Tools
Diff Anything tools by task
Focused explanations of the Diff Anything workflows people look for, from file compare tool, JSON diff tool, YAML diff tool to offline diff tool.
Choose the job you need to do. Each page explains the exact workflow, supported formats or platforms, practical limits, and the most relevant Diff Anything capabilities.
Compare the files developers actually work with
A local file compare tool for cross-format spreadsheets, text, JSON, YAML, TOML, XML, notebooks, SQLite, folders, archives, documents, images, binaries, and API schemas.
- Comparing two versions of the same kind of file, whatever that kind is
- Teams that currently switch between a text diff, a JSON viewer, and a spreadsheet tool
Compare JSON by keys and values, not line position
A local JSON diff tool with semantic comparison, ignored paths, keyed or unordered arrays, and numeric tolerance, plus Pro profiles and reports.
- Configuration files whose key order changes
- API responses with volatile fields or unordered collections
Compare YAML configuration by structure
Compare YAML files locally as parsed structure with stable paths, typed values, the same semantic rules as JSON, review states, and Pro saved profiles and exportable reports.
- Kubernetes, CI, and application configuration that is reformatted or re-ordered
- Checking a YAML file against the JSON it was converted from, or the other way round
Compare XML without letting formatting hide the real changes
Compare XML files locally by parsed elements, attributes, and text, with stable navigation, review states, and Pro saved profiles and exportable reports.
- Large configuration or data documents with formatting churn
- Private XML files that cannot be pasted into an online tool
Compare CSV data without reducing it to a wall of text
Compare CSV files locally with structure-aware differences, repeatable rules, sensitive-data privacy, reviewed states, and Pro reports.
- Checking a database or report export against the previous run
- Comparing CSV files where rows are sorted differently or have new columns
Compare spreadsheets even when the file formats differ
Compare Excel, OpenDocument, and Apple Numbers workbooks row by row in a private desktop diff, even when the formats differ, with key columns and formulas.
- Checking data after moving a workbook between Excel, LibreOffice, and Apple Numbers
- Finding changed cells across every sheet of a workbook
Search, filter, and synchronize two folder trees
Compare folders in two-pane tree or table layouts, detect moved files, inspect nested changes, and, with Pro, synchronize an explicit plan with recovery and undo.
- Comparing build output or release directories
- Finding added, removed, changed, and moved files across large trees
Find image changes from several visual angles
Compare PNG, JPEG, TIFF, PSD, HEIC, SVG, and other images locally with overlay, swipe, blink, heatmap, ignore regions, offsets, metadata, and error metrics.
- Reviewing UI captures and generated graphics between builds
- Finding subtle pixel changes that are hard to spot side by side
A local three-way merge tool for Base, Ours, and Theirs
Merge three versions locally on Mac or Windows with Diff Anything Pro. Merge JSON, YAML, TOML, and INI by their data, resolve Git conflict markers, and edit the result.
- Merging two text versions that descended from the same common Base
- Reviewing automatically combined edits before accepting the result
Base, Ours, and Theirs: the three inputs to a merge
Learn what Base, Ours, and Theirs mean in a three-way diff, why the common ancestor matters, and how each source affects conflict resolution.
- Understanding why a merge needs three files
- Avoiding reversed Ours and Theirs choices
Flag likely breaking OpenAPI changes before release
Compare OpenAPI and JSON Schema locally, label likely breaking changes with rule codes, and fail a CI job only on breaking changes with the Pro CLI on Windows or Mac.
- Reviewing an OpenAPI or JSON Schema change before it is released to clients
- Getting a first list of likely breaking changes to check by hand
Run exact local comparisons from the command line
Use Diff Anything from the CLI with explicit modes, terminal or machine output, Git difftool integration, difference exit codes, and Pro batch reports.
- Reading syntax-highlighted file differences in a terminal
- Using Diff Anything as a Git difftool or as the diff driver for chosen file types
Switch between syntax-aware Smart Diff and exact Line Diff
Compare source code locally with syntax-aware token alignment across 117 non-plain-text editor languages, conventional line diff, normal code highlighting, moved blocks, editing, and terminal output.
- Separating meaningful token changes from code reformatting
- Reviewing exact line movement with the conventional diff
Compare environment variables without exposing their values
Compare .env files locally by variable name, mask values in the result, detect malformed or duplicate entries, and, with Pro, export reports that redact values by default.
- Comparing development, staging, and production variable sets
- Finding missing keys without pasting secrets into a browser
Compare HTTP responses as status, headers, and body
Compare raw or JSON-shaped HTTP responses locally by HTTP version, status code, and reason phrase, with case-insensitive headers, ignored-header rules, and semantic JSON bodies.
- Checking API responses across environments
- Ignoring volatile headers while retaining meaningful changes
Compare encrypted, multipart, and compressed archives by content
Compare ZIP/ZIP64/ZIPX, 7z, RAR, TAR families, Gzip, Bzip2, XZ, and Zstandard locally, with passwords, multipart support, streaming, and explicit safety limits.
- Comparing two backups, exports, downloads, or transferred archives
- Finding changed entries between encrypted or multipart archive versions
See which bytes changed between two files
Compare binary files byte by byte in a side-by-side hex view, aligned across inserted and deleted bytes, with go-to-offset, a data inspector, and image previews.
- Confirming whether build artifacts are byte-identical
- Reviewing image metadata before deeper visual comparison
Compare sensitive files without uploading them
Compare text, structured data, folders, archives, documents, images, and binaries locally without an account or browser upload.
- Sensitive configuration and environment files
- Customer data or unreleased release artifacts
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Start with the job you need to finish.
Short, direct guides with a real product view and the fastest path into Diff Anything.
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Browse all capabilitiesFree & Pro: what’s included
Available on the Mac App Store and Microsoft Store. Free desktop use lets you try every comparison engine for files up to 5 MiB per side and 10 new comparison sessions per local day; collection previews show the first 100 items, binary comparisons the first 100 byte differences, and PDF previews the first 3 pages. Plain text, JSON, and Jupyter notebook comparison are complete, and opening files from Finder or File Explorer, diffanything:// links, and AppleScript are free. The free CLI supports text, JSON, and notebooks, and the command-line helper that brings the CLI to the Mac App Store version is a free download that uses the Pro purchase made in the app. A one-time Pro purchase removes the preview and session limits and unlocks larger sources within technical limits, saved profiles and history, saving folder snapshots, report export and printing, JSON Patch export, applying patches, three-way merge and conflict resolution, the Git merge driver and merge tool, folder synchronization, batch manifests, every CLI mode, and, on Windows, trusted preprocessors.