VisualDiffer

May 2, 2026 · View on GitHub

VisualDiffer

Overview

VisualDiffer is a macOS application designed to visually compare folders and files with clarity and speed.
It lets you instantly see what has changed between two directories — new, modified, or missing files — through a clean side-by-side interface.
The app helps developers, designers, and anyone managing multiple versions of projects to easily identify differences, filter unwanted files, and synchronize content more efficiently.

Key Features

  • 🟩 Side-by-side folder comparison — instantly highlights differences between directories (added, removed, or modified files).
  • 🧩 File-level diff view — inspect detailed content changes line-by-line (for supported file types).
  • 🧹 Powerful filters — exclude version control, backup, or temporary files (e.g., .git, .svn, .zip, .DS_Store).
  • 🖱️ Drag & drop support — compare folders by simply dragging them into the app window.
  • 📦 Export and automation — integrate comparisons into scripts or workflows using CLI tools (if available).
  • ⚡ Fast comparison engine — optimized to handle large folder structures efficiently.

For more information, visit the VisualDiffer Wiki.

⚡ Caveats

Warning

This is a port of the original project written in Objective-C. The Swift code was rewritten from scratch without using conversions made by AI models. Maximum care was taken in rewriting the code, but regressions or new bugs are possible.

📦 Installation

Note

The installed application:

  • is notarized
  • is sandboxed

Notarization is Apple's automated security check for macOS apps.

Sandboxing restricts what an app can access on your Mac, for example the application can only access files/folders the user explicitly grants access to.

From Homebrew

You can install visualdiffer using homebrew with this command:

brew install visualdiffer

From GitHub Releases

Download from releases, unzip, and drag the app to Applications folder

Updates

When the app launches, it automatically checks for updates and notifies the user when a new version is available.

🛠️ Build

See Contributing

License

Released under the GPL3 License.
See LICENSE for details.

Acknowledgments

VisualDiffer was inspired by the need for a fast, reliable, and elegant folder comparison tool for macOS.
Thanks to all contributors, testers, and users who continue to improve the project.