OVERALL: Draw

The US "Alien Quadrilogy" boxset has both versions of the film and the best extras, including the audio commentary on both versions, a separate access to deleted and extended scenes and the "Deleted Footage Marker" feature (these features are missing on R2/R4 boxsets).
The Japanese "Alien Quadrilogy" has an English DTS soundtrack, but only the "Special Edition" version of the film and without the commentary.

The following extras for "Alien 3" from "The Alien Legacy" boxsets have not been ported to the Quadrilogy sets:
- A vintage featurette,
- "The Alien Legacy" documentary

For audio. the Chinese release has a DTS-ES soundtrack, but only has one cut of the film and no extras.

General note :
The "Alien Evolution" documentary on disc nine of the "Alien Quadrilogy Boxset" is shortened and re-edited from the original Channel 4 broadcast (UK television) : it extends the interviews focusing on "Alien" (to cover the time), but is eliminating all interviews of "Aliens", "Alien 3", "Alien: Resurrection" and Mark Kermode (other than narration at the start of the documentary).
Special thanks for Rewind user DannyS for confirming this information.

Information on differences between the theatrical cut and special edition cut can be found at Movie-Censorship.

CUTS:

• R1 America- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - Theatrical version (114:46 NTSC)
• R1 Alien Quadrilogy America- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - includes both the Theatrical version (114:45 NTSC) and the "Special Edition" version (144:44 NTSC)
• R1 Collector's Edition America- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - includes both the Theatrical version (114:45 NTSC) and the "Special Edition" version (144:44 NTSC)
• R1 The Alien Legacy - 20th Anniversary Edition America- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - Theatrical version (114:46 NTSC)
• R2 France- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - Theatrical version (110:12 PAL)
• R2 Collector's Edition France- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - includes both the Theatrical version (110:09 PAL) and the "Special Edition" version (138:56 PAL)
• R2 The Alien Legacy France- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - Theatrical version (110:12 PAL)
• R2 Germany- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - Theatrical version (110:12 PAL)
• R2 Alien Quadrilogy Germany- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - includes both the Theatrical version (110:09 PAL) and the "Special Edition" version (138:56 PAL)
• R2 Collector's Edition Germany- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - includes both the Theatrical version (110:09 PAL) and the "Special Edition" version (138:56 PAL)
• R2 The Alien Legacy Germany- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - Theatrical version (110:12 PAL)
• R2 Alien Quadrilogy Holland- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - includes both the Theatrical version (110:09 PAL) and the "Special Edition" version (138:56 PAL)
• R2 Collector's Edition Holland- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - includes both the Theatrical version (110:09 PAL) and the "Special Edition" version (138:56 PAL)
• R2 Alien Quadrilogy Japan- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - "Special Edition" version
• R2 Ultimate Edition Japan- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - "Special Edition" version
• R2 Scandinavia- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - Theatrical version (110:12 PAL)
• R2 Alien Quadrilogy Scandinavia- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - includes both the Theatrical version (110:12 PAL) and the "Special Edition" version (138:56 PAL)
• R2 Collector's Edition Scandinavia- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - includes both the Theatrical version (110:12 PAL) and the "Special Edition" version (138:56 PAL)
• R2 The Alien Legacy Scandinavia- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - Theatrical version (110:12 PAL)
• R2 United Kingdom- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - Theatrical version (110:12 PAL)
• R2 Alien Quadrilogy United Kingdom- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - includes both the Theatrical version (110:09 PAL) and the "Special Edition" version (138:56 PAL)
• R2 Collector's Edition United Kingdom- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - includes both the Theatrical version (110:09 PAL) and the "Special Edition" version (138:56 PAL)
• R2 The Alien Legacy United Kingdom- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - Theatrical version (110:12 PAL)
• R4 Australia- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - Theatrical version (110:12 PAL)
• R4 Alien Quadrilogy Australia- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - includes both the Theatrical version (110:12 PAL) and the "Special Edition" version (138:56 PAL)
• R4 Collector's Edition Australia- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - includes both the Theatrical version (110:12 PAL) and the "Special Edition" version (138:56 PAL)
• R4 The Alien Legacy Australia- Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment - No cuts - Theatrical version (110:12 PAL)
• R6 China- Excel Media - No cuts - Theatrical version (114:38 NTSC)

Do you own a release not listed? Then please visit our forums and let us know!

Comparison added by Craig on 14/07/01
Comparison last updated by James-Masaki_Ryan on 25/06/21

UPDATE LOG:

25/01/13: Addition of "Alien Quadrilogy" boxsets (previously available in a separate entry) and overall update.
22/01/13: Addition of "The Alien Legacy" boxsets (previously available in a separate entry) and overall update.
13/04/2011: Fixed typo in the Overall and updated the Tagline.
24/10/20: Added US Legacy.
25/06/21: Added Germany Quad, Scandinavia single, Scandinavia Legacy, updated PAL runtimes.