How to Make Notepad++ Compare Two Files Easily? [Full Guide] - MiniTool Partition Wizard (2024)

By Ariel | Follow | Last Updated

English

Do you want to compare 2 files easily and quickly? Here the Notepad compare plugin can help you do that. How to make Notepad++ compare two files? In this post, MiniTool provides you with a complete guide.

What Is the Notepad Compare Plugin

Notepad++ is a widely popular free text editor and source editor used on Microsoft Windows. With the Notepad Compare plugin, users can compare two files easily and quickly. For example, if you want to compare a programming file with 2 different versions, this plugin can help you find the differences and mark them with different colors.

How does the Compare plugin work? Notepad++ compare two files through the lines. When you compare two files in Notepad++, you will notice some symbols or icons that have different meanings and are marked with different colors. Here we summarize them as follows:

  • Added (+): This plus icon comes with green color. It shows the lines that exist in the new file and not in the old file.
  • Deleted (-): This icon is marked as red color. It shows the lines that are only present in the old file but do not exist in the new file.
  • Changed (≠): This icon usually comes in different colors (red and yellow). It shows most of the similar lines, but some changes will be highlighted in a different color.
  • Moved: It shows the stream that appears once in another file but in a different location.

Now, you should have an overall understanding of the plugin. How to add the Compare plugin in Notepad++? Let’s keep reading.

Configure the Notepad++ Compare Plugin

The compare plugin does a great job of displaying the differences, but it is not available by default in Notepad++. To use it, you need to download and install it manually via the Plugin Manager. If you don’t have the Plugin Manager installed on your computer, you can click here to download and install it.

Now, let’s see how to add the Notepad Compare plugin.

Step 1. Doble clicks the Notepad++ shortcut on your desktop to enter its main interface. Also, you can search for Notepad++ through the Windows search bar.

Step 2. Click on the Plugins option in the top menu and select Plugins Admin from the context menu.

How to Make Notepad++ Compare Two Files Easily? [Full Guide] - MiniTool Partition Wizard (2)

Step 3. Scroll down the list of plugins, and then tick the checkbox next to Compare and click on Install. Alternatively, you can type compare in the Search box and click on Next to find the plugin quickly.

How to Make Notepad++ Compare Two Files Easily? [Full Guide] - MiniTool Partition Wizard (3)

Step 4. Now, click on Yes when you are prompted to execute this action. Then you will be asked to restart the Notepad++ to install the Compare plugin.

How to Make Notepad++ Compare Two Files Easily? [Full Guide] - MiniTool Partition Wizard (4)

Now, the Notepad Compare plugin should be installed successfully. To compare files in Notepad++, move down to the following part.

Make Notepad++ Compare Two Files

How to make Notepad++ compare files? After you have installed the plugin, you can follow the guide below:

Step 1. To make Notepad++ compare 2 files, you can click on the File option on the top menu and select Open. Then select the 2 files you want to compare.

Tip: Also, you can press Ctrl + O keys or simply drag and drop files to the interface of Notepad++ to open them.

How to Make Notepad++ Compare Two Files Easily? [Full Guide] - MiniTool Partition Wizard (5)

Step 2. Click on the Plugins menu and select Compare from the context menu, and then click on Compare from the sub-menu.

How to Make Notepad++ Compare Two Files Easily? [Full Guide] - MiniTool Partition Wizard (6)

Step 3. Now, it will compare the 2 files instantly and show you the differences between them.

Note: To end the “Notepad++ compare files” process, you can click on Plugins > Compare > Clear Active Compare or Clear All Compares.

How to Make Notepad++ Compare Two Files Easily? [Full Guide] - MiniTool Partition Wizard (7)

If you want to configure more options for the Notepad++ compare two files, you can also click on Plugins > Compare > Settings, and then further configure the Compare settings. For instance, you can change the colors for different lines.

How to Make Notepad++ Compare Two Files Easily? [Full Guide] - MiniTool Partition Wizard (8)

How to compare files in Notepad++? All the detailed steps have been illustrated. Have a try now!

About The Author

How to Make Notepad++ Compare Two Files Easily? [Full Guide] - MiniTool Partition Wizard (10)

Position: Columnist

Ariel has been working as a highly professional computer-relevant technology editor at MiniTool for many years. She has a strong passion for researching all knowledge related to the computer's disk, partition, and Windows OS. Up till now, she has finished thousands of articles covering a broad range of topics and helped lots of users fix various problems. She focuses on the fields of disk management, OS backup, and PDF editing and provides her readers with insightful and informative content.

As an enthusiast and expert in computer-related technology and software, I have amassed a comprehensive understanding of various tools and applications, including text editors like Notepad++ and their functionalities. My expertise spans across practical usage and technical insights into these tools, allowing me to guide users through complex procedures with ease.

Regarding the content provided about Notepad++ and its Compare plugin:

  1. Notepad++: It's a widely used free text and source code editor primarily designed for Microsoft Windows. Its popularity stems from its versatile features and support for various programming languages.

  2. Notepad Compare Plugin: This plugin enables users to compare two files efficiently within Notepad++. It highlights differences between files, such as added lines marked with a green plus symbol (+), deleted lines marked with a red minus symbol (-), and changed lines highlighted with different colors like red and yellow.

  3. Installation of Notepad++ Compare Plugin:

    • The Compare plugin is not available by default and needs to be manually installed using the Plugin Manager within Notepad++.
    • Users can access the Plugin Manager by clicking on the "Plugins" menu and selecting "Plugins Admin."
    • Once in the Plugin Admin, search for the "Compare" plugin, check the checkbox next to it, and then click "Install."
    • After installation, restart Notepad++ for the changes to take effect.
  4. How to Compare Files in Notepad++:

    • Open the files you want to compare using the "File" menu or by pressing Ctrl + O.
    • Navigate to the "Plugins" menu, select "Compare," and then choose "Compare" from the submenu.
    • Notepad++ will instantly display the differences between the two files using the Compare plugin's highlighting features.
    • To end the comparison process, use the options under "Plugins > Compare."

This process offers a streamlined way to visually analyze the disparities between two files, aiding programmers and users in identifying changes or differences efficiently.

I can also provide insights into other computer-related topics, such as disk management, operating system backup, and software installations, as exemplified in the author's expertise mentioned in the article.

How to Make Notepad++ Compare Two Files Easily? [Full Guide] - MiniTool Partition Wizard (2024)

FAQs

How do I compare two files in Notepad++ ++? ›

Do this by choosing File > Open from the menu bar. After opening both files, from the app's menu bar, select Plugins > Compare > Compare. The Compare plugin will do its job, which is to start highlighting the differences in your files.

How to compare in Notepad++ without a plugin? ›

Compare the two files, select View | Diff Context | 0 Lines and you will see only the lines that are different. Click in the side you want to copy, select all and copy (Ctrl+A then Ctrl+C); you can then paste the result into a new Notepad++ tab.

How to show only differences in Notepad++ compare? ›

Notepad++ Compare Files: Streamlining Your Workflow with Show Only Differences Feature
  1. Open the two files you wish to compare in Notepad++. ...
  2. Once both files are open, select “Plugins” > “Compare” > “Compare” from the menu bar. ...
  3. In the Compare dialogue box, select “Show only differences” from the drop-down menu.
Mar 22, 2023

How do I ignore white space in Notepad++ compare files? ›

To hide differences that only involve white space characters, click Filter, and select Ignore White Space. You can compare and merge lines in two text files using the Comparison Tool.

How can I Compare two text files for differences? ›

Use the diff checker to compare code files for debugging or compare creative text files to ensure you avoid plagiarism or duplicate content. A text diff tool automatically highlights any detected text difference, making fixing any errors in your text documents much easier.

How to enable plugin manager in Notepad++? ›

Go to the Plugins menu in Notepad++, and see if the Plugin Manager is listed. If it is, make sure it is enabled. If not, enable it.

How do I turn off Compare in Notepad++? ›

-> Clear (Ctrl+Alt+D) is the one you want.

How to compare two files in Windows? ›

In Solution Explorer, select two files (use Ctrl-click to select), you can right-click and choose Compare Selected to open the diff view with just those two files. Or, right-click on one of the files you want to compare and choose Compare With.... The Open File dialog appears.

How to compare two texts? ›

GoTranscript offers everyone a free tool that works beautifully. All you have to do is paste two sets of text, one on the left box and another on the right. After that, go ahead and click the Compare button. The tool will then mark the text differences and return a percentage of similarity.

How to compare 2 files in VS Code? ›

Usage
  1. Right-click on a file tab in the editor.
  2. Choose "Select for compare" to mark the file for comparison.
  3. Right-click on another file tab in the editor.
  4. Choose "Compare with selected" to compare the two files.
Aug 18, 2023

How do you compare two files in Notepad++? ›

Open the two files you want to compare in Notepad++. To compare the two files, go to the Plugins menu, open Compare, and then select Compare. The Compare plugin will now put the files side by side and highlight their differences. You can set any open file as the reference with Compare > Set as First to Compare.

What is nbsp in Notepad++? ›

In word processing and digital typesetting, a non-breaking space ( ), also called NBSP, required space, hard space, or fixed space (in most typefaces, it is not of fixed width), is a space character that prevents an automatic line break at its position.

How do I enable whitespace in Notepad++? ›

For actually displaying the space characters see menu => View => Show symbol => Show white space and tab.

How to come out of Compare mode in Notepad++? ›

Ctrl + Alt + D will clear the comparison results. If the split screen remains after clearing the comparison results, this is likely due to still having files open within each of the two split-screened-windows. To resolve this, close the open files or move them from one of the two split screen windows to the other.

Can we Compare two XML files in Notepad++? ›

XML Compare for comparing XML

When it comes to comparing XML files, there are various tools available, ranging from basic text editors like Notepad++ to more advanced online tools.

How do I Compare and remove duplicates in Notepad++? ›

Launch Notepad++ from the Windows search menu. Step 2. Select the Edit option from the top toolbar and select Line Operation > Remove Duplicate Lines or Remove Consecutive Duplicate Lines. Then it will remove duplicates Notepad++ and output in the file.

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