latexdiff-zip

Turn two LaTeX project archives — Overleaf .zip history exports or arXiv .tar.gz source — into one track-changes PDF — text and figures. Or skip the downloading and just give it two arXiv IDs.

I host a ready-to-use copy:
https://latexdiff.toftul.net/

Drag in your two archives (.zip or .tar.gz) — or paste arXiv IDs — and get a diff PDF back.

Old text struck out in red, new text underlined in blue, and changed figures compared side by side.

Run it yourself

CLI — needs $\LaTeX$ and python3 installed in the system:

Download script

curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/toftul/latexdiff-zip/main/latexdiff-zip.py
chmod +x latexdiff-zip.py

Run

./latexdiff-zip.py old.zip new.zip
./latexdiff-zip.py 1706.03762v1 1706.03762v2   # straight from arXiv

See USAGE.md for all CLI flags and more examples.

CLI (container) — run it inside the container instead:

./latexdiff-zip-podman.sh old.zip new.zip

Web UI (drag-and-drop) — clone the repo, then, with Podman installed:

./latexdiff-zip-web.sh        # builds on first run → http://localhost:8080

On Overleaf? Diff right there

You can run latexdiff inside Overleaf. Here's the trick.

Docs

• Usage & options — every CLI flag, how it works, and limitations.
• Figure comparison — how changed figures get paired and diffed.
• Self-hosting — put your own public copy online with a Cloudflare Tunnel.

Similar projects

• git-latexdiff-web — takes two Overleaf zips in the browser, gives PDF. Does not compare the images.
• comparxiv — a CLI for arXiv preprints diffs. It needs a local TeX distribution. Figure comparison is on the to-do list.
• 3142.nl/latex-diff — a web page that runs latexdiff on two uploads and returns diff.tex (not PDF).

This project differs in three ways. It shows both versions of a changed figure side by side in the PDF. It reads Overleaf zips, tar archives, and arXiv IDs through the same interface. It also diffs the bibliography, not only the body text.

Feedback

A bug or an idea? Open an issue 🐮

License

MIT