Text comparison

Comparing two texts

Paste the original text on the left and the modified text on the right, then click "Compare". The comparison is done line by line.

Reading the result

A modified line appears as a removal followed by an addition: the old version in red, the new one in green just below.

Many different uses

• Contracts and legal documents: see what changed between two versions sent by the other party, without relying on their good faith.
• Writing: compare a draft and its edited version.
• Code and configuration: spot the line that differs between two configuration files, a classic when "it worked before".
• Lists: find the items added or removed between two exports, such as two lists of addresses or product references.

Tips for a readable comparison

The comparison works by line. Text pasted as one long paragraph will therefore show up as a single modified line, even for one changed word. For a precise comparison of prose, put one sentence per line in both versions. To compare two lists in different orders, sort them the same way first, for example in a spreadsheet.

Watch out for invisible differences too: a trailing space or a tab makes two lines that look identical show as different.

Privacy

The documents being compared are often confidential: contracts, source code, customer data. Here, the comparison is performed entirely in your browser; no text is transmitted.

Frequently asked questions

Are my texts sent anywhere?

No, the comparison is performed entirely in your browser.

Why are two identical lines marked as different?

They probably differ by an invisible character: a trailing space, a tab or a non-breaking space.

Can I compare two Word or PDF files?

Copy and paste their text into the two fields. Formatting will not be compared, only the content.

Does the tool compare word by word?

It compares line by line. For a precise result on prose, put one sentence per line.