ComparatorPro

Even if you place two explorer windows side by side, it is quite difficult to compare the contents of two folders or to see which items are newer or older. Comparator makes it easier to spot differences between your folders. It lets you know which files are present in one folder, but missing in the other one, which items are identical and more.

The software's installation package is almost one and a half MB, so you can download Comparator and install its components in no time. It is compatible with all Windows editions, from Win 95 to Win 8, and it does not use too much disk space or processing power. Besides purchasing the software, you can also upgrade to a Pro version, which provides a file synchronization function and other features.

Comparator's functions are easy to understand and they are well organized on a user friendly interface. You can prepare a scanning process and view the results on separate tabs. To set up a new scan, you must select two folders, in separate tree structures. Once you select a source and a destination, you can either start the scan or make a few adjustments.

The software allows you to specify one or more extensions, to include or exclude certain file types. You can also set up minimum and maximum sizes, to exclude files that are smaller or larger than your values. Before you start the scan, you may tick a few other options, to include hidden files and folders, to find duplicates based on their contents, and to process sub-folders.

The results are broken down into four categories and displayed on separate sub-tabs. Regardless of the selected category, you will find a side by side comparison of your targeted folders. The software will display which contents are present in the source folder, but not in the destination and vice versa, which files are newer than their counterparts in the other folder and which files have conflicting dates. Duplicate files are displayed in the same way, on separate panels, to facilitate a side by side comparison.

Options for copying or deleting files are present in all results sections, on both panels. You may copy all the files or only the selected items, from one folder to another, erase duplicates, replace older files with newer ones and so on. These features are particularly useful if you need to update a backup folder.