# Folder Compare Overview

A Folder Compare session compares two folder structures side-by-side, in a variation of the familiar Windows Explorer style. The comparison may be of folders on your hard drive or network, but either side also may be a remote service (e.g. FTP site), an archive file, or a snapshot taken earlier. All of these have a structure – folders and subfolders containing files – and Beyond Compare treats them equivalently. See also Folder Compare Commands Folder Compare Settings Archive Type Options