differ helps you quickly see the differences between two sets of files. It shows added, removed, changed, or moved files side by side right in your browser. You can check local folders or open .zip, .war, or .jar archives. This makes it easy to understand changes in your projects without installing anything complicated.
Built using modern web tools, differ runs smoothly on Windows with no programming needed. Follow the steps below to get started.
- Windows 10 or later (64-bit recommended)
- Modern web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or similar)
- At least 4 GB of free disk space
- Minimum 4 GB RAM for faster comparison on large projects
- Internet connection to download the app
These specs will make sure differ runs without lag. The app works inside your browser but downloads a small file to launch quickly.
Click the button below to go to the official release page:
On the release page, look for the latest Windows installer file. It will usually be named with a .exe extension. Download this file to your computer.
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Open your browser and visit the differ releases page.
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Find the latest version and download the Windows installer file (ending in
.exe). -
Once the download finishes, open the installer file by double-clicking it.
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Follow the on-screen prompts to finish installation. Usually, you can accept the default options.
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When installation is complete, you will find differ listed in your Start menu or on your desktop.
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Open differ from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.
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The app will open in your default web browser.
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You will see two options to select your projects for comparison:
- Choose folders on your computer.
- Upload
.zip,.war, or.jarfiles.
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Pick two project folders or archives you want to compare.
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Click the "Compare" button.
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differ will analyze the files and show a side-by-side view with changes highlighted.
differ can detect:
- Added files - New files not found in the original project.
- Deleted files - Files in the original that are missing in the new version.
- Modified files - Files that have changed content.
- Moved files - Files relocated to a different folder.
The app shows these changes clearly using color codes and a split view. You can click each file to see exactly what changed in its content.
You can compare folders saved anywhere on your computer.
- Click the folder icon under each panel.
- Navigate to your project folder and select it.
- If you want, browse and select a second folder to compare.
Note that differ only reads files and does not change or delete anything.
differ accepts archive files like .zip, .war, or .jar.
- Click the upload area above each panel.
- Select an archive file from your computer.
- differ opens the archive automatically and reads the project inside.
This is useful if you have backups or packaged versions of your project.
Inside differ, you can adjust some options to fit your needs:
- Ignore case: Turn on if file names should use case-insensitive matching.
- Skip hidden files: Hide system or hidden files from the comparison.
- Show moved files: Enable or disable detection of moved files for faster performance.
- Filter by file type: Limit the comparison to specific file extensions like
.jsor.txt.
Take a moment to set these before running a comparison for the best results.
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App won’t open in browser:
Make sure you have a modern browser like Chrome or Edge installed. -
Comparisons are slow:
Large projects can take more time. Try closing other programs or increasing your system memory. -
Files missing from comparison:
Check the ignore settings or if the files are hidden either in Windows or differ. -
Archive upload fails:
Confirm the file extension is.zip,.war, or.jar. Make sure the archive is not corrupted.
differ was built with React 19, TypeScript, and Vite. It uses web workers for smooth performance on large projects. The app relies on open source libraries for file comparison and UI animations. It is designed to give you clear, accurate views of file changes without extra setup.
- Works with any file types inside the project folders.
- Supports archives
.zip,.war,.jarup to 1 GB comfortably. - Reads nested folders and handles thousands of files.
To get updates, download the newest .exe installer from the releases page. Run the installer to replace the old version.
- Compare two project folders or archives side by side.
- Detect added, removed, modified, and moved files.
- View file content changes with a side-by-side diff viewer.
- Supports local folders and common archive files.
- Runs on Windows using your browser for a smooth experience.