File comparison

Diff Raven

v1.0

Use Diff Raven as a CSV compare tool or JSON compare tool to review side-by-side diffs, changed rows, changed values, and readable structured-data changes without a raw diff dump.

Start here

Compare two JSON documents

Paste or upload two JSON documents and Diff Raven will compare nested objects and arrays by path.

Choose JSON when both sides are structured JSON documents.

Use JSON A for the previous payload, baseline config, or earlier API response.

Use JSON B for the newer payload or target response. Diff Raven compares object keys by path and arrays by index in v1.

JSON comparison results

Ready for a JSON diff

Paste or upload two JSON documents to compare configs, API responses, or structured exports.

  • Object keys compare by path, not by source order.
  • Arrays compare by index in Diff Raven v1, so reordered arrays appear as changed positions.
  • Review the changed values directly in Diff Raven after the comparison runs.

Diff workflow playbook

Start narrow when comparing CSV

Use row order when you are checking two quick exports from the same source. Move to key columns when row order is unstable or when the same records can move around between runs.

Pick business identifiers, not display fields

For CSV, choose keys like id, sku, or email instead of names or labels. Stable identifiers reduce false diffs and make changed-row output trustworthy.

Read JSON array diffs carefully

Objects compare by key, but arrays compare by index in Diff Raven v1. If an upstream system reordered an array, the report will treat those positions as changed elements.

Read changed values side by side

JSON results now show the affected values from JSON A and JSON B next to each other so you can review the exact changed fragment without decoding raw path syntax first.

FAQ

What does Diff Raven compare in the first release?

Diff Raven v1 focuses on CSV and JSON only. CSV can be compared by row order or by key columns, and JSON compares nested objects and arrays by path.

Does Diff Raven try to merge my data?

No. It explains the differences between two inputs. It does not rewrite, merge, or mutate the original data.

Can I compare uploaded files instead of pasted text?

Yes. Each side accepts either pasted text or a local file upload. If you provide both on one side, Diff Raven uses the pasted text so you can quickly edit before running the comparison.

What if the data is not valid JSON?

Diff Raven will stop and surface the JSON parser error instead of guessing. For CSV, it expects a header row and tries to normalize basic delimiter variations automatically.

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