Text and code Free
Two columns or one, with the changed words picked out inside each line. Code is coloured for 20 languages. Ignore whitespace or case, fold what did not change, and copy a change across with undo.
Mac · iPad · iPhone
See exactly what changed.
Put two versions of a file side by side and Bifocal marks every difference. Code, Word and PowerPoint files, spreadsheets, folders, images, 3D models, Git branches. When the two disagree, it helps you merge.
Coming to the App Store. Free to download, and comparing text and files is free, always.
Mac
iPad
iPhone
What it compares
One app for every kind of file.
Drop two of anything on the window. Bifocal works out what they are and opens the right view.
Merge Pro
A, the result and B in three panes. Every conflict is counted and settled where it sits, and the Mac's Terminal can hand them to Bifocal as git mergetool.
Folders and archives Pro
See what differs and what is only on one side, then copy with a checked list of what will change. ZIP, tar, IPA, APK, JAR and EPUB open as if they were folders.
Documents Pro
Word, PowerPoint, PDF, RTF and OpenDocument, compared by their words. Tracked changes are read the way you choose, and Rendered view draws both documents with the changes marked on them.
Tables Pro
Excel, OpenDocument, CSV and TSV, cell by cell. Rows are matched by a key column so a moved row is still the same row, and numbers count as equal within a tolerance you set.
Images Pro
Side by side, one over the other, a split line you can drag and turn, or a map of every changed pixel. Whichever you pick, the changed areas are outlined.
3D models Pro
STL, OBJ, 3MF and PLY under one camera, overlaid, or coloured by how far apart the two surfaces are. Volume, area and size are listed for each.
Video and audio Pro
Two recordings play in step. Bifocal scans for where the picture or the sound differs, and Next Change jumps straight to the first changed frame.
Git Pro
Your uncommitted work, any two branches or commits, and a file's history. On the Mac the view updates as you edit, and Terminal can open it as git difftool.
Documents
Word files, as they look, with the changes marked.
Rendered view draws both documents and numbers each changed block, whether it is a sentence, a list item or a table cell. Text view compares the words line by line instead. Preview shows the files as the system would.
- Word, PowerPoint, PDF, RTF and OpenDocument, Office 97–2003 included
- Tracked changes read as accepted, as rejected, or marked up
- Slides drawn with each changed shape outlined
- Scanned PDF pages read by text recognition
Merge
Resolve conflicts where they sit.
A, the result and B in three panes, with the common ancestor as the base. For each conflict you take A, take B, both in either order, or the base, or you type the result yourself. Save Merge writes the file once nothing is left open.
- Conflicts named and counted in the title
- Edit the result by hand at any point
- Set up once as
git mergetool
Tables
Spreadsheets, cell by cell.
Rows are matched by a key column, so a row that moved is still that row and not a deletion plus an insertion. Columns match by header, numbers compare within a tolerance, and every change carries a symbol as well as a colour.
- Excel, OpenDocument, CSV and TSV
- Bifocal suggests the key column when rows have moved
- A report of every changed cell to share
Images
Every changed pixel, outlined.
Drag a split line across two versions of a picture and turn it to any angle. Or lay one over the other and slide between them, or look at the difference on its own. The pixel inspector reads the colour under the pointer on both sides.
- Two-Up, One-Up, Split and Difference
- Changed areas outlined in every mode
- PNG, JPEG, HEIC, TIFF, SVG and more
Git
Your repository, file by file.
Add a repository and see its working copy, what is staged, or any two branches, tags or commits. On the Mac the list updates as you edit. A conflicted file opens straight into the merge window.
- A file's full history, any two versions compared
git difftoolandgit mergetoolfrom Terminal- Open the current line in VS Code, Cursor, Nova and others
Universal
One app. Mac, iPad and iPhone.
The same engine and the same views on every device. Compare two files from the Files app on your iPhone, save the session, and pick it up on your Mac. One purchase of Bifocal Pro covers all three.
Comparisons follow their files, so when you save in another app, Bifocal compares again. Start from a drop, the Share sheet, the Finder's Services menu, Shortcuts, Siri or a bifocal:// link.
Formats
Open what you already have.
SwiftPythonJavaScriptTypeScriptGoRustC and C++JavaKotlinRubyHTMLCSSMarkdownJSONYAMLXMLProperty listsString catalogsNotebooksWord .docx and .docPowerPoint .pptx and .pptExcel .xlsx and .xlsOpenDocumentPDFRTFCSV and TSVPNG, JPEG, HEIC, TIFFSVGSTL, OBJ, 3MF, PLYUSDZMP4 and MOVM4A, MP3, WAVZIP, tar, gzipIPA, APK, JAR, EPUBAny binary, as hex
Pricing
Free to start. One purchase for everything.
There is no subscription and no account. Every Pro feature is free for 14 days, and when the trial ends nothing renews and nothing is charged.
Bifocal
Free
The text window in full, for good.
- Text and code, side by side or in one column
- Syntax colouring, ignore rules, find and filter
- Copy changes across, patches, sessions
- Open in your editor, Shortcuts and Siri
Bifocal Pro
$29.99once
Every feature, on your Mac, iPad and iPhone, after a 14 day free trial.
- Merge, folders and archives
- Documents, tables, images, 3D models, media
- Git repositories, history and merge tool
- HTML and PDF reports, command-line tool
Price shown in U.S. dollars; the App Store shows yours. Universal purchase: buy once with your Apple Account and restore on every device.
Questions
Does Bifocal upload my files?
No. Everything happens on your device. Bifocal has no servers, no accounts and no analytics. See the privacy policy.
What happens when the trial ends?
Comparing text and files stays free. The Pro windows show what they offer and how to unlock them. Nothing you saved is lost, and nothing renews or charges you.
Does one purchase cover the Mac and the iPhone?
Yes. Bifocal Pro is a universal purchase. Buy it on any device, then choose Restore Purchases on the others, signed in with the same Apple Account.
Can I use it with Git from Terminal?
Yes, on the Mac. Install the bifocal command-line tool and run the lines in Settings › Integration once. git difftool and git mergetool then open in Bifocal. The guide has the details.
Which systems does it need?
macOS 26 or later on the Mac, and iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 on iPhone and iPad.
Coming to the App Store.
Bifocal is on its way to the App Store for Mac, iPad and iPhone. The guide shows everything it does in the meantime, and we will write when it ships if you ask.