opencompareUser manual
Back to workspace
User manualImage compare

Image compare

Open comparison ↗

How it works

Decoded pixels are compared at their original sizes, aligned at the top left. Red exceeds tolerance; blue retains smaller changes.

Steps

  1. Open or drop a file on each side. File signatures and package contents determine the comparison type. Each side previews independently; compatible sources compare automatically after imports or changes.
  2. Adjust rules when the default comparison does not match your task. Keep a downloaded copy of work you need to retain.

Settings

NameDefault
ViewHighlight differences
Pixel tolerance16
Right opacity50%
Before / after50%

Reading results

No important differences means agreement within the selected mode and rules. It does not establish identical file bytes, identical appearance or identical metadata. Check the relevant modes separately.

Important changes
Red marks changes considered important by the active rules. Text insertions and deletions also use the important-change color.
Minor changes
Blue retains changes treated as minor, such as ignored whitespace or differences within a tolerance. It does not mean the original data is identical.
Only on one side
Purple identifies content present on only one side where the comparison uses that category, such as an unmatched file or audio segment.
Not checked
Unchecked means the current mode or source cannot establish equality. Missing formula caches and unsupported content must not be read as equal.

Examples

The examples illustrate the selected comparison scope. For text-like formats they show extracted content, not a claim that every layout or embedded object has been compared.

Left

RGBA: 100,100,100,255

Right

RGBA: 104,100,100,255

Reports and downloads

Use the report or download control provided by the current comparison. Text and Office reports describe comparison rules; CSV uses tabular output, and visual comparisons can export images or PDF reports. A report is not an editable replacement for the original Office document. Display filters and report scope are separate.

Comparison limits

No object recognition, rotation or animated-frame comparison. Metadata is separate.