Compare

Compare

URL comparator online. Compare two URLs semantically and find differences in path, query, or fragment. URL diff checker—free in your browser.

URL 1

URL 2

Use Cases

  • Debugging: Check if two API calls hit the same endpoint
  • SEO: Detect duplicate URL patterns
  • Caching: Verify cache key consistency

Features

  • Compare two URLs side by side
  • Highlight differences in parts
  • Semantic comparison (ignores order)
  • Visual diff for query parameters
  • Protocol, host, path, query analysis
  • Copy comparison results

Common Use Cases

  • Find differences between similar URLs
  • Debug URL changes in redirects
  • Compare API endpoint versions
  • Verify URL transformations
  • Analyze URL variations

URL Comparison and Semantic Diff

URL comparison identifies differences between two URLs at the component level. Semantic comparison treats equivalent URLs as equal even if formatted differently.

Comparison levels:

  • Exact match - Character-by-character comparison
  • Normalized match - Ignores case, default ports, param order
  • Semantic match - Same resource, different representation

What's compared:

  • Protocol - http vs https
  • Host - domain differences
  • Port - explicit vs default
  • Path - route differences
  • Query params - added, removed, changed values
  • Fragment - hash anchor differences

Example: example.com/page?a=1&b=2 vs example.com/page?b=2&a=1 are semantically equal (query order doesn't matter) but not exact matches.

Examples

Valid - Different query parameters
URL 1: https://api.com/search?q=test&lang=en
URL 2: https://api.com/search?q=test&lang=fr

Difference: lang parameter value changed
Valid - Same URL, different format
URL 1: https://example.com:443/page?b=2&a=1
URL 2: https://example.com/page?a=1&b=2

Difference: None (semantically equal)
Valid - Protocol difference
URL 1: http://example.com/page
URL 2: https://example.com/page

Difference: Protocol (http → https)

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between exact and semantic comparison?

Exact comparison requires URLs to match character-by-character. Semantic comparison treats equivalent URLs as equal (e.g., EXAMPLE.COM = example.com, :443 omitted for HTTPS, query param order ignored).

Does query parameter order matter in comparison?

For semantic comparison, no. ?a=1&b=2 equals ?b=2&a=1 because parameter order doesn't affect meaning. For exact comparison, order matters and they'll be flagged as different.

Can I compare URLs with different protocols?

Yes! The tool will highlight that http:// and https:// are different protocols. While the rest of the URL may be identical, protocol differences often indicate security upgrades or configuration changes.

How are missing query parameters handled?

Missing parameters are shown as added or removed. If URL 1 has ?a=1&b=2 and URL 2 has only ?a=1, the tool shows that b was removed.

Does comparison normalize URLs first?

You can choose! For semantic comparison, URLs are normalized (lowercase host, sorted params). For exact comparison, URLs are compared as-is. Use semantic mode to ignore formatting differences.