Spotting what changed between two versions of a file can feel like looking for a typo in a novel. Kaleidoscope is built to make that job quick and clear, whether you're staring at code, a contract, or a mockup that shifted by three pixels.
Compare text, line by line
Drop in two text files and the differences light up in green, red, and blue so nothing hides. You can switch between block, flowing, or unified layouts depending on how your brain likes to see the changes.
Inspect images down to the pixel
For designers, the image comparison tools show what moved, changed color, or got cropped. Four viewing modes and support for RGB, CMYK, and LAB palettes mean you can check a screenshot or a photo with real precision.
Work alongside your version control
Kaleidoscope slots right into Git, Mercurial, SVN, and Bazaar workflows. The latest update remembers your Live Working Copy Changes notification and pause settings across documents, and adds an automatic alignment toggle for images so you spend less time fiddling with settings.
A typical session starts with a hunch. You tweaked a CSS file late last night but can't remember exactly which rule you touched. You drag the latest version from your working copy onto Kaleidoscope's left side, then drop the backup from yesterday onto the right. Instantly the changes pop — blue for modified lines, green for what you added. You spot the rogue padding-right in seconds, fix it, and move on.
If you're comparing screenshots, the story goes a little differently. You drop in two PNGs and hit the one-key shortcut for the difference view. The image fades to near-black except for the handful of pixels that actually shifted. You zoom in with a pinch on the trackpad, confirm the button moved exactly two points under the new layout, and grab a clean export. No guessing, no overlay trickery.
When a teammate sends a DOC file with tracked changes, you don't need Word open. Kaleidoscope imports the text straight from the DOC and shows you what entered and what left, in the same green-and-red rhythm you already know from code reviews.
Diff straight from Terminal with ksdiff
This app doesn't ask you to rearrange your workflow. The ksdiff command-line tool means you can fire off a comparison straight from Terminal or a build script. Git integration sits quietly in the background — select two commits in your client, send them to Kaleidoscope, and the diffs appear in the same window you use for everything else.
On the Mac side, it plays nice with Quick Look and drag-and-drop from Finder. Grabbing a file from a network share or a USB stick feels as smooth as pulling one from your desktop. The app also respects the system's multitouch gestures, so swiping and zooming work exactly the way your fingers expect. Between the command line, Finder, and your version control tool, it becomes the one comparison step you don't think about — you just call it and the answers show up.
Version 7.0.1 is a focused update that smooths out a couple of friction points. Here's what changed:
- An Enable Automatic Alignment setting now lives in Settings > Images, so comparing pictures takes fewer manual adjustments.
- Your Live Working Copy Changes notification preferences and pause settings stick across documents, so you don't have to reapply them every time you open a new tab.
- macOS 13.5 or later
- Works on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs
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