File Compare

It takes two files, computes a SHA-256 hash of each, and tells you whether their bytes are identical. For text files, it also shows a line-by-line diff in side-by-side or unified view so you can see exactly what changed.

No. Files are read with the browser's File API, hashed with the Web Crypto API, and diffed entirely in memory. Nothing is sent to a server, logged, or stored.

Any file. Text files (source code, JSON, CSV, Markdown, configuration, logs, etc.) get a full line diff. Binary files (images, PDFs, executables, archives) are compared by SHA-256 hash only, since a text diff would be meaningless.

It scans the first 8 KB for NUL bytes and a high proportion of non-printable control characters. If either signal is present, the file is treated as binary and only the hash comparison is shown.

SHA-256 is a cryptographically strong hash. If two files share the same SHA-256, they are byte-for-byte identical with overwhelming certainty. It is the same algorithm used by Git, package managers, and OS vendors to verify file integrity.

5 MB per file. This keeps the diff fast and responsive in the browser. For very large files, a command-line tool such as diff, cmp, or sha256sum is more appropriate.

Split view shows file A on the left and file B on the right, side by side. Unified view stacks additions and deletions in a single column with + and − prefixes, like the output of git diff.

It normalises lines by stripping spaces, tabs, and other whitespace before matching, so re-indentation or trailing-space changes do not appear as diffs.

Yes. Use the Copy diff or Download buttons to save a standard unified diff (.diff) that you can share, attach to a code review, or apply with the patch utility.

The Diff Checker is for pasting text directly. File Compare lets you upload two files, shows file metadata (name, size, SHA-256), detects binary content, and is optimised for verifying downloads, builds, and exported documents.