Skip to main content
ZMakeMyZip
job card · № 9 of 19 · peek

Compare Archives.

Drop two archives and see what differs between them — files only in A, files only in B, and shared files with different sizes.

routeclient-local
upload0 B
formatsZIP · 7z · RAR · TAR · GZ

1. Drop archive A

Archive A — drop a ZIP, 7z, RAR, TAR, or GZ

Select a file

Up to 2 GB per file.

2. Drop archive B

Archive B — drop a ZIP, 7z, RAR, TAR, or GZ

Select a file

Up to 2 GB per file.

instructions · step by step

How to use this tool

Diff the contents of two archives to see which files differ, locally in your browser.

  1. Open the Compare Archives tool

    Visit makemyzip.com/compare-archives. Both archives are read locally — nothing is uploaded.

  2. Drop archive A

    Drag your first archive (ZIP, 7z, RAR, TAR, or GZ) onto the first dropzone. Its format is detected from the file’s magic bytes.

  3. Drop archive B

    Drop the second archive onto the second dropzone. You can mix formats — for example, compare a ZIP with a 7z of the same folder.

  4. Read the diff

    The tool lists files only in A, only in B, and shared files. Shared files flag size differences so you can spot modified entries at a glance.

  5. Drill into a section

    Click any section header to expand it. Paths are shown as they appear inside each archive; sizes are uncompressed bytes.

questions · from the clerk's desk

Frequently asked questions

Does it open the compressed data?

No. Comparing only reads each archive’s file index — names, sizes, and compression metadata. Actual file contents stay compressed, which keeps the tool fast even on multi-gigabyte archives.

Can I compare archives of different formats?

Yes. Drop a ZIP on one side and a 7z on the other and the diff works. Paths are compared as strings, so identical folder structures across formats diff cleanly.

What does a size mismatch mean?

Two files with the same path but different uncompressed sizes have been modified between the two snapshots. Identical sizes usually mean the contents match, but they are not a cryptographic guarantee — use a hash tool for that.

Are the archives ever uploaded?

No. Both archives are read into the current browser tab and diffed there. They never travel over the network.

3 picks
peek

Inspect Archive

View the contents, sizes, and metadata of any archive without extracting it.

zip · 7z · rar · tar · gzopen card →
peek

Estimate Compression

See how small your files get at each ZIP level — store, fast, normal, max — before you commit.

zipopen card →
peek

Checksum Archive

SHA-256 and SHA-1 for a ZIP archive and every file inside. Verify integrity without uploading.

zipopen card →