add logInfo, logWarn, logError functions to filter expressions (PR #3131)
  • Add new filter expression functions (if, ifEach, choose, chooseEach, andEach, orEach, notEach) (PR #3132)
  • Add BaseName/IsFolder and new string transformation functions to filters (PR #3146)
  • Add experimental customizable rename/move detection for folder comparison (PR #3126)
Options window
  • Adjusted the height of the Options dialog and the position of the Defaults button
Shell extension
  • BugFix: Add-AppxPackage fails if path ends with backslash (PR #3145)
Installer
  • Removed build-time tools (lemon.exe, re2c.exe) from the installer package.
Translations
  • New translation: Vietnamese (PR #3142)
  • Translation updates:
    • Brazilian (PR #3150)
    • Chinese Simplified (PR #3156)
    • French (PR #3137)
    • German (PR #3148)
    • Hungarian (PR #3149)
    • Italian (PR #3147)
    • Japanese
    • Korean (PR #3125,#3127)
    • Lithuanian (PR #3144,#3153)
    • Polish (PR #3154,#3155)
    • Turkish (PR #3152)
    • Ukrainian (PR #3130)
What Is New in 2.16.53 Beta
General
  • Allow comparing files by editing header path (Ctrl+L / Alt+D) (PR #3093)
File compare
  • Async binary comparison for “Selected files are identical” dialog (PR #3060)
Binary compare
  • BugFix: Fixed crash when an error occurs while opening files in the binary comparison window.
Image compare

  • [ImageCompare] Problems with unsupported formats (#3044)

  • Update freeimage to 3.19.10

Webpage compare
  • BugFix: Fixed garbled filenames displayed in Web comparison tabs and header bar
Folder compare

  • BugFix: This line cannot be displayed correctly after translation. msgid "Failed to extract archive.\nCompare as text file?" (#3073)

  • BugFix: Unexpected file closure when moving files from a comparison (#3088)

  • Add Display Filter to Folder Compare (PR #3106)

  • Add folder statistics filter attributes and helper menu (PR #3111)

  • Introduce isWithin() and inRange() for explicit inclusive/exclusive range checks (PR #3124)

Options dialog
  • Add option to select user data location (AppData or Documents) (PR #3078)
Plugins

  • CompareMSExcelFiles: Replace line breaks with space in MSExcel formulas (PR #3028)

  • Updated jq to 1.8.1

Translations

  • Translation updates:

    • Brazilian (PR #3034,#3064,#3085,#3101,#3107,#3121)
    • Chinese Simplified (PR #3035,#3077,#3086,#3097,#3123)
    • Chinese Traditional (PR #3052,#3073,WinMerge/frhed#26)
    • Corsican (PR #3119)
    • French (PR #3072,#3105,#3106)
    • German (PR #3037,#3068,#3081,#3098,#3108,#3115)
    • Hungarian (PR #3036,#3061,#3080,#3100,#3116)
    • Italian (PR #3033,#3062,#3099,#3113,#3118)
    • Japanese
    • Korean (PR #3062,#3082)
    • Lithuanian (PR #3032,#3065,#3087,#3104,#3114)
    • Polish (PR #3050,#3089,#3103,#3112,#3122)
    • Turkish (PR #3043,#3063,#3083,#3102,#3111,#3117)
Manual
  • Added FAQ about file selection order in Windows Explorer. (#3090,#3094)
Known issues
  • Pressing OK in the Options window while the INI file specified by /inifile is open for comparison in WinMerge may corrupt the file. (#2685)
  • Suggestion to make the result of image comparison more reliable (#1391)
  • Crashes when comparing large files (#325)
  • Very slow to compare significantly different directories (#322)
  • Vertical scrollbar breaks after pasting text (#296)
What's Changed
New Contributors

Full Changelog: https://github.com/WinMerge/winmerge/compare/v2.16.52.2...v2.16.54

View originalPermalink
How v2.16.54 went

v2.16.53

Pre-release
Added 5
  • Allow comparing files by editing header path with Ctrl+L / Alt+D
  • Add Display Filter to Folder Compare
  • Add folder statistics filter attributes and helper menu
  • Introduce isWithin() and inRange() for explicit inclusive/exclusive range checks
  • Add option to select user data location (AppData or Documents)
Changed 4
  • Async binary comparison for Selected files are identical dialog
  • Replace line breaks with space in MSExcel formulas in CompareMSExcelFiles plugin
  • Update freeimage to 3.19.10
  • Update jq to 1.8.1
Fixed 4
  • Fixed crash when an error occurs while opening files in the binary comparison window
  • Fixed garbled filenames displayed in Web comparison tabs and header bar
  • Fixed line that cannot be displayed correctly after translation in folder compare
  • Fixed unexpected file closure when moving files from a comparison

GitHub Releases (by Release)

WinMerge 2.16.53 Beta Release Notes

January 2026

About This Release

This is a WinMerge beta release which is meant for preview the current state of WinMerge development. This release is not recommended for the production.

Please submit bug reports to our bug-tracker.

What Is New in 2.16.53 Beta
General
  • Allow comparing files by editing header path (Ctrl+L / Alt+D) (PR #3093)
File compare
  • Async binary comparison for “Selected files are identical” dialog (PR #3060)
Binary compare
  • BugFix: Fixed crash when an error occurs while opening files in the binary comparison window.
Image compare

  • [ImageCompare] Problems with unsupported formats (#3044)

  • Update freeimage to 3.19.10

Webpage compare
  • BugFix: Fixed garbled filenames displayed in Web comparison tabs and header bar
Folder compare

  • BugFix: This line cannot be displayed correctly after translation. msgid "Failed to extract archive.\nCompare as text file?" (#3073)

  • BugFix: Unexpected file closure when moving files from a comparison (#3088)

  • Add Display Filter to Folder Compare (PR #3106)

  • Add folder statistics filter attributes and helper menu (PR #3111)

  • Introduce isWithin() and inRange() for explicit inclusive/exclusive range checks (PR #3124)

Options dialog
  • Add option to select user data location (AppData or Documents) (PR #3078)
Plugins

  • CompareMSExcelFiles: Replace line breaks with space in MSExcel formulas (PR #3028)

  • Updated jq to 1.8.1

Translations

  • Translation updates:

    • Brazilian (PR #3034,#3064,#3085,#3101,#3107,#3121)
    • Chinese Simplified (PR #3035,#3077,#3086,#3097,#3123)
    • Chinese Traditional (PR #3052,#3073,WinMerge/frhed#26)
    • Corsican (PR #3119)
    • French (PR #3072,#3105,#3106)
    • German (PR #3037,#3068,#3081,#3098,#3108,#3115)
    • Hungarian (PR #3036,#3061,#3080,#3100,#3116)
    • Italian (PR #3033,#3062,#3099,#3113,#3118)
    • Japanese
    • Korean (PR #3062,#3082)
    • Lithuanian (PR #3032,#3065,#3087,#3104,#3114)
    • Polish (PR #3050,#3089,#3103,#3112,#3122)
    • Turkish (PR #3043,#3063,#3083,#3102,#3111,#3117)
Manual
  • Added FAQ about file selection order in Windows Explorer. (#3090,#3094)
Known issues
  • Pressing OK in the Options window while the INI file specified by /inifile is open for comparison in WinMerge may corrupt the file. (#2685)
  • Suggestion to make the result of image comparison more reliable (#1391)
  • Crashes when comparing large files (#325)
  • Very slow to compare significantly different directories (#322)
  • Vertical scrollbar breaks after pasting text (#296)
What's Changed

Full Changelog: https://github.com/WinMerge/winmerge/compare/v2.16.52.2...v2.16.53

View originalPermalink
How v2.16.53 went

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