About the Text Diff
This text diff tool compares two blocks of text line by line and highlights what changed: added lines in green, removed lines in red, unchanged lines dimmed. It is the quick way to spot the differences between two versions of a config file, a log, an email or any text, without committing to git or opening a desktop diff tool.
The comparison uses a longest-common-subsequence algorithm, the same approach behind git's diff, so it lines up matching content and only flags genuine changes. Everything runs in your browser — paste the original and the changed text and compare.
How to use it
- Paste the original text in the first box.
- Paste the changed text in the second box.
- Press compare to see the line-by-line diff.
- Read the added (+) and removed (-) lines, with a count of each.
Examples
- Compare two versions of a config file to see what changed.
- Diff an old and new log to find new error lines.
- Check what edits were made between two drafts of some text.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a line diff or a character diff?
It compares line by line, marking whole lines as added, removed or unchanged. This matches how code and config diffs are usually read.
How does it decide what changed?
It uses a longest-common-subsequence algorithm — the same family of algorithm git uses — to align matching lines and surface only the real differences.
Is there a size limit?
Each side is limited to a few thousand lines to keep the comparison fast in the browser. For very large files, use a desktop diff tool.
Does my text leave the page?
No. The diff is computed entirely client-side; nothing is uploaded.