Compare the files developers actually work with

Direct answer

What file types can Diff Anything compare?

Diff Anything is a local file comparison tool that chooses a comparison model suited to the content. It compares stored workbook values across Excel, OpenDocument, and Apple Numbers formats, CSV tables by row and column, and a CSV export against the sheet it came from; reviews recursive folders with moved-file detection and, with Pro, explicit synchronization plans; and handles text, structured data, Pro three-way merge, archives, documents, images, binaries, OpenAPI, and JSON Schema without forcing every source through a line-only diff.

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Choosing a mode

Auto picks a comparison from the file type and its content.

Most file compare tools show every pair as lines of text. That works for prose and source code, but a reordered JSON object, a re-sorted CSV export, or a PDF produces a result that is hard to read. Diff Anything looks at both sources first and opens them in the mode that understands their format.

The file extension is checked first. When the extension does not decide it, the content is examined, so pasted JSON, an HTTP response capture, or an environment file is still recognised. A JSON file on one side and a YAML file on the other are compared together as structured data, and a CSV or TSV file beside a workbook is compared by cell values in PDF / Office mode. Other mismatched pairs fall back to Plain Text.

You can always choose the mode yourself from the toolbar: Auto, Plain Text, Folder, JSON, YAML, XML, CSV, Environment File, HTTP Response, API Schema, PDF / Office, Archive, or Binary / Image.

Text and code

Plain text stays editable while you compare it.

Drop a file on either side, choose one from disk, or paste text. For text and code you can edit both sides, copy a change from one side to the other, and use Save modified files when you are done. Code gets syntax highlighting and a choice between the syntax-aware Smart view and a conventional Line view.

The ignore options control what counts as a change in Plain Text and PDF / Office comparisons:

• Ignore whitespace
• Ignore leading and trailing whitespace
• Ignore blank lines
• Ignore case
• Normalize line endings (on by default)

Other formats

Each specialist mode compares what the format means.

Structured and binary formats get their own comparison. The result lists the specific key, row, variable, element or entry that changed, instead of a block of shifted lines.

• JSON, YAML, XML: parsed values and elements, with key and attribute order ignored
• CSV: rows and cells, matched by row position or by key columns you choose
• Excel, OpenDocument and Numbers workbooks: stored cell values, in the PDF / Office mode, also against a CSV or TSV export
• PDF, Word, PowerPoint, OpenDocument text and presentations, and RTF: extracted text, plus rendered pages for PDF
• Folders and archives: entries by path and content
• Images: pixel comparison with heatmap, overlay, swipe and blink; other binaries: format, size and SHA-256

Free and Pro

Every mode is available to try on the free plan.

The free plan opens every comparison mode for files up to 5 MB each, with 10 new comparison sessions per day. Plain text and JSON are complete. CSV shows the first 100 rows, folders and archives show the first 100 items, and PDFs show the first 3 page previews. The other specialist modes show their complete result within the size and daily limits.

Pro is a one-time purchase through the Mac App Store or Microsoft Store. It removes those limits and adds saved profiles, comparison history, report export, three-way merge, batch manifests, and every command-line mode beyond text and JSON.

Best for

Where this workflow fits.

• 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
• Files that must stay on your own Mac or Windows PC during review

No accounts, cloud comparison service, analytics, or telemetry.

Relevant capabilities

What Diff Anything brings to the job.

Practical workflow

From setup to a reviewed result.

1. Add both files

   Drop them on the left and right panels, choose them from disk, or paste text into either side.

2. Check the mode

   Look at the mode Auto chose. Switch it if you want to see the pair differently, for example as Plain Text.

3. Step through the changes

   Use the difference list to move from one change to the next and filter by added, removed, or changed items.

4. Copy, edit, or save

   Copy a change across, edit text directly, and save the modified file when the result is right.

Useful in practice

Direct answers

Questions about file compare tool.

Go deeper

Choose sources, understand automatic detection, and select the engine that answers the question you are actually asking.

Related guides

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