Updated July 2020
Husband brings the child home from kindergarten and asks his wife, — “He’s been crying the whole way home. Is he sick or something?” — “No,” replies the wife, “he was just trying to tell you he isn’t our Frankie.”
A joke is a joke. Yet, lots of people around the globe find themselves in a similar conundrum.
Now and then you end up gazing at two different copies of your presentation. You switch between windows, scroll them up and down, and pop your eyes out in order to see how they are different and which of the two documents should be sent to the customer…
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Or you may find yourself pondering over several photos trying to tell which of them is the original which have been edited. ’Cause this difference can be very subtle and not obvious at first sight.
In both scenarios you wish there was something on earth that could help you compare your files quickly and automatically.
Good news is that there is something indeed on the digital market that can help you with that.
Different jobs require different comparison tools. For this very reason, we’ve come up with 5 different apps that will help you compare any two separate files.
But wait a minute…
Before we shift to exploring these apps, think about the problems they are designed to solve:
Accordingly, searching for the best app, you’d better consider these criteria:
Let’s start with Diffnow — your little helper for a quick check
Diffnow is an online comparison tool where you can run your files and see the difference immediately. The app is free and very simplistic, which makes it suitable for quick checks on the move.
Its modest website design still doesn’t impact its functionality. There are three ways of how you compare your files. You can upload the documents, enter URLs, or type the text manually.
You will get your results as an interactive comparison report. The file is usually formatted as an HTML to make it easy for you to download. Register a free account, and you will get a chance to save your searches or even share them with colleagues.
What about the formats?
Mac app store solitaire. Diffnow is a good tool for a superficial file comparison also because it supports a range of formats:
What’s the catch?
The main problem with Diffnow is its text-orientation. The app won’t assist you with visuals or videos, for example. It’s also not good for more complex requests. It has limitations up to 2048 KB in the size of your files. You’re unable to make more than five comparisons a day. And you have limited options in organizing your results…
Buying a premium, you may remove some of these restrictions. But you won’t solve the most severe issues, such as the format challenge or the lack of features.
Araxis — ideal tool for texts
Araxis is a professional tool which was specifically designed for comparing various files. And Araxis is good.
It’s especially good for comparing source code, web pages, XML, and all common office files such as Word, Excel, PDFs, and RTF.
With the help of Araxis, you can instantly identify all the differences between two documents. You can also accept some of these changes, edit, and even merge them when you find it necessary. And what I personally find really cool is that you can synchronize and merge entire folder trees with all the files within. And Araxis Pro allows you to compare as many as three files at a time!
Who are the takers?
Such a versatile functionality makes Araxis a great tool for a broad range of professionals — software developers, quality control managers, legal and publishing professionals. In other words, it’s perfect for everybody who deals with text-based documents.
What’s the backside of the medal?
As a downside, Araxis is not so good for comparing visual file formats, such as JPG, PNG, let alone video files. Yes, it knows how to make binary comparison between two images and spot differences at a byte level. But it still appears rather bulky and redundant if you only work with visuals.
And it also requires installation on your desktop computer, which does not sound very inspiring with all those up-and-coming cloud technologies and remote workplaces…
Compare Suite — more comparison functions
Compare Suite is one more file and folder comparison tool that is worth your attention. The app works best for white-collar workers, and its functionality is mainly defined by their needs.
Designed specifically for office workers, Compare Suite has a couple of unique features you may find valuable for file comparison:
With Compare Suite, you also don’t need to worry about the formats. The tool was adapted for the majority of popular formats, from MS Office and Powerpoint to Multimedia and Zip archives.
What are the drawbacks then?
Developed for office workers, Compare Suite won’t be suitable for average users. They may simply find it too intricate to use. The tool also lacks a user-friendly and intuitive interface, which may discourage you to use it even more.
But if you need something more dynamic and more adaptable for visuals, you can try Diffchecker.
Diffchecker — simple online comparison
Diffchecker is a really cool online tool for file comparison. It is very straightforward and as easy as pie to use. Plus, its basic functionality is free and doesn’t require any registration.
Mac Compare Text Files
The layout is ultimately simple. Once you open it in your browser, you can see two windows where you just drop your two images that you want to compare. After that, you have several options:
What can it compare?
Diffchecker works fine for PDF and various kinds of images. It also works well with text-based files — it highlights the differences between the texts so that they catch your attention.
But it obviously lacks some of the more sophisticated features that are available with Araxis or Compare Suite. Take merge, for instance. Besides, Diffchecker appears helpless with designer files such as Sketch, EPS or PSD, or videos. Deleting default apps from mac computer. So, if you need to compare something more exotic, you need a more sophisticated tool.
Take Pics.io, for example.
Pics.io — easy comparison for all things visual
Strictly speaking, Pics.io is a lot more than a mere instrument for file comparison.
It’s a comprehensive app for cloud-based digital assets management (DAM). And it has all the related bells and whistles, such as collections, tagging, keywording, search, sharing, versioning, and many others.
One of the core functionalities of Pics.io is Visual Diff tool. And it works ideally for comparing visuals: photos, all kinds of images, Sketch and other multi-page designs, and video files.
How does it work?
Easy! Every time you find yourself in one of these situations:
… in other words, every time you needto see the difference between the files with your own eyes — just select any two files (or their versions) in Pics.io and press Diff Tool. Two similar visual files will be placed one over the other, and you can move the slider sideways to compare them.
Diff Tool will also come in handy in case you need to make a side by side comparison. Very often, designers make subtle changes in the file such as in brightness or saturation. And these tiniest improvements stay invisible to the human eye unless you impose one image onto another. This technique will help you contrast the visuals, and you will spot the difference more easily.
What about other file formats?
Pics.io diff tool works best with all sorts of images such as JPG, PNG, etc. It’s also great for various designer files: Adobe XD, Sketch, AI, and EPS. And working with a multi-page design is not a problem for Pics.io either.
Alike different image formats, you can also compare PDFs. Move the slider left and right to see any petty differences between the files. One more feature you will appreciate is the chance to compare two assets of different formats. JPG and Sketch files, for example.
And Pics.io definitely saves the day if you work with video. All you need to do is simply select two videos and play them simultaneously. You can also switch the sound off and on on either video alternately.
Can it compare versions of the same file?
Absolutely! Pics.io visual comparison tool works hand in hand with Version Control. As you move ahead with your creative project, revisions pile up. But you can still easily reach any previous version as they are all kept in one place.
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So, whenever you find yourself wondering what the hell has been changed in this particular version of your design — go to Pics.io., pick the revisions you want to compare and let the Visual Comparison tool show you the difference!
By the way, the way we created version control in Pics.io is a story in itself. We once devoted a whole blogpost to it. So welcome to read about how we developed the simplest version control for designers ever.
This has been a very short overview of 5 distinctive apps that can help you with file comparison. Choose whichever you find the most useful. Just remember that if you’re looking for something more sophisticated, DAM is ready to assist you with its additional features.
Do you know some other comparison tools that you’ve tried and you like how they work? If you’ve got something in mind — don’t hesitate to drop us a word in the comments section below or on email. We’ll absolutely check it out and do our best to meet your needs. If you enjoyed this story, please click the ? button and share it with others.
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Thanks to John Shpika.
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