What is Text Compare?

Text Compare is a powerful online tool that helps you find differences between two pieces of text. Whether you're comparing code files, document revisions, configuration changes, or any text content, this tool highlights exactly what was added, removed, or modified.

The tool uses advanced diff algorithms to analyze your text and present the differences in an easy-to-understand format. You can view changes side-by-side with synchronized scrolling, or use the inline unified view for a compact overview.

Privacy First: All text comparison happens entirely in your browser. Your content never leaves your device, ensuring complete privacy for sensitive documents.

Who Should Use This Tool?

Developers

Compare code changes, review pull requests, or debug configuration differences

Writers & Editors

Track revisions between document drafts and identify content changes

Students

Compare notes or check for similarities in research materials

Content Creators

Identify changes in website copy or marketing materials

QA Testers

Verify text output differences between software versions

Key Benefits

Multiple Comparison Modes

Choose character, word, or line-level precision based on your needs

Character-by-character analysis
Word-level comparison
Line-based diff view

Visual Highlighting

Clear color-coded differences for instant recognition

Green for additions
Red for deletions
Side-by-side or inline view

Synchronized Scrolling

Keep both panels aligned as you review changes

Automatic scroll sync
Line number alignment
Easy navigation

Flexible Options

Customize comparison behavior to match your workflow

Ignore case differences
Skip whitespace changes
Configurable sensitivity

Navigation Shortcuts

Jump between changes efficiently with keyboard or buttons

Keyboard shortcuts
Next/Previous buttons
Change counter

Your Text Stays Private

All text comparison happens entirely in your browser, ensuring complete privacy and security:

No uploads - Your text never leaves your device
No server processing - Everything runs locally in JavaScript
No storage - Text is not saved or logged anywhere
No tracking - We don't collect any usage data or text content

Safe for Sensitive Content: This makes the tool safe for comparing sensitive documents, proprietary code, or confidential content without any privacy concerns.

How to Compare Text

Comparing two pieces of text is straightforward. Follow these steps to identify differences quickly and accurately.

Enter Your Text

You'll see two text panels labeled Original and Modified:

Original panel - Paste or type the first version (the "before" text)
Modified panel - Paste or type the second version (the "after" text)

Ways to add text to each panel:

Load File (📂) - Select a text file from your device (supports .txt, .md, .json, .js, .py, and many other formats)
Paste - Quickly paste text from your clipboard
Type directly - Enter text manually in the text area

Quick Start: Click Try Example in the status bar to load sample text with differences and explore the tool's features.

Review the Differences

Once both panels have content, the comparison runs automatically:

Deletions

Red Highlighting

Text removed from Original
Shows what was deleted
Easy to spot removals

Additions

Green Highlighting

Text added in Modified
Shows new content
Clear visual indicators

Statistics bar shows total additions, deletions, and change groups for a quick overview.

The status bar above the panels displays the overall result: whether texts are identical or how many differences were found.

Navigate Changes

For documents with multiple changes, use the navigation tools:

Next (▼) - Jump to the next difference
Previous (▲) - Jump to the previous difference
Counter - Shows current position (e.g., "3/7" means viewing change 3 of 7)

You can also use Ctrl+↓ and Ctrl+↑ keyboard shortcuts for faster navigation.

Tips for Better Comparison

Choose the Right Mode

Use Word mode for prose, Line mode for code, Character mode for precise edits

Enable Sync Scroll

Keeps both panels aligned while you scroll through long documents

Use Ignore Options

Toggle "Ignore Case" or "Ignore Whitespace" to focus on meaningful changes

Switch to Inline View

Use the unified diff view for a compact overview of all changes

Copy the Diff

Click "Copy Diff" to get a text-based diff format for sharing or documentation

Features

Text Compare offers a comprehensive set of features designed to make finding and reviewing text differences efficient and intuitive.

Comparison Modes

Choose the level of detail that suits your comparison needs:

Character Mode

Compares text character by character. Best for finding typos, small edits, or exact differences in code syntax.

Use Case: Perfect for detecting single-character changes, punctuation differences, or precise code modifications.

Word Mode

Compares text word by word. The default mode, ideal for documents, articles, and general text comparison.

Recommended: Best balance between precision and readability for most text comparison tasks.

Line Mode

Compares text line by line. Best for code files, configuration files, or structured documents where line-level changes matter.

Use Case: Ideal for developers reviewing code changes, similar to Git diff output.

View Modes

Side-by-Side

Parallel View

Original and Modified in parallel panels
Easy to compare corresponding sections
Supports synchronized scrolling
Best for detailed review

Inline

Unified View

All changes in single panel
+ and - markers for changes
Compact format like Git diff
Great for quick overview

Comparison Options

Fine-tune how the comparison works:

Ignore Case

Treats uppercase and lowercase letters as equal

"Hello" = "hello"
Focus on content, not formatting
Useful for case-insensitive comparison

Ignore Whitespace

Ignores differences in spaces, tabs, and line breaks

Skip formatting differences
Focus on actual content changes
Useful when indentation varies

Sync Scroll

Scrolling one panel automatically scrolls the other

Keeps lines aligned
Easy comparison navigation
Perfect for long documents

Efficiently review changes in long documents:

Change counter - Shows total number of change groups and current position
Previous/Next buttons - Jump directly to each change location
Keyboard shortcuts - Use Ctrl+↑ and Ctrl+↓ for hands-free navigation
Line numbers - Color-coded to indicate added, removed, or unchanged lines

Actions

Load File

Open text files directly from your device (supports .txt, .md, .json, .js, .py, .php, .html, .css, .yaml, and more)

Swap

Exchange Original and Modified text with one click

Copy Diff

Copy the comparison result in unified diff format for sharing or documentation

Clear All

Reset both panels to start a new comparison

Paste Buttons

Quickly paste clipboard content into each panel

Visual Feedback

Clear indicators help you understand the comparison at a glance:

Status Bar

Shows whether texts match or how many differences exist

Color Coding

Green for additions, red for deletions

Statistics Display

Count of additions, deletions, and change groups

Line Highlighting

Changed lines are highlighted in both panels

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of text can I compare?

You can compare any plain text content: code files, documents, articles, configuration files, scripts, notes, or any other text. The tool works with all languages and character sets, including Unicode, emoji, and special characters.

Is there a limit on text length?

There's no strict limit, but very long documents (thousands of lines) may take a moment to process. The tool is optimized for typical document sizes and handles most use cases instantly.

Which comparison mode should I use?

It depends on your content:

Word mode (default) - Best for documents, articles, and general text
Line mode - Best for code, configuration files, or line-oriented content
Character mode - Best for finding typos or single-character differences

How do I compare files from my computer?

Click the folder icon (📂) in each panel header to open a file directly from your device. The tool supports many text formats including .txt, .md, .json, .js, .py, .php, .html, .css, .yaml, and more.

Alternatively, you can copy content from any text editor and use the Paste button.

Why are some differences not highlighted?

Check your comparison options:

If Ignore Case is enabled, uppercase/lowercase differences won't be flagged
If Ignore Whitespace is enabled, spacing differences won't be flagged

Tip: Disable these options to see all differences, including case and whitespace changes.

Click Copy Diff to copy the comparison result in a standard unified diff format. You can paste this into emails, documents, or issue trackers.

The format shows additions with + and deletions with - prefixes, making it easy to understand changes in plain text.

What does the line number color mean?

Green - This line was added in the Modified text
Red - This line was removed from the Original text
No color - This line is unchanged between versions

How do I compare specific sections only?

Copy only the sections you want to compare into each panel. You don't need to include the entire document if you're only interested in specific parts.

This approach is useful when working with large files where you only need to review changes in particular sections.

Does this tool work offline?

Yes, after the page loads, all comparison processing happens in your browser. You don't need an internet connection to compare text once the tool is loaded.

Offline Ready: Perfect for working in environments with limited or no internet connectivity.

Is my text stored or sent anywhere?

No. All processing happens locally in your browser using JavaScript. Your text is never uploaded to any server, stored in any database, or sent to third parties.

100% Private: You can safely compare confidential or sensitive content without any privacy concerns.