How to use the File Compare (Identical Check)
- Choose or drop file A and file B.
- See instantly whether they're identical, with the SHA-256 hash of each.
- For different files, check the bytes around the first difference — or, for text files, the changed lines.
What does this tool do?
Useful for checking a download against an original, confirming a backup copied correctly, or making sure two copies of a photo or installer really are the same. Identical files always have identical SHA-256 hashes; if even one byte differs, the hashes are completely different and the tool shows where the first differing byte is.
When both files are text, the changed lines are listed as well. For a full side-by-side comparison of text or code — with word highlights, ignore options and a downloadable patch — open the Diff Checker. Files are read on your device and never uploaded.
Why use it?
- Byte-for-byte check of any file type.
- SHA-256 hash of each file.
- Hex view of the first difference.
- Changed lines for text files.
Privacy
Your files are processed entirely in your browser using built-in web technologies. They are not uploaded to our servers, and closing the page clears them from memory. There's no account to create and nothing to install.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from the Diff Checker?
This tool answers “are these two files exactly the same?” for any file type, including binary files. The Diff Checker is for reading the differences between two texts or text files line by line.
Last reviewed by the M2Toolkit team.