Compare ZIP contents
Compare actual expanded files inside two ZIP archives while ignoring packaging timestamps, order and compression.
- 1Add input
- 2Review and run
- 3Get your result
Tool input and files are processed in this browser without being uploaded.
Before you start
Find added, removed or changed paths between two ZIP versions. Every supported file is decompressed and CRC-checked, then compared by its actual bytes with SHA-256 recorded in the report. Packaging-only differences do not count as file changes.
How to use this tool
- Choose the two ZIP versions in left-to-right order.
- Compare and inspect added, removed, changed and unchanged path counts.
- Download JSON/CSV with full paths, expanded sizes and SHA-256 values. No files are extracted onto your filesystem automatically.
Supported inputs and limits
Exactly two ZIP files, up to 50 MiB each and 100 MiB total; up to 1,000 entries and 50 MiB expanded data per archive, with a 100:1 maximum expansion ratio. Store/Deflate and UTF-8 or ASCII paths are supported.
Encrypted ZIP, ZIP64, symlinks, unsafe paths and duplicate NFC paths are rejected. Paths are case-sensitive; explicit directory entries are ignored while empty regular files are compared. Preview shows at most 200 entries; JSON/CSV include the complete comparison. CSV formula-looking strings are prefixed for spreadsheet safety.
Worked example
Example input
Two ZIP versions with a shared empty file, one unchanged nested file, one changed binary, one added file and one removed file.
Example options
{}Example output
1 added, 1 removed, 1 changed, 2 unchanged; full path and SHA-256 report.
When something does not work
Choose ordinary unencrypted ZIP files with supported paths and compression. Corrupt CRC/size or unsafe entries must be fixed before comparison; reduce archive size when expansion limits are exceeded.
Frequently asked questions
Why can different ZIP files compare equal?
Compression, entry order and timestamps can change archive bytes while the expanded file bytes stay equal. This tool compares expanded files.
Is a matching CRC enough?
No. CRC and declared sizes are validated before actual expanded bytes are compared. SHA-256 is reported for each side.
Are folders and capitalization ignored?
Explicit directory entries are ignored. File paths preserve directory components and are case-sensitive.
Documentation & further reading
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