Text Difference Checker
Compare two texts word-by-word and highlight inline changes.
About Text Diff
Compare two versions of prose side by side and see every addition and deletion highlighted inline within the natural flow of the text. Designed for writers reviewing edits, not developers comparing code.
FAQ
- How is this different from a code diff?
- This tool compares at the word level and shows changes inline within the text flow, making it ideal for comparing prose edits rather than code.
- What does the similarity percentage mean?
- The percentage of words that are identical between both versions.
- Can I compare large documents?
- Yes, though very large texts may take a moment to process.
ABOUT THIS TOOL
Paste two versions of a text into the side-by-side panels to see every addition, deletion, and change highlighted inline at the word level, rather than just being told that the two blocks differ. This makes it easy to spot exactly which words were edited, moved, or removed between drafts without manually rereading both versions line by line. Editors and writers use it to review a rewritten paragraph, developers use it to compare two versions of a config file or code snippet without spinning up git, and students use it to see exactly what changed between essay drafts. Because comparison happens instantly as you paste, you can review large blocks of text in seconds instead of scanning for subtle wording changes manually.
HOW TO USE
- Paste the original text into the first panel.
- Paste the revised text into the second panel.
- Review the highlighted output showing additions and deletions inline.
- Scroll through to check word-level changes across the full text.
- Edit either panel to re-run the comparison as needed.
COMMON USE CASES
- An editor checking exactly what a writer changed between two drafts of an article
- A developer comparing two versions of a configuration file without setting up a git diff
- A student comparing an essay revision against the original to see what an instructor's edits changed
- A translator verifying that a revised translation only changed intended words and not surrounding context
- A contract reviewer spotting subtle wording changes between two versions of an agreement
TIPS & COMMON MISTAKES
- Word-level diffing highlights changed words even within a sentence, so a single word swap won't be misreported as an entirely rewritten sentence
- Reordered sentences or paragraphs may show up as both a deletion and an addition rather than being recognized as a simple move
- Whitespace and line break differences can affect how changes are grouped, so formatting-only edits may still appear as flagged changes
- For very long documents, compare section by section for easier review instead of pasting an entire document at once
MORE QUESTIONS
- Does the diff tool detect moved text, or only additions and deletions?
- Most word-level diff algorithms report moved text as a deletion in the old location and an addition in the new one, rather than explicitly labeling it as 'moved,' since that requires more advanced move-detection logic.
- How is this different from a git diff?
- Git diff typically compares line by line and requires version-controlled files, while this tool compares arbitrary pasted text at the word level, making it useful for content that isn't tracked in a repository, like prose or emails.
- Will punctuation-only changes get flagged?
- Yes, since the comparison works at the word level, changes to punctuation attached to a word, or standalone punctuation changes, are typically still detected and highlighted.
- Can this compare very large documents accurately?
- It can, but very large inputs make the highlighted output harder to visually scan even if the underlying comparison is accurate, so breaking a long document into smaller sections often gives a clearer review experience.