Compare text files side by side with highlighted differences. Perfect for code reviews, document comparison, and text analysis.
Enter text to compare
Paste your original and modified text above
Text comparison (diff) tools identify and visualize differences between two versions of text. Essential for code reviews, document editing, version control, and content management.
Paste your original text in the left panel and the modified version in the right panel. The tool works with any text content.
Choose comparison options: ignore whitespace differences, ignore case sensitivity, and select side-by-side or unified view mode.
Review highlighted differences, check statistics, and understand the scope of changes. Use color coding to quickly identify change types.
Copy results for documentation, share findings with team members, or use insights for decision making and review processes.
Most common diff algorithm used by Git and many tools. Finds the shortest edit sequence (SES) to transform one text into another.
Fast algorithm that finds longest common subsequence (LCS). Good for large files but may not produce minimal diffs.
Used by Git with --patience flag. Produces more intuitive diffs for code by matching unique lines first.
Simple comparison that matches entire lines. Fast and easy to understand, used by our tool for real-time comparison.
Compares individual words rather than lines. Provides more granular highlighting of changes within lines.
Language-aware comparison that understands code structure. Used by advanced IDE tools for intelligent merging.
git diff - Working vs stagedgit diff --staged - Staged vs last commitgit diff HEAD - Working vs last commitgit diff branch1 branch2 - Compare branchesgit diff --word-diff - Word-level highlightinggit diff --patience - Use patience algorithmgit diff --ignore-whitespace - Ignore whitespacegit diff --stat - Show file statisticsgit diff filename - Specific filegit diff commit1 commit2 file - File between commitsgit show commit:file - File at specific commitStandard workflow for reviewing changes:
When Git can't automatically merge changes, diff tools help identify conflicting sections. Use three-way merge tools to see original, yours, and theirs side by side.
Compare release branches to understand changes going to production. Generate changelogs from diff outputs and communicate updates to stakeholders.
Compare related versions - avoid comparing completely different files. Use consistent formatting and line endings to reduce noise in diffs.
Use ignore options appropriately - ignore whitespace for code reviews, but keep it for documentation. Filter out generated files and build artifacts.
Use diff outputs for documentation, changelog generation, and communicating changes to team members. Screenshot or export important comparisons.
Review diffs line by line for critical changes. Use side-by-side view for understanding context, unified view for getting overview of all changes.
Large files or many changes can create overwhelming diff outputs. Break large changes into smaller, focused commits for easier review.
Automatic formatters can create noisy diffs that obscure real changes. Apply formatting separately from functional changes, use ignore options wisely.
Don't just look at changed lines - understand surrounding context. A small change might have big implications depending on where it occurs.
Very large files can cause performance problems. For huge files, consider using specialized tools or splitting into smaller sections.
A: Side-by-side shows both versions in parallel columns, making it easy to see context and understand changes. Unified view shows all changes in a single column with +/- indicators, giving a compact overview of modifications.
A: Ignore whitespace when comparing code where formatting changes aren't important, or when different editors/tools have modified indentation. Keep whitespace sensitive for documentation, configuration files, or when precise formatting matters.
A: Our line-based algorithm is optimized for speed and real-time comparison. It's very good for most use cases but may not find the absolute minimal diff for complex changes. For production code reviews, consider using Git's built-in diff tools.
A: This web-based tool is designed for moderate-sized text comparisons. For very large files, consider using command-line tools like `diff`, `git diff`, or specialized software like Beyond Compare or WinMerge.
A: No, all processing happens locally in your browser. Your text data never leaves your device, ensuring complete privacy and security. The comparison is performed using client-side JavaScript only.
A: For complex conflicts, use three-way merge tools like `git mergetool` with tools like vimdiff, kdiff3, or VS Code. These show original, yours, theirs, and result views. Our tool can help understand changes before committing.
A: Plain text formats work best: source code, configuration files, CSV, JSON, XML, Markdown. Binary files (images, executables) need specialized tools. For structured data, consider formatting consistently before comparison.
A: Use Git hooks, CI/CD pipelines, or scripts to automatically generate diffs for code reviews, deployment verification, or documentation. Tools like GitHub Actions can comment diff summaries on pull requests automatically.