Side-by-Side Code Diff
Compare two code snippets side by side with syntax highlighting. Added, removed and modified lines are highlighted.
Everything you need to know about online code comparison
Why use a code diff tool?
Instantly identify differences between two versions of a source file, without installing any software or setting up a development environment.
Built-in syntax highlighting for JavaScript, Python, HTML, CSS and JSON makes it easy to read and understand changes in context.
The side-by-side display with line numbers and statistics (lines added, removed, unchanged) provides a clear overview of the scope of modifications.
Common use cases
- Code review
- Quickly compare two versions of a function or component before validating a commit or pull request, directly from your browser.
- Debugging
- Paste a working version and a buggy version of your code to pinpoint exactly which line introduced the problem.
- Learning
- Compare your solution with one from a tutorial or a colleague to understand different approaches and improve your skills.
- Change documentation
- Generate a visual overview of changes made to a configuration file, script or template to share with your team.
How to use the code comparator?
Select the programming language from the dropdown menu to enable the appropriate syntax highlighting.
Paste the original code in the left panel and the modified code in the right panel.
Click 'Compare' to display the differences side by side with added lines in green and removed lines in red.
Frequently asked questions about code diff
- Which programming languages are supported by syntax highlighting?
- The tool supports syntax highlighting for JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Python and JSON. You can also use plain text mode to compare any type of text content.
- Does the diff algorithm detect moved or rearranged lines?
- The tool uses an algorithm based on the Longest Common Subsequence (LCS), which identifies additions and deletions on a line-by-line basis. Moved lines appear as a deletion at the old location and an addition at the new location.
- Is there a size limit for the files being compared?
- All processing is done entirely in your browser. There is no strict limit, but for very large files (several thousand lines), the comparison may take a few seconds depending on your device's performance.
- Is my code data sent to a server?
- No. All processing is done client-side, directly in your browser. No code is transmitted or stored on an external server, ensuring complete privacy of your data.
- Can I compare entire files or only snippets?
- You can compare both short snippets of a few lines and entire files. Simply paste the content into both text areas. The tool works with any amount of text.