What is a diff and what does it mean?
A diff, short for difference, lists what changed between two versions of a text: the lines removed, added and edited.
Text Compare
Paste two versions of a text to see what changed. Removed and added lines, words and letters are marked as you type.
Original text
Changed text
Mark changes by
WordsLettersLines
Changed words are marked inside each line.
Paste two versions of a text above. Their differences show here as you type.
An online diff checker for drafts, contracts, essays, code and lists: two boxes in, every difference marked.
A free text comparison tool with no sign-up, no share links and no limit on how often you compare.
- Changed words marked inside each line
- Open Word, PDF and code files
- Compare text privately: nothing is uploaded
How to compare text online
Check the difference between two texts in three steps.
Paste the two texts
Put the original on the left and the new version on the right, or open a TXT, Word or PDF file in each box.
Read the differences
Removed lines turn red and added lines green, with the exact changed words darker. Use the arrows to jump.
Copy or save the diff
Copy the changes or download them as a .diff file, the unified format that git, patch and code reviews read.
Compare Word documents and PDFs
Open a .docx or PDF file in each box and their text is read in your browser, paragraph by paragraph, ready to compare. It is the quick way to check what a client, a co-author or a landlord changed in the second draft of a contract or an essay before you sign or submit it.
Only the words are compared, not fonts, colours or page layout, so a reflowed paragraph with the same wording shows no change. A scanned PDF holds pictures of pages rather than text, so it has nothing to compare until it is run through OCR.
Word has its own Compare button under Review, and Acrobat's Compare Files needs a paid plan. Here two files of any kind can be set side by side, a Word draft against the PDF that came back, with nothing to install.
A diff checker for code and data
Code, config files, CSV exports and logs open just as they are, in a monospace box with line numbers. The comparison runs line by line with the Myers algorithm, the same method as git diff, so a moved block or a renamed variable shows up the way a code review would show it.
Turn on Ignore spaces when one file was re-indented or saved with tabs, and only real edits remain. Letters mode marks a single changed character, which finds the typo in a long key, a hash or a version number that looks identical at a glance.
What this text diff tool shows
Side by side or inline
Read the old and new versions in two columns, or in one column with removed lines above added.
Word and letter changes
Inside an edited line, only the words or letters that changed get the darker mark, not the line.
Ignore case and spaces
Let capital letters, extra spaces and tabs count as the same, so only edits to the words remain.
Compare two lists
Paste one item per line to see what is only in the first list, only in the second, and in both.
Jump between changes
Unchanged lines fold away around each change. The arrows step through every difference in order.
Similarity score
A percentage shows how much of the two texts is the same, counted in characters, beside the count.
Is it safe to compare text online?
Here, yes. Both texts are compared in this tab and are never sent, saved or shared.
Processing
The comparison runs in your browser, so contracts, code and private notes never leave your device.
Storage
Both texts stay in this browser only, so a refresh keeps them. No link exists for anyone to find.
Account
A free diff checker with no sign-up, no email and no daily cap. What you compare is not tracked.
Questions about comparing text
How do I compare two documents in Word?
Open Review, then Compare, and pick the original and the revised file. Word makes a third document showing the changes.
How do I compare two PDF documents?
Open one PDF in each box above and their text is compared at once. Acrobat can do it too, but only with a paid plan.
How do I compare two files in Notepad++?
Install the ComparePlus plugin from Plugins Admin, open both files, set the old one as first, then press Compare.
How do I compare two files in VS Code?
Right-click the first file, choose Select for Compare, then right-click the second and choose Compare with Selected.
How do I compare two lists?
Paste one list in each box, one item per line, and open the Lists tab. It shows what only one list has and what both do.
Can I compare two texts for plagiarism?
Yes, for two texts you have: shared wording stays unmarked and the score shows the overlap. It does not search the web.
How do I compare two text files?
Drop both files on either box and each side fills in, or press Open file on each. TXT, Word, PDF and code files work.
Still stuck, or found a problem? Email dobliquestudio@gmail.com and we will help.