diff --git a/matlab/dynare_config.m b/matlab/dynare_config.m
index 7e605be6ae8defbfdb5cf5fcc59c2850fff26e7a..de14067d1bc56d0de53b609ffd63bd78d71fc435 100644
--- a/matlab/dynare_config.m
+++ b/matlab/dynare_config.m
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ p = {'/distributions/' ; ...
'/utilities/general/' ; ...
'/utilities/graphics/' ; ...
'/utilities/estimation/' ; ...
+ '/utilities/version/' ; ...
'/modules/reporting/src/' ; ...
'/modules/reporting/macros/'};
diff --git a/matlab/utilities/version/ver_greater_than.m b/matlab/utilities/version/ver_greater_than.m
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..409a85e4a7ffd5cbb28bb14ed7284a2bdd95d29f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/matlab/utilities/version/ver_greater_than.m
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+function tf = ver_greater_than(ver1, ver2) % --*-- Unitary tests --*--
+%function tf = ver_greater_than(ver1, ver2)
+% ver1 > ver2 ? 1 : 0;
+%
+% INPUTS
+% ver1 [string] software version number
+% ver2 [string] software version number
+%
+% OUTPUTS
+% tf [bool] true if ver1 > ver2
+%
+% SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
+% none
+
+% Copyright (C) 2015-2021 Dynare Team
+%
+% This file is part of Dynare.
+%
+% Dynare is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+% it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+% the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+% (at your option) any later version.
+%
+% Dynare is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+% but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+% MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+% GNU General Public License for more details.
+%
+% You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+% along with Dynare. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+tf = ~ver_less_than(ver1, ver2) && ~strcmp(ver1, ver2);
+return
+
+%@test:1
+ver2='4.4';
+ver1='4.5.2';
+t(1)=dassert(ver_greater_than(ver1,ver2),true);
+T = all(t);
+%@eof:1
+%@test:2
+ver1='6-unstable-2021-12-15-1737-21a8a579';
+ver2='4.4';
+t(1)=dassert(ver_greater_than(ver1,ver2),true);
+T = all(t);
+%@eof:2
+%@test:3
+ver2='5.0';
+ver1='5.1';
+t(1)=dassert(ver_greater_than(ver1,ver2),true);
+T = all(t);
+%@eof:3
+%@test:4
+ver2='6-unstable-2021-12-18-1227-c43777f6';
+ver1='6-unstable-2021-12-19-1953-d841fc7c';
+t(1)=dassert(ver_greater_than(ver1,ver2),true);
+T = all(t);
+%@eof:4
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/matlab/utilities/version/ver_greater_than_equal.m b/matlab/utilities/version/ver_greater_than_equal.m
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..84c54040a4ca4a946395aa2e8733bb9975dbcde4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/matlab/utilities/version/ver_greater_than_equal.m
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+function tf = ver_greater_than_equal(ver1, ver2)
+%function tf = ver_greater_than_equal(ver1, ver2)
+% ver1 >= ver2 ? 1 : 0;
+%
+% INPUTS
+% ver1 [string] software version number
+% ver2 [string] software version number
+%
+% OUTPUTS
+% tf [bool] true if ver1 > ver2
+%
+% SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
+% none
+
+% Copyright (C) 2015 Dynare Team
+%
+% This file is part of Dynare.
+%
+% Dynare is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+% it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+% the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+% (at your option) any later version.
+%
+% Dynare is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+% but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+% MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+% GNU General Public License for more details.
+%
+% You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+% along with Dynare. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+tf = ver_greater_than(ver1, ver2) || strcmp(ver1, ver2);
+end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/matlab/utilities/version/ver_less_than.m b/matlab/utilities/version/ver_less_than.m
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..eea985ad6b28fb98e83a3e5a78a6a7b205e5ba26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/matlab/utilities/version/ver_less_than.m
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+function tf = ver_less_than(ver1, ver2) % --*-- Unitary tests --*--
+%function tf = ver_less_than(ver1, ver2)
+% ver1 < ver2 ? 1 : 0;
+%
+% INPUTS
+% ver1 [string] software version number
+% ver2 [string] software version number
+%
+% OUTPUTS
+% tf [bool] true if ver1 < ver2
+%
+% SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
+% none
+
+% Copyright (C) 2015-2021 Dynare Team
+%
+% This file is part of Dynare.
+%
+% Dynare is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+% it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+% the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+% (at your option) any later version.
+%
+% Dynare is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+% but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+% MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+% GNU General Public License for more details.
+%
+% You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+% along with Dynare. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+tf = true;
+ver1 = strsplit(ver1, {'.', '-'});
+ver2 = strsplit(ver2, {'.', '-'});
+
+maj_ver1 = str2double(ver1{1});
+maj_ver2 = str2double(ver2{1});
+if maj_ver1 < maj_ver2
+ tf = true;
+ return
+elseif maj_ver1 > maj_ver2
+ tf = false;
+ return
+end
+
+min_ver1 = str2double(ver1{2});
+min_ver2 = str2double(ver2{2});
+if (maj_ver1 == maj_ver2) && (min_ver1 < min_ver2)
+ tf = true;
+ return
+elseif (maj_ver1 == maj_ver2) && (min_ver1 > min_ver2)
+ tf = false;
+ return
+end
+
+%deal with revision in Dynare 4 and unstable versions involved
+if min(maj_ver1,maj_ver2)<5 %old versioning scheme with three digits
+ if (length(ver1) == length(ver2) && length(ver1) == 3)
+ %check if master branch (unstable) or stable
+ ismaster1 = isnan(str2double(ver1{3}));
+ ismaster2 = isnan(str2double(ver2{3}));
+ if (maj_ver1 == maj_ver2) && (min_ver1 == min_ver2) && (~ismaster1 && ismaster2)
+ %ver2 is the unstable
+ return
+ end
+
+ if ~ismaster1 && ~ismaster2 %both are stable versions
+ rev_ver1 = str2double(ver1{3});
+ rev_ver2 = str2double(ver2{3});
+ if (maj_ver1 == maj_ver2) && (min_ver1 == min_ver2) && (rev_ver1 < rev_ver2)
+ %ver1 has the lower minor version
+ return
+ end
+ end
+ else
+ %ver1 is an unstable version
+ error('Case is undefined, please contact the developers')
+ end
+elseif min(maj_ver1,maj_ver2)>=5 %new versioning scheme with three digits
+ if strcmp(ver1{2},'x') || strcmp(ver1{2},'unstable')
+ date_number_1=datenum([ver1{3} ver1{4} ver1{5}],'YYYYMMDD');
+ stable_version_indicator_1=0;
+ elseif ~isnan(str2double(ver1{2}))
+ stable_version_indicator_1=1;
+ else
+ error('Case is undefined, please contact the developers')
+ end
+ if strcmp(ver2{2},'x') || strcmp(ver2{2},'unstable')
+ date_number_2=datenum([ver2{3} ver2{4} ver2{5}],'YYYYMMDD');
+ stable_version_indicator_2=0;
+ elseif ~isnan(str2double(ver2{2}))
+ stable_version_indicator_2=1;
+ end
+ if ~stable_version_indicator_1 && ~stable_version_indicator_2
+ if date_number_1<date_number_2
+ return
+ end
+ else
+ %comparison between unstable and stable version
+ error('You cannot compare a stable release to an unstable version of the same branch.')
+ end
+end
+tf = false;
+
+return
+
+%@test:1
+ver1='4.4';
+ver2='4.5.2';
+t(1)=dassert(ver_less_than(ver1,ver2),true)
+T = all(t);
+%@eof:1
+%@test:2
+ver1='4.4';
+ver2='6-unstable-2021-12-15-1737-21a8a579';
+t(1)=dassert(ver_less_than(ver1,ver2),true)
+T = all(t);
+%@eof:2
+%@test:3
+ver1='5.0';
+ver2='5.1';
+t(1)=dassert(ver_less_than(ver1,ver2),true)
+T = all(t);
+%@eof:3
+%@test:4
+ver1='6-unstable-2021-12-18-1227-c43777f6';
+ver2='6-unstable-2021-12-19-1953-d841fc7c';
+t(1)=dassert(ver_less_than(ver1,ver2),true)
+T = all(t);
+%@eof:4
+% %@test:5
+% ver1='5.0';
+% ver2='5.x-2021-12-14-1101-25c1e0c0';
+% t(5)=dassert(ver_less_than(ver1,ver2),true)
+