Plain Text Diff
Compare two versions of any text and see exactly what was added, removed, or changed - built for contracts and drafts, not code.
What this does
This is a text comparison tool: paste two versions of any text – an original and a revised copy – and it shows you exactly what changed between them, with words added and words removed highlighted in place. It’s the quick way to compare two texts online and see the difference at a glance, without reading both side by side yourself.
It is built for prose – essays, contracts, emails, drafts – rather than source code, so there are no line numbers or git-style symbols to decode. The comparison works word by word, so changing a single word in a long paragraph highlights just that word rather than flagging the whole line.
When it’s useful
Any time you have two versions of something and need to know precisely what moved between them:
- Checking edits. Someone returned your document with changes and didn’t track them – paste both versions and the edits surface immediately.
- Comparing drafts. See what actually changed between yesterday’s draft and today’s, rather than trusting your memory.
- Reviewing contracts or terms. Spot every alteration between two versions of an agreement, down to a single swapped word.
- Catching accidental changes. Confirm that a copy-edit or a paste didn’t quietly drop or alter something it shouldn’t have.
How the comparison works
The tool breaks both texts into words and finds the longest sequence they share, then marks everything else as either an addition (in the revised text) or a removal (from the original). Because it compares whole words rather than characters or lines, the result reads like your original text with the changes marked on top – not a wall of symbols. Punctuation stays attached to its word, which keeps the highlighting natural for ordinary writing.
All of it happens in your browser. Both texts stay on your device, which matters when you’re comparing something private like a contract or an unpublished draft.
Common questions
How do I compare two pieces of text?
Paste the original into the left box and the revised version into the right, then press Compare. The tool shows both merged into one view, with additions and removals highlighted, and a quick count of how many words changed.
Is my text stored?
No. The comparison runs entirely in your browser and nothing is saved once you leave. Nothing is uploaded to a server at any point.
How is this different from a code diff?
Code diffs work line by line and are dense with markup. This compares by words and presents the changes in plain, readable form, which suits prose far better – a one-word edit shows as a one-word change, not a whole changed line.
What does “ignore case” do?
With it ticked, a change from “The” to “the” is not treated as an edit, so you only see changes that alter the words themselves. Leave it off if capitalisation matters for what you’re checking.
Can I compare two documents?
Yes – copy the text from each document and paste one into each box. The tool compares the text itself, so it works with anything you can select and copy, whatever the original file format.
Is there a limit on length?
It’s designed for the kind of text a person reads – paragraphs, pages, or a short document. Very large pastes will still work but take longer, since the comparison grows with the amount of text.