Standard vs Pro Editions

The Standard edition of Beyond Compare version 3 is a powerful full-featured comparison tool, not a stripped-down "lite" version.  The Standard edition brings forward the functionality in Beyond Compare version 2, and adds full-screen editing, full Unicode support, syntax highlighting and much more.

However, the Pro edition adds these advanced functions:

3-way text merging

Compares independent changes against a common ancestor to create new merged content.

Text replacements

Lets you flag certain changes in text as unimportant differences in a Text Compare session.  For example, ignore all instances where apple was replaced by orange.

Folder Compare alignment overrides

Overrides how files are aligned in a Folder Compare session.  For example, you could compare your .gif files on one side with .png files of the same name on the other side.

Source control integration

Adds commands for checking files in or out of SCC-compliant version control systems.

SFTP support

Rather than relying on third-party solutions, BC3 Pro has integrated support for secure FTP protocols (SFTP and FTP over SSL).

Note  The trial download of Beyond Compare actually contains both Standard and Pro editions.  You can disable Pro mode in the Help | About dialog in order to limit your trial to Standard functionality.

Your license key will unlock the appropriate edition for permanent use.  If you choose the Standard Edition license, you can upgrade later to Pro for the difference in price.