How to Install Meld on Linux, Windows, and macOS

Meld is packaged for most Linux/Unix distributions and is also available on Flathub, so Linux users can usually install it through their distribution's package manager or as a Flatpak. Windows users should download the installer, while macOS is not yet officially supported — semi-official builds are available via Homebrew, MacPorts, or Fink. If you prefer to build it yourself, source installation instructions are provided, and the current stable release is Meld 3.24.0 (20 June 2026).

Linux and Unix

Meld is packaged for most Linux/Unix distributions, which means the simplest route is your distribution's own package manager. If your distro doesn't carry it — or you want a distribution-independent option — Meld is also available on Flathub.

• Distribution package manager: install Meld the same way you install other software on your distro (for example, via your system's package tool). This is the most integrated option because it follows your distro's packaging and update conventions.
• Flathub: use the Flathub listing to install the Flatpak build. This works across distributions that support Flatpak and is useful when your distro's repositories don't include Meld.

Windows

Windows users should download the installer from the Meld site. Two limitations are worth knowing before you start:

• Meld does not yet support automatic updates.
• Meld does not yet support portable installs.

So plan on re-downloading the installer when you want to move to a newer release, and don't expect a no-install portable version.

macOS

Meld is not yet supported on macOS. Semi-official builds are available, and the project hopes these will be fully integrated in the future. You can install from:

• Homebrew
• MacPorts
• Fink

Older third-party binaries are also still available, but they may have issues with recent versions of macOS. If you're on a current macOS release, prefer the Homebrew, MacPorts, or Fink routes over old third-party binaries.

Installing From Source

For installing from source, see the instructions linked from the Meld site. The project also notes that you can run Meld directly from a git clone without installing it:

$ git clone https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/meld.git
$ bin/meld

This is handy if you want to try the latest development code or contribute, rather than run a packaged stable release.

Requirements

If you're building from source or checking whether your system can run Meld, these are the listed requirements:

See the current README file for development and build requirements.

Which Option to Choose

• Linux/Unix, want the least friction: use your distribution's package manager.
• Linux/Unix, distro doesn't package it or you want a cross-distro build: use Flathub.
• Windows: download the installer, and remember there's no auto-update or portable install.
• macOS: accept that support is not official; install via Homebrew, MacPorts, or Fink, and avoid old third-party binaries on recent macOS versions.
• Want the newest code or plan to contribute: clone the repository and run bin/meld.

Getting Help and Contributing

All development happens on GNOME's GitLab instance. Open an issue for any problems you encounter, and ask on the discussion board if you're uncertain about anything.