How to Compare Text, Code, and JSON Locally
Use line, word, character, and JSON diff modes without uploading private snippets.
Choose the right diff mode
Line diff is best for code, config, logs, and paragraphs. Word diff is better for edited sentences. Character diff is useful for short IDs, tiny typos, or values where one symbol changed.
Normalize JSON before comparing
JSON can look different even when the data is similar. A JSON-aware diff parses both sides, formats them with the same indentation, and then compares the normalized output.
Ignore noise when needed
Turn on Ignore whitespace when indentation, wrapping, or extra spaces are not important. Turn Case-sensitive off when you only care about the words or values, not capitalization.
- Use local comparison for private code snippets.
- Copy the summary when you need a quick change report.
- Keep very large files in a desktop diff tool.
Open the related tool and keep the workflow local.