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How to Compare Two Images Pixel by Pixel

When checking UI changes, image edits, or screenshot regressions, a difference view can reveal one-pixel shifts and color changes that are hard to spot by eye.

Process of aligning two images, arranging them left and right, and checking the overlap and difference.
Process of aligning two images, arranging them left and right, and checking the overlap and difference.

How to use different comparison methods

Display methodEasy to spot differences
Side by SideMajor layout changes, omissions, additions
sliderDifferences in border position, size, and cropping
Transparent OverlayMisalignment of several pixels, scaling
Difference HighlightColor, outline, and pixel-by-pixel changes

Comparison procedure

  1. Load the reference image to the left and the comparison image to the right.
  2. If the dimensions differ, determine whether the difference is intentional or caused by different export settings.
  3. Check the positional shift using the slider and transparent overlay, then switch to difference emphasis.
  4. Identify the location and cause of unacceptable differences and save the resulting image if necessary.

Factors that tend to cause differences

Even the same screen can render text outlines and shadows differently depending on the OS, browser, font, zoom level, GPU, and capture time. When comparing web pages, keep the viewport size and zoom level fixed.

JPEG compression artifacts can change each time the image is saved, so use a lossless format such as PNG for exact pixel comparisons.

Do not treat every nonzero difference rate as a failure. Check whether the location and appearance of the differences are within the acceptable range.

Try It in Your Browser

Your input is processed entirely in your browser. Keep the original data, review the output, and only then save or share it.

Open the Image Difference Checker