YAML Diff & Compare
About YAML Diff / Compare
YAML Diff / Compare resolves two YAML 1.2 inputs and compares their data models, so presentation-only edits do not bury meaningful configuration changes.
How it works
Semantic parsing
Both sides are parsed with strict YAML 1.2 core semantics and bounded alias expansion. Comments, scalar presentation, indentation and flow-versus-block notation do not affect the result.
Stable mapping comparison
Mapping keys are sorted recursively before comparison, making key order irrelevant while preserving value types and nesting.
Focused structural diff
Different documents are rendered into a stable JSON-shaped view with removed lines prefixed by minus and added lines prefixed by plus. Equivalent documents are reported directly.
Frequently asked questions
Are YAML comments compared?
No. This tool compares resolved data. Use a text diff when comment-only changes are important.
Does array order matter?
Yes by default. Enable Ignore sequence order only when the arrays represent sets rather than ordered lists.
Are anchors and aliases compared literally?
No. Aliases are resolved safely, so equivalent anchored and expanded documents compare as equal.
Sources & last verified
The behaviour of this tool and the claims on this page were checked against the specifications below on . Everything runs in your browser, so the output you see is exactly what the engine produced.
Found a wrong result or an outdated claim? Report an error and it will be re-verified.