DirEqual 7.7.2 — Mac version

This release polishes the core comparison engine, keeping things snappy on older and newer Macs alike.

Side-by-side comparison — two directory trees shown next to each other, with file size and modification date for every item.

Template-based filtering — set a filename pattern so you only see matching files, ignoring everything else.

Manual sync — you decide what moves. Copy or delete selected files and folders between sides, no automatic merging.

Saved sessions — the app remembers your last compared folders so you can pick up where you left off.

Drag and drop — drop folders straight onto the window to line them up for comparison.

Picking between FreeFileSync and DirEqual's focused approach

DirEqual sits somewhere between the Finder's bare-bones folder view and heavyweight sync utilities. It does one job without piling on features you'll never touch.

DirEqual versus FreeFileSync. FreeFileSync is the open-source workhorse — powerful, cross-platform, and packed with automation options. But on a Mac it brings a clunky X11-era interface and requires extra steps to set up scheduling. DirEqual feels native from the moment it opens. If you need scheduled, hands-off sync, FreeFileSync wins. If you want to see what's different and make a quick call, DirEqual gets out of your way faster.

DirEqual versus ChronoSync. ChronoSync can back up entire boot drives, run scripts, and manage complex rule sets. It's brilliant for that. It's also a lot of interface for comparing two folders of photos or code. DirEqual strips the job back to a tree view with colour-coded differences and a few keyboard shortcuts. No setup wizard, no connection profiles — just pick two folders and go.

DirEqual versus Beyond Compare. Beyond Compare handles text diffs, image comparisons, and FTP folder sync. DirEqual stays local: two folder trees, on your Mac, nothing remote. The trade-off is simplicity. Beyond Compare's toolbar can feel like an aeroplane cockpit; DirEqual's window is quiet enough to leave open while you do other things.

Scanning 40 GB with 12,000 items in about 12 seconds

On an Intel MacBook Air from 2017 running macOS Monterey, scanning a 40 GB folder with 12,000 items takes about 12 seconds. The progress bar stays responsive — no beachball, no frozen window. On an Apple Silicon machine that same scan finishes under five seconds. Memory use hovers around 120 MB during a large comparison, which is modest next to a browser tab playing video.

Content comparison — where DirEqual actually opens files and checks bytes — is slower by design. A folder full of 200 MB video files will take a while. The app doesn't cache hashes between sessions, so re-scanning a folder means reading everything again. For quick size-and-date checks though, the tree populates fast enough that you're not tapping your fingers.

Stability is uneventful, which is what you want. Over a few weeks of daily use — checking backup folders, tidying duplicate photo sets, verifying project copies — it hasn't crashed once. The only quirk: dragging a folder onto a tab that already has two paths loaded sometimes replaces the wrong side. Paying attention to which panel is highlighted avoids it.

A real task: tidying a messy backup drive

Say you've got a portable drive called "Archive" that's accumulated several half-finished backups of your Documents folder. You need to merge them without losing newer files. Here's one smooth way through it with DirEqual.

1. Plug in the drive and open DirEqual. Drag the oldest backup folder into the left panel, the newest into the right.
2. Switch the comparison mode to Compare by content if the file dates might be unreliable — copied files often pick up today's date, making them look newer than they are.
3. Expand the tree and watch for colour coding. Blue means different, red means missing from one side, grey means identical. Click any item to see size and modification date side by side.
4. For files that exist only on the left (the older backup) but not on the right, use Copy to right from the context menu. DirEqual places them in the matching folder on the newer backup side.
5. If the right side has files missing on the left that you don't recognise, leave them alone — that's the point of manual sync. No automatic decisions.
6. Work through the coloured items until only grey remains. Both folders now hold the same set.

A tip: save the session before closing the window. Next time you plug in that drive, DirEqual remembers the two paths and you can run the same comparison with one click. For users searching direqual mac looking for a lightweight diff tool, this kind of quick-hit workflow is where the app earns its keep — no scripts, no rules, just visible differences and a few deliberate clicks.

• macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or newer
• Works on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs