Use cases macOSWindows

Diff Anything use cases

Find workflows for spreadsheet handoffs, folder review, merge conflicts, image changes, API compatibility, and private document comparison.

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Configuration review

Compare JSON, YAML, XML, and environment files as data. JSON and YAML rules can ignore expected paths or array order, records with an id field are paired automatically, XML elements are paired by a key attribute and can ignore child order under chosen elements, and .env values stay masked with an option to compare variable presence only.

How the workflow fits

Choose sources: Open files or folders, paste content, or use Pro to load a saved profile with known options.

Read the complete use-case guide

Spreadsheet handoff and migration

Compare stored cell values when a workbook moves between Excel, OpenDocument, and Apple Numbers formats without converting either file first, or check a CSV export against the sheet it was exported from.

How the workflow fits

Select a mode: Use automatic detection or explicitly choose text, structured, cross-format spreadsheet, folder, archive, document, image, binary, or API comparison. In code comparisons, switch between Smart Diff and conventional Line Diff without changing sources.

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API regression checks

Label likely breaking OpenAPI or JSON Schema changes with rule codes and see the breaking count in the result. With Pro on Windows, run the same comparison in CI: identical schemas pass, and --fail-on breaking fails the job only on breaking or unclassified changes, with rule codes in JUnit and SARIF. The rules are heuristic, so a passing check still calls for contract review.

How the workflow fits

Review and resolve: Navigate stable differences, apply supported changes, or use Pro to resolve three-way conflicts or approve a folder synchronization plan without losing source context.

Read the complete use-case guide

Release artifact inspection

Compare a trusted release baseline with a candidate folder or supported archive. Filter added, removed, changed, and moved paths, open nested file changes in focused views, and, with Pro, correct a folder through a reviewed synchronization plan.

How the workflow fits

Save or automate: Use Pro to export a report or retain a profile, invoke the CLI, or wire the comparison into Git and CI.

Read the complete use-case guide

Private data comparison

Inspect sensitive local files without uploading their content to a browser service or creating an account.

How the workflow fits

Choose sources: Open files or folders, paste content, or use Pro to load a saved profile with known options.

Read the complete use-case guide

Learn how to use it in your work.

Open the Diff Anything manual

Free & Pro: what’s included

Available on the Mac App Store and Microsoft Store. Free desktop use lets you try every comparison engine for files up to 5 MiB per side and 10 new comparison sessions per local day; collection previews show the first 100 items and PDF previews show the first 3 pages. The free CLI supports text and JSON. A one-time Pro purchase removes the preview and session limits and unlocks larger sources within technical limits, saved profiles and history, report export, three-way merge, folder synchronization, batch manifests, trusted preprocessors, and every CLI mode.

Download on theMac App Store Get it fromMicrosoft Store