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TinyTools

Text Diff

Spot what changed between two versions, line by line.

Turn whitespace off when a file has been reindented or re-wrapped, so only real edits are left.

Everything is processed on your device. Nothing you upload or type is sent to a server, and nothing is stored.

Text Diff online

Two versions of a contract, a config file before and after someone edited it, the paragraph your colleague says they did not change — reading them side by side never works, because the eye skips over exactly the small edits that matter. This lines the two texts up, matches what is the same, and marks only what actually moved. Nothing is uploaded, so a confidential document is safe to paste in.

How to use text diff

  1. Paste the original

    The version you are comparing against goes on the left.

  2. Paste the changed version

    The newer text goes on the right.

  3. Adjust what counts as a change

    Ignore case, or ignore whitespace, when reformatting has left differences you do not care about.

  4. Read the result

    Removed lines are marked in red, added lines in green, and matching lines are left plain.

Frequently asked questions

Does it compare word by word or line by line?

Line by line. A changed line shows as one removal and one addition, which is how diffs work in version control and what makes the output easy to scan. For prose, put each sentence on its own line before comparing and you get something close to a sentence-level diff.

When should I ignore whitespace?

When a file has been reindented, re-wrapped or passed through a formatter. Those changes touch nearly every line and bury the real edits. Ignoring whitespace collapses runs of spaces and trims the ends, so only genuine content changes are left.

Can I compare Word documents or PDFs?

Not directly — this compares text. Convert the document first (the PDF to Word tool will do it) then copy the text out of both versions and paste them here.

How large a text can it handle?

Large ones, as long as most of it matches. The identical opening and ending are matched up cheaply first, so a 20,000-line file with one edit is instant. Two texts that differ across more than about 3,000 lines are refused instead, because comparing those in a browser tab would freeze it.

Is my text sent anywhere?

No. The comparison runs in your browser and neither text ever leaves your device, which matters given that the things people most want to diff are contracts, credentials and drafts.

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