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 50+ 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 45+ more — all on the same dashboard.
No Ads, No Upsell Banners
Diffchecker's free site shows ads and Pro upsells. Start Page HQ is paid software — never ad-supported on any plan.
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 | $25/yr or $49 lifetime |
| Free tier | Yes (size-limited) | Free demo only |
| 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.
There is a free public demo at startpagehq.com/demo where you can use the Text Diff and every other widget without signing up. Full access requires a paid plan: $25/year or $49 one-time. Both plans include all 50+ widgets, cross-device sync, and AI credits.
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 Annual is $25/year and the Lifetime plan is $49 once — covering the Text Diff plus 49 other widgets, never ad-supported.
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.