🔍 What is Text Diff?
Text diff is a technique for comparing two pieces of text line by line to identify what has been added, removed, or modified. Originating from the Unix diff command, this concept has become fundamental in software development, document management, and content editing. This tool lets you perform instant text comparisons directly in your browser with no installation or sign-up required, and all processing happens locally on your device.
💡 Use Cases and Tips
- Code Review: Before submitting a pull request or committing changes, paste your original and modified code to spot unintended changes. The Split View mode displays both versions side by side for maximum readability.
- Document Version Tracking: Compare drafts of contracts, reports, or proposals to quickly identify what has changed between revisions. This is especially useful when multiple people collaborate on the same document.
- Configuration File Comparison: Track changes in server configs, environment variables, or JSON/YAML files to prevent deployment errors and catch misconfigurations early.
- Translation Review: Compare source text with translations to find missing sections or unintended modifications in the translated content.
Under the hood, this tool uses the LCS (Longest Common Subsequence) algorithm to compute differences accurately. Beyond simple line-level comparison, it also provides word-level highlighting within modified lines so you can pinpoint exactly what changed. Two view modes are available: Unified View shows all changes in a single list with addition (+) and deletion (-) markers, while Split View places the original and modified text side by side for intuitive comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the text diff detect whitespace and blank line changes?▼
Yes, the comparison works on an exact line-by-line basis, so any whitespace additions, deletions, or blank line changes are fully detected. For modified lines, word-level highlighting shows precisely which parts were changed.
What is the difference between Split View and Unified View?▼
Split View places the original and modified texts side by side for intuitive comparison, while Unified View shows all changes in a single list with deletion (-) and addition (+) markers. Split View is great for code reviews, while Unified View is better for understanding the overall flow of changes.
Is my text sent to any server?▼
No, all comparison processing happens entirely in your browser. No data is transmitted to any server, so you can safely compare sensitive code, documents, or configuration files without privacy concerns.
What is Text Diff?
Compare two pieces of text and see differences highlighted in color. Additions shown in green, deletions in red. Perfect for comparing code versions, document drafts, or checking edits.