Windows desktop app · v1.0.17

See every real difference
between two folders.

Socha Diff compares two folders on your PC and shows what actually changed: side-by-side or unified diffs, with whitespace noise filtered out. It runs entirely on your machine.

Install Socha Diff or download setup.exe

App download about 5.7 MB · Windows 10/11 x64 · updates itself automatically · needs 3 free prerequisites

Socha Diff

A real, unedited recording: two folders in, Compare, the A/B file links, Ctrl + S to exclude a folder, expand hidden lines, select and Copy, unified view. GIF version · more demos in the guide

Built for the diffs you actually read

Every non-whitespace change, categorized and easy to act on.

Side-by-side and unified

Aligned A/B panes with character-level highlights, or a compact unified view. Switch instantly, no re-scan.

Whole-folder compare

Differing, only-in-A, only-in-B, whitespace-only, binary and identical files, each one click to filter. Make A or B match when you are ready.

Expand hidden gaps

Long unchanged stretches fold into a marker. Click to reveal the lines in place and click again to fold them back.

Precise selection and copy

Drag across lines within one side and copy exactly what you selected, including each line's own CRLF or LF when you select the newline.

Line-ending highlighting

Turn on whitespace-aware mode to see CRLF vs LF, tabs and spaces as visible marks, with changed line endings highlighted.

Local, full disk access, no cloud

Point it at any two folders on your PC or network. Nothing is uploaded: the comparison engine runs privately on 127.0.0.1.

Tips & features

Shortcuts that save clicks. The full guide explains every button, box and shortcut in the app.

Open either copy of a file

Click A or B after a file name to open that copy in its default app. Right-click opens the Windows Open with picker (Just once or Always).

Jump to a folder

Click the A: or B: folder path above the results to open that folder in Windows Explorer.

Settings in one keystroke

Opens Settings from anywhere: ignore whitespace, excluded folders. Changes save automatically; Esc closes it.

node_modules bin obj

Exclude folders

List folder names, one per line, to skip them at any depth. Matching ignores case; names only, no paths or wildcards.

Paired by relative path

Every subfolder is scanned and files are matched by relative path. Windows folders ignore letter case, so Readme.md and README.md are paired; only when both folders are case-sensitive must names match exactly. Unmatched files are listed as only in A or only in B.

Every control, explained Read the Socha Diff guide Short animated demos of comparing, filtering, settings, copying, hidden lines, whitespace and Make A/B match. Open the guide

Install in three steps

1
Check the prerequisites below. Most are one-time installs you may already have.
2
Click Install. Windows downloads the app (about 5.7 MB) and adds Socha Diff to the Start menu and desktop.
3
Launch it. Socha Diff checks for a new version every time it starts and installs updates automatically.

Install Socha Diff Download setup.exe

Install does nothing, or only downloads a file? Chrome and Firefox do not launch ClickOnce links, and Edge only does when its ClickOnce support is on. Use setup.exe instead: it also offers to install a missing .NET 10 Desktop Runtime or WebView2 Runtime for you.

Version 1.0.17 · Windows 10/11 x64

Prerequisites installed separately, only once

The Socha Diff download itself is small (about 5.7 MB, measured from the published app) because it does not carry these three runtimes. Install each one once, and every Socha Diff update after that stays small. If you already have them, skip straight to Install.

.NET 10 Desktop Runtime (x64)

Microsoft · installer about 60 MB

Why: Socha Diff's window is a .NET 10 WPF app. Without the runtime, Windows shows ".NET is required to run this application" with a download link.

Check what you have

dotnet --list-runtimes

In PowerShell or cmd. Look for Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 10.0.x; "not recognized" means .NET is not installed.

Get it from dotnet.microsoft.com Pick .NET Desktop Runtime 10.0 → Windows → x64 installer.

Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime

Microsoft · usually already on Windows 10/11 · bootstrapper about 2 MB

Why: Socha Diff draws its interface with WebView2, the Edge engine for apps. It ships with Windows 11 and most up-to-date Windows 10 PCs.

Check what you have Settings → Apps → Installed apps, search for Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime. Or in PowerShell:

Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate\Clients\{F3017226-FE2A-4295-8BDF-00C3A9A7E4C5}' pv

Get it from developer.microsoft.com Choose Evergreen Bootstrapper; it downloads the right runtime (about 200 MB installed).

Node.js 20 or newer (LTS)

OpenJS Foundation · Windows Installer about 33 MB

Why: the comparison engine is a small Node.js server that Socha Diff starts privately on 127.0.0.1. It finds Node on PATH, in Program Files, or via nvm, fnm or Volta.