diff --git a/version.go b/version.go
index 541e656..85cbf50 100644
--- a/version.go
+++ b/version.go
@@ -13,14 +13,26 @@ type Semver struct {
 	Major int
 	Minor int
 	Patch int
+	// Pre holds the prerelease identifiers that follow the first hyphen,
+	// without the leading hyphen. It is empty for a plain release tag.
+	// "v1.2.3-rc1" yields "rc1"; "v1.2.3" yields "".
+	Pre string
 }
 
-// ParseSemver parses a version string like "v1.2.3" or "1.2.3" or "v1.2.3-dirty".
-// It strips the "v" prefix and any suffix after a hyphen.
+// ParseSemver parses a version string like "v1.2.3" or "1.2.3" or "v1.2.3-rc1".
+// It strips the "v" prefix and any "+build" metadata, keeps the numeric
+// major.minor.patch triple, and retains the prerelease suffix in Pre.
 func ParseSemver(s string) (Semver, error) {
 	s = strings.TrimPrefix(s, "v")
-	// Strip anything after hyphen (e.g. "-dirty", "-rc1")
+	// Build metadata does not take part in version precedence.
+	if idx := strings.IndexByte(s, '+'); idx >= 0 {
+		s = s[:idx]
+	}
+	// Everything after the first hyphen is the prerelease suffix
+	// (e.g. "-dirty", "-rc1", "-beta.2").
+	var pre string
 	if idx := strings.IndexByte(s, '-'); idx >= 0 {
+		pre = s[idx+1:]
 		s = s[:idx]
 	}
 	parts := strings.Split(s, ".")
@@ -39,21 +51,108 @@ func ParseSemver(s string) (Semver, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return Semver{}, fmt.Errorf("invalid patch: %w", err)
 	}
-	return Semver{Major: major, Minor: minor, Patch: patch}, nil
+	return Semver{Major: major, Minor: minor, Patch: patch, Pre: pre}, nil
 }
 
-// NewerThan returns true if v is strictly newer than other.
-func (v Semver) NewerThan(other Semver) bool {
-	if v.Major != other.Major {
-		return v.Major > other.Major
+// Compare returns -1, 0 or +1 as v sorts before, equal to, or after other.
+// Ordering follows semantic-version precedence: the numeric triple is
+// compared first, then the prerelease suffix. A version carrying a
+// prerelease suffix sorts before the same version without one, so
+// "1.2.3-rc1" < "1.2.3".
+func (v Semver) Compare(other Semver) int {
+	if c := compareInt(v.Major, other.Major); c != 0 {
+		return c
 	}
-	if v.Minor != other.Minor {
-		return v.Minor > other.Minor
+	if c := compareInt(v.Minor, other.Minor); c != 0 {
+		return c
 	}
-	return v.Patch > other.Patch
+	if c := compareInt(v.Patch, other.Patch); c != 0 {
+		return c
+	}
+	return comparePrerelease(v.Pre, other.Pre)
+}
+
+// NewerThan returns true if v is strictly newer than other.
+func (v Semver) NewerThan(other Semver) bool {
+	return v.Compare(other) > 0
 }
 
-// String returns the version as "vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH".
+// String returns the version as "vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH", with the prerelease
+// suffix appended when present.
 func (v Semver) String() string {
+	if v.Pre != "" {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("v%d.%d.%d-%s", v.Major, v.Minor, v.Patch, v.Pre)
+	}
 	return fmt.Sprintf("v%d.%d.%d", v.Major, v.Minor, v.Patch)
 }
+
+// comparePrerelease orders two prerelease suffixes. An empty suffix (a plain
+// release) sorts after any non-empty one. Otherwise the suffixes are split on
+// "." and compared identifier by identifier; when every shared identifier is
+// equal, the suffix with more identifiers sorts later.
+func comparePrerelease(a, b string) int {
+	if a == b {
+		return 0
+	}
+	if a == "" {
+		return 1
+	}
+	if b == "" {
+		return -1
+	}
+	as := strings.Split(a, ".")
+	bs := strings.Split(b, ".")
+	for i := 0; i < len(as) && i < len(bs); i++ {
+		if c := comparePrereleaseIdent(as[i], bs[i]); c != 0 {
+			return c
+		}
+	}
+	return compareInt(len(as), len(bs))
+}
+
+// comparePrereleaseIdent orders two prerelease identifiers. All-digit
+// identifiers are compared numerically and sort before alphanumeric ones;
+// any other pair is compared bytewise.
+func comparePrereleaseIdent(a, b string) int {
+	an, aNumeric := numericIdent(a)
+	bn, bNumeric := numericIdent(b)
+	switch {
+	case aNumeric && bNumeric:
+		return compareInt(an, bn)
+	case aNumeric:
+		return -1
+	case bNumeric:
+		return 1
+	default:
+		return strings.Compare(a, b)
+	}
+}
+
+// numericIdent reports whether s consists solely of digits, returning its
+// numeric value when it does.
+func numericIdent(s string) (int, bool) {
+	if s == "" {
+		return 0, false
+	}
+	for i := 0; i < len(s); i++ {
+		if s[i] < '0' || s[i] > '9' {
+			return 0, false
+		}
+	}
+	n, err := strconv.Atoi(s)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, false
+	}
+	return n, true
+}
+
+func compareInt(a, b int) int {
+	switch {
+	case a < b:
+		return -1
+	case a > b:
+		return 1
+	default:
+		return 0
+	}
+}
diff --git a/zz_more_test.go b/zz_more_test.go
index bd5a4d3..c2e05e5 100644
--- a/zz_more_test.go
+++ b/zz_more_test.go
@@ -177,11 +177,13 @@ func TestSemver_NewerThan_AllBranches(t *testing.T) {
 		a, b Semver
 		want bool
 	}{
-		{Semver{2, 0, 0}, Semver{1, 9, 9}, true},
-		{Semver{1, 2, 0}, Semver{1, 1, 9}, true},
-		{Semver{1, 1, 2}, Semver{1, 1, 1}, true},
-		{Semver{1, 1, 1}, Semver{1, 1, 1}, false},
-		{Semver{1, 0, 0}, Semver{2, 0, 0}, false},
+		{Semver{2, 0, 0, ""}, Semver{1, 9, 9, ""}, true},
+		{Semver{1, 2, 0, ""}, Semver{1, 1, 9, ""}, true},
+		{Semver{1, 1, 2, ""}, Semver{1, 1, 1, ""}, true},
+		{Semver{1, 1, 1, ""}, Semver{1, 1, 1, ""}, false},
+		{Semver{1, 0, 0, ""}, Semver{2, 0, 0, ""}, false},
+		{Semver{1, 1, 1, ""}, Semver{1, 1, 1, "rc1"}, true},
+		{Semver{1, 1, 1, "rc1"}, Semver{1, 1, 1, ""}, false},
 	}
 	for _, tc := range cases {
 		if got := tc.a.NewerThan(tc.b); got != tc.want {
@@ -193,7 +195,10 @@ func TestSemver_NewerThan_AllBranches(t *testing.T) {
 // TestSemver_String covers the stringer.
 func TestSemver_String(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
-	if got := (Semver{1, 2, 3}).String(); got != "v1.2.3" {
+	if got := (Semver{1, 2, 3, ""}).String(); got != "v1.2.3" {
+		t.Errorf("String = %q", got)
+	}
+	if got := (Semver{1, 2, 3, "beta.1"}).String(); got != "v1.2.3-beta.1" {
 		t.Errorf("String = %q", got)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/zz_test.go b/zz_test.go
index 09a6753..8c350ac 100644
--- a/zz_test.go
+++ b/zz_test.go
@@ -37,12 +37,15 @@ func TestParseSemver(t *testing.T) {
 		want    Semver
 		wantErr bool
 	}{
-		{"v1.2.3", Semver{1, 2, 3}, false},
-		{"1.2.3", Semver{1, 2, 3}, false},
-		{"v0.0.1", Semver{0, 0, 1}, false},
-		{"v10.20.30", Semver{10, 20, 30}, false},
-		{"v1.2.3-dirty", Semver{1, 2, 3}, false},
-		{"v1.6.2-rc1", Semver{1, 6, 2}, false},
+		{"v1.2.3", Semver{1, 2, 3, ""}, false},
+		{"1.2.3", Semver{1, 2, 3, ""}, false},
+		{"v0.0.1", Semver{0, 0, 1, ""}, false},
+		{"v10.20.30", Semver{10, 20, 30, ""}, false},
+		{"v1.2.3-dirty", Semver{1, 2, 3, "dirty"}, false},
+		{"v1.6.2-rc1", Semver{1, 6, 2, "rc1"}, false},
+		{"v1.2.3-beta.2", Semver{1, 2, 3, "beta.2"}, false},
+		{"v1.2.3+build.7", Semver{1, 2, 3, ""}, false},
+		{"v1.2.3-rc.1+build.7", Semver{1, 2, 3, "rc.1"}, false},
 		{"", Semver{}, true},
 		{"v1.2", Semver{}, true},
 		{"v1.2.x", Semver{}, true},
@@ -77,6 +80,21 @@ func TestSemverNewerThan(t *testing.T) {
 		{"v1.2.3", "v1.3.0", false},
 		{"v1.2.3", "v2.0.0", false},
 		{"v0.0.1", "v0.0.0", true},
+
+		// A prerelease sorts below the release it leads up to.
+		{"v1.2.3", "v1.2.3-rc1", true},
+		{"v1.2.3-rc1", "v1.2.3", false},
+		{"v1.2.3-rc1", "v1.2.3-rc1", false},
+		{"v1.2.3-rc2", "v1.2.3-rc1", true},
+		{"v1.2.3-rc1", "v1.2.3-rc2", false},
+		{"v1.2.3-beta.2", "v1.2.3-beta.1", true},
+		{"v1.2.3-rc.1", "v1.2.3-beta.9", true},
+		{"v1.2.3-rc.1", "v1.2.2", true},
+		{"v1.2.3-rc.1", "v1.2.4", false},
+		{"v1.2.3-rc.1.1", "v1.2.3-rc.1", true},
+		{"v1.2.3-1", "v1.2.3-alpha", false},
+		{"v1.2.3-alpha", "v1.2.3-1", true},
+		{"v1.2.3+build.7", "v1.2.3", false},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {
@@ -93,10 +111,48 @@ func TestSemverNewerThan(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestSemverString(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
-	v := Semver{1, 6, 3}
+	v := Semver{1, 6, 3, ""}
 	if s := v.String(); s != "v1.6.3" {
 		t.Fatalf("String() = %q, want %q", s, "v1.6.3")
 	}
+	if s := (Semver{1, 6, 3, "rc1"}).String(); s != "v1.6.3-rc1" {
+		t.Fatalf("String() = %q, want %q", s, "v1.6.3-rc1")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestSemverPinEquality checks that an exact pin only matches a tag with the
+// same prerelease suffix, which is how checkPinnedVersion decides whether the
+// pinned release is already installed.
+func TestSemverPinEquality(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	tests := []struct {
+		pin, installed string
+		want           bool
+	}{
+		{"v1.2.3", "v1.2.3", true},
+		{"v1.2.3", "v1.2.3-rc1", false},
+		{"v1.2.3-rc1", "v1.2.3", false},
+		{"v1.2.3-rc1", "v1.2.3-rc1", true},
+		{"v1.2.3-rc1", "v1.2.3-rc2", false},
+		{"v1.2.3", "v1.2.3+build.7", true},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		name := fmt.Sprintf("%s==%s", tt.pin, tt.installed)
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			pin, err := ParseSemver(tt.pin)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("ParseSemver(%q): %v", tt.pin, err)
+			}
+			installed, err := ParseSemver(tt.installed)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("ParseSemver(%q): %v", tt.installed, err)
+			}
+			if got := installed == pin; got != tt.want {
+				t.Fatalf("%q == %q = %v, want %v", tt.installed, tt.pin, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
 }
 
 func TestVerifyChecksum(t *testing.T) {