Boneyard Tools

Image Diff: Compare Two Images Pixel by Pixel

Drop in an original and a changed image to see exactly what differs. The difference view fades the original and lights up every changed pixel in magenta, so edits jump out. Switch to side by side, a draggable before and after slider, or an onion skin cross-fade, and drag the tolerance slider to ignore tiny noise or catch the faintest change, instantly, with no re-upload. If the two images are different sizes, the changed image is scaled to match the original so the comparison stays fair. You get the percentage of pixels that changed, the exact pixel count, and a one-click download of the difference image. Everything runs in your browser on a canvas, so neither image is ever uploaded.

How to compare two images

  1. Drop the original on the left and the changed version on the right.
  2. Pick a view: Difference, Side by side, Slider or Onion skin.
  3. Drag the tolerance slider, read the percentage changed, then download the difference image.

Examples

Spot a small edit

A web design screenshot before and after a button color change
The difference view glows magenta only over the recolored button, about 0.4% of pixels changed.

Two near-identical photos

Two exports of the same photo at different JPEG quality
A low percentage of changed pixels, scattered as faint compression noise that a higher tolerance hides.

Frequently asked questions

How does the difference view work?

It compares the two images one pixel at a time. For each pixel it measures the largest change across the red, green and blue channels, and if that change is bigger than the tolerance you set, the pixel is marked as changed. The original is shown faded and every changed pixel is painted bright magenta on top, so edits are easy to spot at a glance.

What if the two images are different sizes?

The changed image is scaled to match the original's width and height before the comparison, so the diff always lines up pixel for pixel. A small note tells you when a resize happened. For the most accurate results, compare images that are already the same dimensions.

What does the tolerance slider do?

Tolerance is how different a pixel has to be before it counts as changed, from 0 to 60 per color channel. At 0 even a single-level difference is flagged, which is great for exact comparisons. Raising it ignores small differences like JPEG compression noise or anti-aliasing, so you see only the meaningful changes. It re-runs instantly on the loaded images with no re-upload.

What are the four comparison modes?

Difference overlays the changed pixels in magenta over a faded original, the headline view. Side by side shows both images next to each other. Slider gives you a draggable before and after divider you can swipe across the image. Onion skin cross-fades the two images with a single opacity slider, which is ideal for catching small shifts in position.

Are my images uploaded anywhere?

No. Both images are decoded and compared entirely in your browser using a canvas. Nothing is uploaded or stored on a server, so it is safe for private screenshots, designs and photos. You can download the difference image, which is also generated locally.

Related tools