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cwdiff

cwdiff is a command-line wrapper for wdiff that compares directories and displays differences in color.

Place
#28 of 33
Score
5.7
cwdiff's website

What cwdiff is

cwdiff is a command-line wrapper for wdiff that compares directories and displays differences in color. It is listed for Linux command-line use and is free, with a plan price of no cost. The README describes configuring it as a Mercurial extdiff command and invoking it with hg wdiff. Users can suppress colored output by adding --no-color to the wdiff options. The project is a shell-language repository. Listed ways to obtain it include a tarball and packages for MacPorts, Arch Linux AUR, NetBSD, and Gentoo. A NetBSD package page lists a NetBSD 10.0 binary package for version 0.4.0 and no runtime dependencies. Documentation is hosted on junghans.github.io, and the repository directs bug reports to GitHub Issues. The NetBSD package page lists GNU GPL version 2 as the license.

Good

  • Compares directories through a wdiff wrapper.
  • Colorizes output, with an option to disable colors.
  • Can be configured as a Mercurial extdiff command.
  • Listed packages include MacPorts, NetBSD, and Gentoo.
  • No runtime dependencies are listed for the NetBSD package.

Watch out

  • The stated platform is Linux command line.
  • NetBSD package details are for version 0.4.0.
  • No paid plans or usage limits are stated.

Who it suits

cwdiff suits Linux command-line users who want to compare directories with wdiff and see colorized differences. Mercurial users can configure it as an extdiff command.

Verdict

cwdiff offers a focused directory-comparison workflow for Linux command-line users, including a documented Mercurial setup. Check the listed platform and package options against your environment before choosing it.

Plans and prices

From cwdiff's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2026.

All about pricing
PlanPriceWhat it gives you
cwdiffFreeNo paid plans or usage limits stated

The facts

Each one read from cwdiff's own pages, with the date it was checked.

What it does

Color option
The README says to add --no-color to the wdiff options to disable colors.checked 4 Oct 2026
Documentation
The README links to project documentation hosted on junghans.github.io.checked 4 Oct 2026
Downloads
The README lists a tarball, MacPorts, Arch Linux AUR, NetBSD, and Gentoo packages.checked 4 Oct 2026
License
The NetBSD package page lists the license as GNU GPL version 2.checked 4 Oct 2026
Maintainer
The GitHub account associated with the repository identifies its owner as Christoph Junghans.checked 4 Oct 2026
Maintainer location
The maintainer profile lists Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA.checked 4 Oct 2026
Mercurial setup
The README describes configuring cwdiff as a Mercurial extdiff command and running it with hg wdiff.checked 4 Oct 2026
Operating system package
The NetBSD package page provides a NetBSD 10.0 binary package for cwdiff 0.4.0.checked 4 Oct 2026
Project type
GitHub describes the project as a shell-language repository.checked 4 Oct 2026
Purpose
cwdiff is a wrapper for wdiff that supports directories and colorizes output.checked 4 Oct 2026
Runtime dependencies
The NetBSD package page lists no runtime dependencies.checked 4 Oct 2026
Support
The repository directs users to GitHub Issues to report bugs.checked 4 Oct 2026

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