Looking for a Diffchecker Alternative?
Diffchecker is the well-known web diff tool with rich format support — text, PDF, image, Excel, and folder comparison on Pro. Start Page HQ is the text diff that lives on every new tab — same side-by-side comparison, no extra browser tab to keep open.
What People Love About Diffchecker
Before we get into where Start Page HQ goes further, credit where it's due.
- Rich format support beyond plain text — PDF, image, Excel, and folder diffs on the Pro plan.
- Native desktop apps for Mac, Windows, and Linux that work fully offline.
- Syntax highlighting for source code, real-time diff as you type, and shareable diff URLs on the free tier.
- A long-running, polished web tool that has been the default text-diff site for years.
- A free tier that handles small to medium diffs without an account.
Where Start Page HQ Goes Further
Specific differences, not vague claims.
Lives on Every New Tab
Diffchecker is a separate site you have to open. Start Page HQ ships a Text Diff widget that's already there every time you open a new tab — paste the two versions, see the diff, move on.
No File Size or Diff-Per-Day Limits
Diffchecker's free tier caps text length and diff history. Start Page HQ runs the diff entirely in your browser, so there's no upload limit and no daily counter — paste anything that fits in a textarea and it just works.
Sits Alongside 63+ Other Widgets
Diffchecker is a single-purpose tool. Start Page HQ pairs the Text Diff with JSON Formatter, Regex Tester, Base64, QR Codes, Image Compression, and 63+ more — all on the same dashboard.
No Ads, No Upsell Banners
Diffchecker's free site shows ads and Pro upsells. Start Page HQ never runs ads or upsell banners — not on the free plan, not on any paid one.
Runs Locally in Your Browser
Text comparison happens in-browser — no upload, no server round trip, sensitive payloads (configs, snippets, contracts) never leave your machine on the free tier or otherwise.
Cross-Device Sync Built In
Dashboard layout syncs across every browser and device automatically. Sign in once and your dev-tools page travels with you.
Side-by-Side Comparison
An honest line-by-line look at how the two stack up.
| Feature | Diffchecker | Start Page HQ |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free, or $19/mo Pro | Free plan; $3.99/mo, $25/yr, $49 LTD |
| Free tier | Yes (size-limited) | 1 page, 8 widgets |
| Text diff | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time / inline diff | Yes | Yes |
| PDF diff | Pro only | No |
| Image diff | Pro only | No |
| Excel / spreadsheet diff | Pro only | No |
| Folder diff | Pro only | No |
| Native desktop apps | Mac, Windows, Linux | No |
| Lives on every new tab | No | Yes |
| Chrome | Web only | Yes |
| Firefox | Web only | Yes |
| Safari | Web only | Yes |
| Edge | Web only | Yes |
| Browser extensions | No | Yes |
| No ads on free / paid | Pro only | Yes |
| Cross-device sync | Pro only | Included |
| Multi-page dashboards | No | Yes |
| Other dev tools (JSON, regex, base64, QR) | No | Yes |
Widgets That Replace Diffchecker
Drop these onto your dashboard and you've covered Diffchecker's core features — plus a lot more.
Frequently Asked Questions
For text-on-text diffs — the most common use — yes. The Text Diff widget covers paste-paste-compare workflows, side-by-side and inline modes, and syntax-highlighted output. If you regularly diff PDFs, images, Excel files, or whole folders, those are Diffchecker Pro features that Start Page HQ doesn't replicate today.
No. The Text Diff widget runs entirely in your browser — both texts stay on your machine while the diff is computed. Safe for configs, contracts, code snippets, and anything else you would rather not paste into a remote service.
Yes — there is a free plan, no credit card needed. It gives you 1 page with up to 8 widgets, 55 of the 63 widget types including Text Diff, cross-device sync, every browser extension, and 50 one-time AI credits. Extra pages, the 8 premium widgets, and uploads need a paid plan: $3.99/month, $25/year, or $49 one-time. The demo at startpagehq.com/demo still needs no signup and unlocks every widget.
Diffchecker Pro is around $19/month or $99/year and unlocks PDF/image/Excel/folder diff, real-time Pro features, and ad removal. Start Page HQ starts at nothing — the free plan runs the Text Diff on 1 page of up to 8 widgets — and paid plans are $3.99/month, $25/year, or $49 once for lifetime, adding extra pages, the 8 premium widgets, and the rest of the 63+ library. Never ad-supported on either.
Yes. The Text Diff widget supports common code formats and shows additions, deletions, and changes side-by-side or inline.
Yes. Start Page HQ has native extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, plus a hosted web app at startpagehq.com that works in any modern browser.
Ready to Try Start Page HQ?
Start free — 1 page, 8 widgets, sync across devices, no credit card. Or open the live demo first, no signup needed.