Line diff or character diff?

Both — line-level by default, word-level highlighting within changed lines. Switch to character-level for very short texts where line-level isn't granular enough.

Does it handle CRLF vs LF?

Configurable — ignore line-ending differences, or highlight them as changes. Default is ignore (since they're often artifacts of editor mixing).

Can I diff very large files?

Up to ~5 MB comfortably. Beyond that use `diff` at the command line — browser memory and CPU become bottlenecks.

Is there an ignore-whitespace mode?

Yes. Matches `diff -w` behavior — whitespace changes (added/removed spaces, tabs) are suppressed. Great for reviewing reformatted code.

Text Diff | DevTools Surf

DevTools Surf

Example: Text Diff

A worked example, rendered from real sample data. Sign in to run the tool on your own input.

Input

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
She sells sea shells by the sea shore.
---
The quick red fox leaps over the lazy dog.
She sells sea shells on the sea shore.

Output

--- Text A
+++ Text B
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
-She sells sea shells by the sea shore.
+The quick red fox leaps over the lazy dog.
+She sells sea shells on the sea shore.

About Text Diff

Compare two text blocks and highlight differences. Part of the DevTools Surf developer suite. Browse more tools in the Text / String collection.

Use Cases

Comparing configuration files before and after deployment
Spotting differences between staging and production API responses
Reviewing translated content against the original source text
Auditing changes in legal documents or policy updates

Tips

Compare config file versions to spot unintended changes
Paste two API responses side by side to find differences
Use the highlighted output to document changes in code reviews

Fun Facts

The diff algorithm was published by Hunt and McIlroy in 1976 at Bell Labs and became the foundation for all modern diff tools.
Git uses the Myers diff algorithm by default, published by Eugene Myers in 1986, which finds the shortest edit script.
The first version control system, SCCS, was created by Marc Rochkind at Bell Labs in 1972 and relied heavily on diff.

FAQ

Line diff or character diff?: Both — line-level by default, word-level highlighting within changed lines. Switch to character-level for very short texts where line-level isn't granular enough.
Does it handle CRLF vs LF?: Configurable — ignore line-ending differences, or highlight them as changes. Default is ignore (since they're often artifacts of editor mixing).
Can I diff very large files?: Up to ~5 MB comfortably. Beyond that use `diff` at the command line — browser memory and CPU become bottlenecks.
Is there an ignore-whitespace mode?: Yes. Matches `diff -w` behavior — whitespace changes (added/removed spaces, tabs) are suppressed. Great for reviewing reformatted code.

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