Compare Files Against a Baseline
Pick one reference file, add others to compare, and see exactly how much each one differs from the baseline — line by line.
How to use Compare Files Against a Baseline
- Set the inputs and options shown here: Baseline (reference) file, Files to compare against it.
- Run the tool with Compare to Baseline.
- Review the result or preview on the page and confirm it matches your input before using or sharing it.
How far has each copy drifted from the master?
When one file is the authoritative version and several others are copies, edits, or forks of it, the useful question isn't how similar they all are to each other — it's how much each one has diverged from the original. Comparing every file against one chosen baseline answers exactly that.
Reading the match percentage and line diff together
The match percentage gives a quick ranking of which files have drifted furthest; the full line-by-line diff underneath shows exactly what changed in each one, so you're not just told something differs but shown precisely where.
Which file should I pick as the baseline?
Whichever one you consider the authoritative or "correct" version — every other file's differences are measured relative to it specifically.
Does order matter for the files I'm comparing?
No — each one is compared independently against the baseline; their order relative to each other doesn't affect the results.
No single baseline — just want to see how similar they all are?
Use Multi-File Compare instead for a full pairwise similarity matrix across every file.