biodiff ☆
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Description:
Hex diff viewer using alignment algorithms from biology
Type: Formula  |  Latest Version: 1.2.1@0  |  Tracked Since: Dec 17, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Developer tools
Tags: hex-editor diff-tool bioinformatics cli rust terminal
Install: brew install biodiff
About:
Biodiff is a command-line hex diff viewer that applies bioinformatics-inspired alignment algorithms, such as Smith-Waterman and Needleman-Wunsch, to binary file comparison. It excels at finding the best alignment between files with shifted data, insertions, or deletions, making it superior to standard byte-by-byte diff tools. The tool features an interactive terminal UI for visualizing and navigating complex binary differences.
Key Features:
  • Implements Smith-Waterman and Needleman-Wunsch algorithms for optimal alignment
  • Interactive terminal user interface for visualizing hex diffs
  • Handles binary files with insertions, deletions, and shifted data blocks
  • Supports both hex and ASCII views of data
Use Cases:
  • Analyzing differences between binary files like firmware images or compiled executables
  • Reverse engineering by comparing versions of a compiled program
  • Debugging data corruption in binary protocols or file formats
Alternatives:
  • vbindiff – Standard binary viewer with simple side-by-side comparison, lacks advanced alignment algorithms
  • xdelta – Creates binary delta patches but is not an interactive visual diff tool
  • cmp – Unix utility that reports byte-by-byte differences, fails on shifted data
License: MIT
Bottles available for: arm64_tahoe, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_ventura, arm64_monterey, sonoma, ventura, monterey, arm64_linux, x86_64_linux
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Sep 12, 2025 6:58pm 0 VERSION_BUMP e51da3b6
Sep 11, 2024 9:53am 0 VERSION_BUMP ae84cb66
Apr 20, 2024 9:41am 0 VERSION_BUMP ee1d990e
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