diffoscope ☆

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Description:
In-depth comparison of files, archives, and directories

Type: Formula | Latest Version: 306@1 | Tracked Since: Dec 17, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Developer tools

Tags: diff reproducible-builds comparison forensics developer-tools

Install: brew install diffoscope

About:
Diffoscope is a command-line tool that performs deep, content-based comparisons of files, directories, and archives. It recursively unpacks various archive formats and examines their contents to identify differences at a granular level. Its primary value is in reproducible builds and debugging, where it helps pinpoint why two seemingly identical files or packages differ.

Key Features:

Supports over 100 file types and archive formats
Recursive analysis of nested archives and directories
Generates detailed HTML and text reports
Integrates with 'diff' for binary comparison
Extensible via Python for custom comparators

Use Cases:

Verifying reproducible builds by comparing compiled artifacts
Debugging software by identifying subtle changes in configuration or data files
Forensic analysis of filesystem or package modifications

Alternatives:

cmp – Standard utility for binary comparison, but lacks deep archive inspection.
Beyond Compare – Commercial GUI tool with visual diffing, but not focused on reproducible builds.

License: GPL-3.0-or-later

Dependencies: libarchive, libmagic, python@3.14

Bottles available for: arm64_tahoe, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, sonoma, arm64_linux, x86_64_linux

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 15, 2025 7:05am		0	VERSION_BUMP	bf36adfe
Oct 9, 2024 11:04am		1	VERSION_BUMP	93562b3b