ComparatorPro 5.12

Overview

Comparator Pro is a great way to synchronize two folders, including their sub-folders. It has many features, such as transporting files in another drive or computer, synchronization over a network or the internet and creation of backups in order to keep the files safe from unwanted deletion. In addition, it is possible for the program to compare files by content and provide precise results. You can also perform a CRC check which sacrifices speed for complete accuracy.

Installation

After running the installer, the first step is to choose the desired language between English, French (Canadian or Standard) and German. Proceeding throughout the installation you will see that there are no special settings you need to make.

The program contains no viruses, malware or spyware and doesn’t include any extra software.

In the product’s official website it is stated that the supported operating systems are Windows 2000, XP and Vista but it works equally well on Windows 7.

Interface

The interface is pretty easy to handle. It has a nice symmetry on it, which makes things even better. From the top part of the window you can choose the source and destination folders from the explorer-style panels, in each side respectively. On the area between them are some settings that you can tweak. Lastly, at the bottom part of the program you can see two panes located horizontally one next to another and 5 tabs above them: Missing Files, Newer Files, Duplicate Files, Date Conflicts and Files Browser. Each one changes the contents of the two panes and the available functions.

You can change the program’s language into Arabic, Dansk, Deutsch, English and French.

Pros

It is pretty easy to compare folders. All you have to do is pick the source and destination folder and then select what kind of action you want to perform by changing the tabs at the bottom. The first tab (the “Missing” tab) will show you the different files between each folder. The “Newer Files” tab will let you update the files in the folder containing the older files. The “Duplicates” tab shows you the duplicate files that exist within each folder. In the “Date Conflicts” tab you can see which files have the same name, size and date but are not duplicates. Since their date and time is the same, the program cannot decide which files are newer. The last tab (“File Browser”) shows the contents of the selected folders.

After adjusting the settings you can save them to presets and use them again in the future without spending time to configure them every time.

Cons

No cons here. It is a very stable program with no bugs.

Alternatives

Directory Compare is a free utility that helps you create backups of any folders you wish, and store them anywhere you want (external hard disks, USB devices etc.). Treecompare (free) is another alternative which is simpler than the other two programs but has useful features as well. FreeFileSync (free) is one more file comparison and synchronization tool that you could use even if you are a Linux user.

Conclusion

Probably one of the top software in this area, with a vast variety of features and an awesome interface, which although doesn’t have a sparkling design and modern graphics it still has exceptional usability and functionality.