Paste or upload two files and see exactly what changed — word-by-word, with syntax highlighting,
merge tools, and export. Runs entirely in your browser.
L: 0 lines | R: 0 linesPaste text or upload files, then click Compare
Find
ReplaceClick in a panel first to target it
Keyboard shortcuts
Comparison
Ctrl+EnterCompare
Alt+↓Next diff chunk
Alt+↑Previous diff chunk
Alt+WToggle line wrap
Editing
Ctrl+SSwap panels
Ctrl+Shift+LClear all
Ctrl+ZUndo (focused panel)
Ctrl+YRedo (focused panel)
Ctrl+Alt+→Merge → right
Ctrl+Alt+←Merge ← left
Files & search
Ctrl+FFind & replace
Ctrl+UUpload to left panel
Ctrl+DSave left panel
EscClose search / modal
?This shortcuts guide
Original
Drop file here
Modified
Drop file here
Compare mode is active — the diff view is shown below. Click Exit compare in the toolbar above to return to your editable panels.
Free online text comparison tool see exactly what changed
TextFileCompare.com is a free, browser based diff tool for comparing two text files or
code blocks side-by-side. Whether you're a developer reviewing a pull request, a writer checking
two drafts, an editor verifying a revision, or a sysadmin validating a config change
our tool gives you fast, accurate, and completely private results. No account required.
No upload. No tracking. Just paste your content and compare.
The comparison runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your text never leaves your
device not even for a moment. This makes TextFileCompare safe for confidential source code,
legal documents, internal configuration files, and anything else you'd prefer to keep private.
You can verify this yourself: open the browser's Network tab and watch during a comparison
you'll see zero outbound requests carrying your content.
Text comparison is one of the most common tasks in software development, writing, and data
work, yet most available tools require installation, a login, or upload your content to a
server. TextFileCompare was built to remove every one of those barriers. Open the page.
Paste or upload. Compare. That's it.
What you can do with TextFileCompare
🔍
Word-level diff
Standard diff tools tell you which lines changed. Word diff goes further it highlights exactly which words or characters within those lines were added or removed. This is especially useful when comparing prose, config values, or any text where small changes within a line matter. Enable it with the "Word diff" toggle above the panels.
✨
Syntax highlighting with auto-detection
Upload a .py file and the tool highlights it as Python. Upload a .json file and it renders as JSON. The language is detected automatically from the file extension or content a small badge in the status bar confirms what was detected. Supports JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, PHP, HTML, CSS, JSON, XML, SQL, YAML, Shell, Java, C/C++, Markdown, INI, and plain text. Manual override is always one click away.
↔
Merge and smart merge
After comparing, you can accept changes in either direction: left to right, right to left, or use Smart Merge which applies a diff patch algorithm to combine changes more intelligently. The merged result is fully editable in the panel and can be saved or exported when you're done. Merge shortcuts are also available via keyboard for faster workflows.
🔒
Complete privacy nothing leaves your browser
All processing happens in your browser using JavaScript. Your content is never transmitted to our servers, never logged, and never stored. We don't have a server endpoint to receive your text the comparison is a purely local computation. This makes TextFileCompare appropriate for sensitive content: credentials, contracts, proprietary code, or personal data. If you disconnect from the internet after loading the page, the tool still works.
📤
Export and download options
When you need to share your comparison, several export formats are available. Download a unified diff patch file compatible with git apply and standard patch tools. Generate a self contained HTML diff report with full colour coding, suitable for sharing with colleagues or attaching to a ticket. Or copy the diff to your clipboard with one click. Individual panel content can also be saved as a file at any time.
🔎
Find & Replace across both panels
Press Ctrl+F to open the inline search bar. It searches across both panels simultaneously and shows a match count. Supports case-sensitive and regex matching. Replace one match at a time or replace all in the focused panel. Useful for cleaning up content before running a comparison for example, normalising line endings or removing a repeated header.
⌨️
Full keyboard shortcut support
Every major action has a keyboard shortcut. Ctrl+Enter to compare. Alt+↓ / Alt+↑ to jump between diff chunks. Ctrl+S to swap panels. Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y for undo/redo. Ctrl+Alt+→ to merge right. Press ? at any time for the full shortcut reference. Designed for developers who prefer to keep their hands on the keyboard.
📱
Works on mobile and tablet
The interface is fully responsive. On narrow screens the two editor panels stack vertically, and the toolbar adapts to the available width. All features upload, compare, merge, export are available on mobile. The tool works on any modern browser without any app to install.
Who uses TextFileCompare
Text comparison comes up in almost every field that deals with documents or code. Here are the most common ways people use the tool:
Software developers comparing two versions of a function, reviewing a patch file outside of their IDE, or checking what a build script changed in a config before deploying.
DevOps and sysadmins diffing nginx.conf, .env, or docker-compose.yml files between environments, or verifying that a configuration management tool applied the right changes.
Writers and editors comparing two drafts of an article or report to see every added, removed, or changed sentence without having to read both documents side by side manually.
Legal and compliance professionals redlining contracts, comparing policy documents, or verifying that standard clauses appear verbatim in an executed agreement.
QA engineers comparing expected output files to actual output files, or diffing two API responses to spot unexpected differences.
Students and academics comparing a transcription to a source, tracking how an essay developed across drafts, or spot checking translated text against an original.
Anyone on a managed or locked-down computer where installing desktop software requires IT approval a browser based tool works instantly, on any machine, without any installation.
Compare by language
Need a syntax-highlighted comparison for a specific language? Each page pre-selects the right mode:
Yes — 100% free, with no signup, no login, and no usage limits. There is no premium tier. The tool is funded by non-intrusive advertising.
Never. All comparison and diff computation happens locally in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing you type or upload is ever sent to our servers. This makes the tool safe for confidential code, legal documents, or sensitive configuration files. You can verify this by opening your browser's Developer Tools → Network tab and watching during a comparison — no outbound content requests will appear.
The tool supports plain text, JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, CSS, PHP, Python, JSON, XML, SQL, YAML, Shell/Bash, Java, C, C++, Markdown, and INI/Config files. Language detection is automatic based on file extension or code content, with a manual override available in the dropdown.
Standard diff tools only show which lines changed. Word diff goes further it highlights exactly which words or characters within those lines were added or removed. This is especially useful for proofreading documents or comparing configuration values where most of the line stays the same and you need to spot the one word that changed.
Yes. Use Merge → to copy the left panel into the right, or ← Merge for the reverse. Smart merge applies a diff patch algorithm for more nuanced merging that handles complex diffs without data loss. The result is fully editable and can be downloaded or exported.
Yes. The interface is fully responsive and adapts to any screen width. On mobile screens the two editor panels stack vertically for comfortable reading and editing. All features including upload, compare, merge, and export are available on mobile and tablet devices.
Yes. Press Ctrl+F or click Search in the advanced toolbar to open the inline Find & Replace bar. It searches across both panels simultaneously, shows a match count, and supports case-sensitive and regex modes. You can replace one match at a time or replace all matches in the focused panel at once.
Yes. When the language selector is set to Auto detect, the tool analyses your code content and file extension to automatically apply the correct syntax highlighting, showing a small "Detected: JS" badge in the status bar. You can override it manually at any time using the dropdown.
A diff is a structured way to represent the differences between two texts. TextFileCompare uses the Myers diff algorithm the same algorithm used by Git which finds the minimum number of additions and deletions needed to turn one text into the other. The result is displayed as a side-by-side view with colour coding: green for additions, red for deletions, and neutral for unchanged lines. Read our beginner's guide to diffs for a full explanation.
Yes. Click Export patch in the advanced toolbar (the "More ▾" dropdown) to download a unified diff patch file. This is the standard format used by Git and most patch management tools you can apply it with git apply or patch -p1. You can also export an HTML diff report for sharing with colleagues who don't use command-line tools.
From the blog
Guides and explainers on text comparison, diff tools, and working with files: