ABDiff icon ABDiff macOS

Mac file comparison and merge

PROFESSIONAL DIFF & MERGE FOR macOS

ABDiff is a native macOS application for precise file comparison and merge workflows across text, images, video, folders, and Mach-O binaries. A powerful alternative to Araxis, Beyond Compare, DiffMerge, Kaleidoscope, Meld, and WinMerge.

ABDiff gives you the tools to review and validate important changes that still require human judgment.

View on the Mac App Store Support Privacy Manual
  • Native interface
  • Keyboard-first interaction
  • Sandboxed and privacy-respecting
  • No telemetry
  • No file uploads
  • Your data stays on your machine
ABDiff application screenshot
Merge

Core workflows

Compare text, images, video, folders, and binaries

ABDiff keeps complex review local, keyboard-friendly, and ready for Git-driven workflows.

TEXT DIFF & MERGE

Compare files with high-signal visual feedback:

Unified, side-by-side, or connector layouts

  • Word-level highlighting inside changed lines
  • Fast keyboard navigation between changes
  • Line and hunk copy between panes
  • Three-way merge with explicit conflict regions
  • Git revision loading directly inside the view
  • Patch export support

Only the result file is editable during merges — keeping workflows deliberate and controlled.

IMAGE COMPARISON

Go beyond pixel guessing with multiple inspection modes:

  • Split and crossfade for human review
  • Change Boxes for region-based change detection
  • Absolute and proportional difference
  • Blurred difference and edge comparison
  • SSIM analysis
  • Delta E (Lab) color difference

Includes alignment strategies, zoom, and pan for precise inspection.

VIDEO COMPARISON

Compare two videos on a synchronized timeline:

  • Side-by-side or split comparison
  • Shared playback controls
  • Frame-by-frame inspection
  • Zoom and pan for detailed analysis

Ideal for visual regression, rendering validation, and motion checks.

FOLDER COMPARISON

Understand structural changes across directory trees:

  • Relative path alignment
  • Expandable change navigation
  • Copy left/right and move-to-trash actions
  • Hidden file filtering and ignore patterns

Designed for real project diffs, not toy examples.

MACH-O BINARY COMPARISON

Structured, read-only comparison of Mach-O binaries:

  • Slice-aware inspection
  • Header, Load Commands, Segments, and Exports
  • Difference highlighting consistent with other modes
  • Metadata summaries and diff filtering
  • Flag potential private API usage

CLI & WORKFLOW INTEGRATION

ABDiff includes the `abd` command-line tool:

  • Integrate with git difftool and git mergetool
  • Open comparisons directly from terminal
  • Configure with JetBrains IDEs, Sourcetree, and VSCode
  • CI-style image comparison with metrics and exit codes

Practical details

Use cases and links

COMMON USE CASES

  • Git difftool and mergetool workflows
  • Reviewing pull request changes locally
  • Visual regression testing for images
  • Comparing rendered video outputs
  • Inspecting Mach-O binaries and builds
  • Validating generated assets

Resources

Use the Mac App Store listing for the download page, GitHub for support, the privacy policy for review requirements, and the manual for workflows and reference topics.

View on the Mac App Store Support Privacy Manual