Meld — The Complete Guide: Free Visual Diff and Merge of Files and Folders With Git
Meld is an open-source visual compare and merge tool from the GNOME ecosystem, for Linux and Windows. It compares files and folders two-way or three-way and integrates with version-control systems — so it suits anyone who keeps scripts, input files or calculation templates in Git.
Meld
GNOME / Meld project
Visual two- and three-way diff and merge for files and folders, with Git and version-control support.
Get it from the vendorWhat you get
- Live comparison — differences update as you edit.
- Three-way merge — including conflict handling and display of the base version.
- Folder comparison — which files were added, deleted or changed.
- Version control — Git, Mercurial and Subversion, with the state of every file in the project.
- In-place editing — fix the file right inside the comparison window.
Using it with Git
When two engineers change the same calculation script at the same time, Git flags a conflict. Meld shows both versions and the base version side by side and lets you choose what stays. You can set it as Git’s diff and merge tool. On macOS there are only semi-official builds; if you work on Windows only, WinMerge is another option.
Related tools
For version control itself — Git. To edit the code — VSCodium. Another compare and merge alternative — KDiff3.
Git
Git project
Version control for code, scripts and input files — who changed what and when, and return to any version.
Get it from the vendor
WinMerge
WinMerge team
Compare and merge files, folders, tables and images on Windows — see what changed between revisions.
Get it from the vendor
KDiff3
KDE
Compare and merge two or three files or folders — to reconcile changes to scripts, input files and configs.
Get it from the vendor
VSCodium
VSCodium project
The VS Code editor as a fully open build — Python, MATLAB, C, Markdown and more, without telemetry.
Get it from the vendorThe bottom line
Meld makes merges and comparisons visual and clear. It is completely free and fits neatly into any Git workflow.