Text Compare: Online Diff Checker
Compare two texts or code files line by line: added and removed lines with line numbers, and the full diff as a unified .diff, HTML report or Excel. Free, nothing uploaded.
Original
Paste cells or a Google Sheets link
Changed
Paste cells or a Google Sheets link
How it works
Add both files
The original and the changed version: CSV, Excel, JSON, YAML, XML, text or code, or cells pasted from Google Sheets.
Match them up
Tables are matched row by row on a key column found for you (an ID, SKU or email); JSON, YAML and XML key by key, with lists of records matched by their id; text line by line.
See the differences, download them all
The summary and the first differences show on the page, old values struck through and new ones beside them. The full comparison downloads as Excel, CSV, a highlighted HTML report, a unified diff or a JSON list of changes.
Text compare: a diff checker in your browser
Text compare lines up two versions of a text and marks every added and removed line, with its line number in each file, as a diff checker does: contracts, essays, logs, configuration files and code.
It finds the fewest changes that turn one file into the other (the same algorithm as git and GNU diff), so an inserted paragraph is one insertion, not every line after it changed. Ignore case or extra spaces when only the words matter.
The page shows the first changed places; the full text diff downloads as a unified .diff to apply with git or patch, a highlighted HTML report, or Excel. To compare two files that are tables or data, use CSV compare or JSON compare.
People also search for
- diff online
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Why it matters
Private by design
Bank statements, payroll and customer lists never leave your computer: the file is read and written in your browser.
Nothing silently changed
Leading zeros, long ID numbers, commas inside quotes and line breaks inside cells come through exactly as they were.
Numbers stay numbers
Values like 1,234.50, $1,200 and 7% are recognised, so Excel and JSON get real numbers rather than text.
Questions
What if the rows are in a different order?
Choose a key column (an ID found in both files is picked for you) and rows are matched by it, whatever order they are in.
Can I ignore case, spaces or a column?
Yes. Ignore upper and lower case, extra spaces, and any columns - a last-updated timestamp, say - that you expect to differ.
Is 1.0 the same as 1?
By default, yes: numbers are compared as numbers, so 1,200 and 1200.00 match. Switch that off to compare the exact text.
Can it compare Excel files or Google Sheets?
Yes: drop in two .xlsx files (and pick the sheet in each), or paste cells from Google Sheets for either side.
Can it compare JSON, YAML or XML?
Yes, key by key: the order of keys does not matter, numbers match their text form if you want, and lists of records with an id are matched by it even when re-ordered. Each difference shows its path, such as items[id=3].price.
Can it compare text or code?
Yes, line by line, as a diff checker: added and removed lines with their line numbers, and a unified .diff you can apply with git or patch.
Why are only some differences shown?
The page shows the summary and the first ten differences so you can check the comparison at a glance. The full comparison, every difference, is one click away as Excel, CSV, an HTML report or a diff.
Is my data uploaded?
No. The whole conversion runs in your browser, so the file never leaves your computer.
Can it open a password-protected PDF or Excel file?
Yes. Drop it in and you are asked for the password; the file is unlocked in your browser and the password is never sent or saved. PDFs locked with RC4 or AES (up to AES-256, PDF 2.0) and Excel workbooks saved with Encrypt with Password both open. A PDF that only restricts copying or printing opens without asking. Without the password nothing is guessed: the file stays shut.
How big a file can it handle?
Hundreds of thousands of rows are fine on a normal laptop; the preview shows the first rows and the download has them all.