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Notepad++ can compare two files side by side, but the comparison is provided by a plugin rather than by the editor’s basic features. The maintained option is ComparePlus: install it from Plugins > PluginAdmin, open the two files in separate tabs, then choose Plugins > Compare > Compare. ComparePlus highlights added, removed, changed, moved, and character-level differences, and it can also compare selections, clipboard text, unsaved content, and Git or SVN revisions.
The important qualification is that the result depends on your comparison settings. Options that ignore spaces, blank lines, letter case, or regular-expression patterns can deliberately hide differences. Check those settings before reporting that two files are identical.
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What do you need to compare files in Notepad++?
You need a desktop installation of Notepad++ and the ComparePlus plugin. Comparing is not a native command in the ordinary editing surface, so a fresh Notepad++ installation may not show a Compare menu until the plugin is installed.
- Notepad++ version: ComparePlus is documented for Notepad++ 8.4.2 and later. The project README describes PluginAdmin installation for versions above 8.4.5.
- Plugin package: ComparePlus releases are offered for x86, x64, and ARM64 Notepad++ installations. The package must match the architecture of your editor.
- Files: The usual workflow uses two files open in separate tabs. The files can be ordinary text, source code, configuration files, logs, or any other content Notepad++ can open as text.
- Restart: A restart is required after a manual installation and may also be requested after an automatic installation.
If you only need to inspect text, you do not need a second editor or a paid utility. ComparePlus is distributed as free plugin software through Notepad++’s plugin mechanism or as a release archive.
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How do I install ComparePlus through PluginAdmin?
PluginAdmin is the simplest route because Notepad++ downloads and places the plugin for you. Use it when the dialog is available and your Notepad++ version meets the documented compatibility range.
- Open Notepad++.
- Choose Plugins > PluginAdmin. In some releases the dialog is labeled Plugins Admin; use the plugin-management command shown by your installation.
- In the available-plugin list, search for ComparePlus.
- Select ComparePlus and choose Install.
- Allow Notepad++ to restart when prompted. If it does not restart automatically, close and reopen it yourself.
- After reopening, look for Plugins > Compare. The presence of that submenu indicates that Notepad++ loaded the plugin.
The README’s version distinction matters: it describes PluginAdmin installation for versions above Notepad++ 8.4.5, while ComparePlus is generally described as available from Notepad++ 8.4.2 onward. If your editor falls into the older part of that range and ComparePlus is not listed, use the manual archive method or update Notepad++ first.
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How do I install ComparePlus manually from a release archive?
Manual installation is the fallback when PluginAdmin is unavailable, the plugin list is blocked, or you need to place a specific release yourself. Select the archive that matches your Notepad++ CPU architecture; an x86 package is not interchangeable with x64 or ARM64.
- Close every Notepad++ window.
- Download the ComparePlus release archive for your Notepad++ architecture: x86, x64, or ARM64.
- Find the Notepad++ program folder. The README represents this location as
%Notepad++_program_folder%. - Inside that folder, open or create a directory named
Plugins. - Inside
Plugins, create a directory namedComparePlus. The resulting path is%Notepad++_program_folder%PluginsComparePlus. - Extract the contents of the release archive into that
ComparePlusdirectory, preserving the archive’s file structure. - Start Notepad++ again and check for Plugins > Compare.
| Installation route | When to use it | Key requirement | What to check afterward |
|---|---|---|---|
| PluginAdmin | The plugin manager is available and lists ComparePlus | A supported Notepad++ installation | Restart, then look for Plugins > Compare |
| Release archive | PluginAdmin is unavailable or a specific package is needed | Correct x86, x64, or ARM64 archive and the exact PluginsComparePlus folder |
Restart, then look for Plugins > Compare |
If the submenu does not appear after a manual install, the most likely causes are a wrong architecture, a misplaced folder, or a file still held by a running Notepad++ process. Close Notepad++ completely, verify the folder name and nesting, and reinstall the package that matches the editor’s architecture.
How do I compare two files side by side?
Once ComparePlus is loaded, the core comparison takes only a few commands. Keep each file in its own tab; the active tab determines one side of the comparison and ComparePlus uses another open document as the counterpart.
- Open the first file in Notepad++.
- Open the second file so both documents appear as separate tabs.
- Click the tab for either file.
- Choose Plugins > Compare > Compare.
- Read the synchronized side-by-side view. Differences are highlighted, and the comparison identifies added, removed, changed, moved, and character-level edits where those distinctions can be made.
The menu path is the dependable instruction because keyboard shortcuts can vary by release. A community note records Ctrl-Alt-C as the default shortcut for the Compare command in Compare plugin version 2.0.0; treat that shortcut as version-specific rather than as a universal Notepad++ binding.
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What do the comparison results show?
ComparePlus is more than a simple line-count check. It presents corresponding portions of the two documents next to each other, so you can inspect context while deciding whether a change is intentional.
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Added and removed lines
Content present on one side but absent on the other is marked as an insertion or deletion. This is useful for configuration changes, patch review, and checking whether a generated file lost a block.
Changed lines and characters
When both files contain a corresponding line but the text differs, ComparePlus can identify the changed line and the character-level edits inside it. Character detail is useful for values such as version strings, punctuation, identifiers, and single-digit settings that are easy to miss in a line-only review.
Moved lines
Move detection can distinguish relocated content from a deletion followed by an unrelated insertion. That helps when a function, rule, or paragraph was reordered without being rewritten.
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You can use the unique-line feature to find lines that occur only on one side. It is a faster way to locate one-off entries in long lists, logs, or data files than scanning the complete synchronized view.
Can I compare only part of a file or text outside an open tab?
Yes. ComparePlus supports several focused workflows in addition to a complete two-tab comparison.
Compare selected portions
Select a region in each document and invoke the selection comparison command from the Compare menu. This is helpful when the files contain large headers, generated metadata, or unrelated sections that would obscure the block you actually need to review.
Compare with clipboard text
Copy text from another application, then use ComparePlus’s clipboard comparison command. You can check a pasted API response, an email attachment, a command output, or a snippet from a ticket without first saving it as a permanent file.
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Compare an unsaved changed document
ComparePlus can compare a file against its changed, unsaved state. This lets you inspect edits before committing them to disk, which is especially useful when testing a configuration change or reviewing generated output.
Compare Git or SVN revisions
The plugin supports diffs against Git and SVN content. Use that capability when the question is not simply “what differs between these two tabs?” but “what changed relative to the version-control revision?” Repository tools and credentials remain separate from ComparePlus; the plugin supplies the comparison view.
Which ComparePlus settings can change the meaning of “different”?
Normalization options determine what ComparePlus treats as significant. Before you accept a clean-looking result, inspect the active settings and record them when the comparison is part of a bug report, code review, or release check.
| Setting | Effect | Risk if enabled unexpectedly |
|---|---|---|
| Ignore spaces | Whitespace differences are excluded from the comparison | Alignment or formatting changes may disappear |
| Ignore empty lines | Blank-line additions and removals do not count as differences | Document structure and formatting changes can be missed |
| Ignore letter case | Uppercase and lowercase differences are treated as equivalent | Case-sensitive identifiers, paths, or values may appear equal |
| Regular-expression options | Configured patterns can normalize or ignore matching text | A rule may hide a meaningful token or value |
| Move detection | Attempts to classify relocated lines as moves | A reordered block may be interpreted differently from a simple delete-and-add review |
For an exact audit, turn off every ignore rule that is not part of your stated comparison policy. For a formatting review, ignoring spaces or empty lines can reduce noise, but the report should say that those categories were excluded. If two files are used by a case-sensitive system, do not ignore letter case merely because the visual text looks similar.
How do I manage several comparisons or finish a comparison?
ComparePlus supports multiple active file pairs, so you can keep separate comparisons available while moving between tabs. This is useful when reviewing several versions of a configuration or checking a sequence of generated files, but it also makes it important to know which comparison is active.
- Use the Compare menu to switch among active comparisons or start another comparison with the desired tabs or selections.
- Keep related files together in clearly named tabs so you do not accidentally compare the wrong pair.
- When a review is complete, choose the command in the Compare menu that clears the active comparison.
- Use the command that clears all comparisons when you are finished with the entire review session.
Clearing a comparison removes the comparison state; it does not mean that either source file has been edited or deleted. Save documents separately if you want to preserve changes made during the review.
What is the difference between ComparePlus and the older Compare plugin?
ComparePlus is presented by its maintainer as the advanced successor intended to replace the older Compare-plugin project. The same maintainer says the older project will no longer be supported by that maintainer, making ComparePlus the maintained path for new Notepad++ installations.
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| Capability or concern | ComparePlus | Older Compare project |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance direction | Described by its maintainer as the successor and replacement path | Described by that maintainer as no longer supported |
| Full-file and selection comparison | Supported | Not stated in the available documentation |
| Whitespace, blank-line, case, and pattern controls | Supported | Not stated |
| Move and character-level detection | Supported | Not stated |
| Clipboard, Git, and SVN workflows | Supported | Not stated |
| Multiple active file pairs | Supported | Not stated |
There is little reason to choose an unmaintained project for a new setup when the successor is available through Notepad++’s plugin workflow. Existing users of the older plugin should verify their version and settings before assuming that its behavior matches ComparePlus.
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How do I troubleshoot a missing Compare menu or an unexpected result?
The plugin is not listed in PluginAdmin
Check the Notepad++ version first. ComparePlus is documented for 8.4.2 and later, while the README’s PluginAdmin instructions target versions above 8.4.5. If your installation is older or the plugin catalog cannot be reached, update Notepad++ or use the correctly matched release archive.
The plugin installed but no Compare submenu appears
Restart Notepad++ and inspect the directory structure. A manual installation must place the extracted files inside PluginsComparePlus, not directly in Plugins and not in a second nested folder with the same name. Also confirm that the archive architecture matches x86, x64, or ARM64 Notepad++.
The files look identical even though you know they differ
Open the Compare menu’s options and disable rules that ignore spaces, empty lines, case, or regular-expression matches. Then run the comparison again. A clean result under normalization means “no difference after those exclusions,” not necessarily “the files are byte-for-byte identical.”
The comparison pairs the wrong documents
Close unrelated tabs or select the intended file before invoking Compare. If several comparisons are active, use the Compare menu to identify or clear the active pair, then start again with the correct tabs.
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For a readability-focused review, selectively ignore formatting-only differences or compare only the relevant selections. Do not apply those settings to a compliance or release audit unless the policy explicitly permits them.
What is the safest workflow for a code or configuration review?
Use a two-pass process: first compare with all meaningful differences enabled, then make a second, narrower comparison if formatting noise makes the result difficult to read.
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- Install or update ComparePlus and verify that the Compare submenu appears.
- Open the original and revised files in separate tabs.
- Run a full-file comparison with whitespace, empty-line, case, and pattern ignoring disabled unless your review rules say otherwise.
- Inspect moved and character-level changes, not just the lines marked as added or removed.
- For a large file, compare a selected block or use unique-line inspection to focus on the relevant section.
- Record any normalization options used in your review notes.
- Clear the active comparison when finished, especially before starting a new pair.
This approach preserves exactness for the first pass while still giving you practical ways to reduce noise later. It also makes another person’s result reproducible because they know which categories were treated as insignificant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Notepad++ compare binary files with ComparePlus?
The documented ComparePlus workflows are text-oriented: full files, selections, clipboard text, unsaved text, and version-control diffs. A binary comparison is therefore outside the supported use described here; use a byte-level comparison utility when you need binary equality.
Does comparing files modify either original file?
The comparison view is for inspection and does not by itself save changes to the source documents. You still need to save explicitly if you edit a tab, and clearing a comparison only removes comparison state.
Why does a moved block appear as deletion and insertion?
Move detection is configurable, so its classification depends on the active comparison options and the surrounding text. Turn on move detection and rerun the comparison; for an audit, inspect the underlying line and character changes rather than relying only on the move label.
Can I use ComparePlus with a file that has unsaved edits?
Yes. ComparePlus supports comparison against a changed unsaved document. This allows a pre-save review, but you should preserve the tab or save a copy if the edits must survive an application crash or restart.
What should I document when sharing a comparison result?
Record the Notepad++ and ComparePlus versions, the two file or revision identifiers, and whether spaces, empty lines, case, regular-expression rules, or move detection were enabled. Those settings determine what the recipient will consider a difference.
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