Free Folder Compare

Two folders that should be identical — are they? Pick both folders and get the full difference list: added, removed, changed, identical, and files that only moved. No install, no upload, nothing is changed.

Privacy Level 1 — 100% local: your files never leave your browser

Desktop browser recommended. Folder picking works in Chrome and Edge on desktop (and in Firefox, with its own folder picker). Most phone browsers do not offer folder picking at all — on a phone, compare ZIP contents on a desktop instead. Files are read only to compare them; this tool never copies, moves or deletes anything.

1. Choose the two folders

Left folder (older / source)

No folder selected yet.

Right folder (newer / target)

No folder selected yet.

Paths are compared relative to each folder's root, so the two folders can have different names. A file at backup-2026/photos/a.jpg matches photos/a.jpg on the other side.

2. How to compare

Comparison mode

Case-sensitive file names Off: Report.txt and report.txt count as the same file.

Skip hidden files and folders Files starting with a dot, like .env and .DS_Store.

Skip .git and node_modules Version-control and dependency folders are usually noise in a comparison.

Something not working?

Tell us what went wrong — it helps us fix the tool. Only what you type below is sent; your files never leave your device.

Need more power? Meet Folder Compare Pro

One-time payment. Yours forever. No subscription.

$29

single payment · lifetime updates included

Feature	Free	Pro
Added, removed, changed, identical and moved files	Yes	Yes
Name-and-size and SHA-256 content modes, CSV report	Yes	Yes
Compare a folder against a ZIP file	—	Yes
Line-by-line diff for changed text files	—	Yes
Ignore patterns (for example, *.log) saved per project	—	Yes

Get Pro — $29 one-time

Frequently asked questions

Are my files uploaded?

No. Both folders are read inside your browser only, and only file names, sizes, dates and (in content mode) hashes are compared. File contents are hashed locally and never sent anywhere.

Which mode should I use?

Name-and-size is instant and catches almost everything: added, removed and resized files. Content mode reads every file and hashes it, so it also catches edits that kept the exact same size — use it to verify a backup or a release build, and accept that large folders take longer.

How is a "moved" file detected?

In content mode, a file that exists only on the left and a file that exists only on the right with the same size and the same SHA-256 hash are reported as one moved file instead of two unrelated changes. Renames with edits are reported as different files, not moves.

Why does nothing happen on my phone?

Most mobile browsers do not offer a folder picker, so there is nothing to choose. Use Chrome or Edge on a desktop or laptop for this tool; the page says so up front rather than failing silently.

Does it change or sync anything?

Never. It only reports differences. Copying, deleting or syncing is deliberately not offered: a comparison tool that can also delete is one misclick away from data loss.