Documentation

DiffScope documentation

Everything you need to compare files, folders and binaries, resolve merges, and wire DiffScope into TortoiseGit, git and your scripts.

Applies to DiffScope v1.0.1 Updated Oct 2026

Download v1.0.1Set up TortoiseGit

Guides

New to DiffScope? Read Getting started below first. After that, each page covers one part of the app.

Text compare

Side-by-side diff, ignore options, editing, copying blocks and saving.

Read the guide

3-way merge

Resolve conflicts, edit the output, and the exit codes TortoiseGit and git read.

Read the guide

Folder & hex compare

Recursive folder trees, filters, exclude globs, and byte-level binary compare.

Read the guide

TortoiseGit & git

Copy-paste setup for the TortoiseGit diff viewer and merge tool, and for git difftool and mergetool.

Set it up

Command line

Every switch, the slash and GNU syntaxes, headless mode and exit codes for CI.

See the reference

Keyboard shortcuts

All the keys for each view, taken straight from the app.

See the keys

Getting started

DiffScope is a portable app. There is no installer, it needs no admin rights, and it never connects to the network.

Requirements

  • Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit (x64).
  • About 150.8 MB for the download. Most of that is the bundled Electron runtime.

Download and unzip

  1. Download DiffScope-1.0.1-win-x64.zip. The download page lists its SHA-256 checksum if you want to verify the file.
  2. Extract the zip to a folder you keep, for example C:\Tools\DiffScope. Use Extract All rather than running from inside the zip.
  3. Run DiffScope.exe. The home screen opens.

Windows protected your PC

DiffScope.exe is not code-signed yet, so Microsoft Defender SmartScreen may warn the first time you run it. Click More info, then Run anyway. Check the SHA-256 on the download page first if you want to be sure the file is the one we published.

To remove DiffScope, delete the folder. If you set it up in TortoiseGit or git, change those settings back as well (see Integrations).

The home screen

DiffScope home screen: a Compare card with Left and Right path fields, and a 3-way merge card with Base, Mine, Theirs and Output fields DiffScope home screen in the light theme, with the Compare and 3-way merge cards
The home screen has a card for a two-way compare and a card for a 3-way merge.

When you start DiffScope.exe without arguments you get two cards:

Compare
Two files (text or binary) or two folders. Type or paste the Left and Right paths, or use the file and folder buttons next to each field, then click Compare or press Enter in either field. Swap exchanges the two paths.
3-way merge
Base (the common ancestor), Mine (your version) and Theirs (the other version) are required. Output is optional; if you leave it empty, DiffScope asks for a file name when you save.

The theme button at the top right of every screen switches between dark and light. DiffScope remembers your choice.

Your first comparison

  1. Drag two files from Explorer onto the DiffScope window. The comparison opens straight away.
  2. Press F7 to jump to the next difference and Shift+F7 to go back.
  3. Press Alt+→ to copy the current difference from left to right, then Ctrl+S to save.
  4. Click the home button at the left of the toolbar to start another comparison.

Drag and drop

On the home screen you can drop files and folders anywhere in the window:

You dropDiffScope does
Two files or two foldersFills Left and Right and starts the comparison.
One itemFills Left. Drop a second item and it fills Right and starts the comparison.
Three filesFills Base, Mine and Theirs in the order Explorer hands them over. Check the order, then click Merge.
Onto one path fieldPuts that item's path into that field only.

How DiffScope picks the view

You never choose text, hex or folder mode up front. DiffScope looks at the two paths:

  • Two folders open the folder compare.
  • Two files open the text compare, unless either file looks binary (a NUL byte in the first 8,000 bytes that is not UTF-16 text). Then the hex compare opens.
  • A folder and a file cannot be compared, and DiffScope shows an error screen that explains why.
  • Base, mine and theirs open the 3-way merge. All three must be text files.

From the command line you can override the choice with --text, --hex or --folder. See the command-line reference.

Windows and closing

Each comparison or merge has its own window. Opening a file pair from a folder compare opens a new window. Ctrl+W closes the current window. If you have unsaved edits, DiffScope asks whether to save first.

Next steps