Help Centre
Getting started
Dotenvdiff compares two .env files and shows every difference — keys one side has and the other lacks, values that differ, and keys that look like credentials (masked by default). Everything runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored.
- Go to the App page.
- Paste your first
.envfile into the left pane, or click Load file to select it from disk. - Paste your second
.envfile into the right pane, or load it from disk. - Click Compare.
- Review the results grouped into Missing, Changed, Same, and Secrets sections. Click Unmask beside any masked value to see it.
- Click Download CSV to export the comparison as a table for a ticket or review.
No account, no configuration, no upload. Close the tab and the data is gone.
Frequently asked questions
Are my env files uploaded to a server?
No. Dotenvdiff runs entirely in your browser. The files you paste are parsed and compared in memory on your machine. No data is sent over the network to any server. The page makes no API calls, writes nothing to a database, and performs no uploads of any kind.
Is a comparison stored anywhere?
No. The comparison exists only in the browser's memory for the current tab session. If you refresh the page or close the tab, it is gone. The only way to keep a record is to download the CSV export. There are no accounts, no databases, and no audit trail.
What counts as a secret key?
Dotenvdiff uses a simple naming heuristic: keys whose name contains words like KEY, SECRET, PASS, TOKEN, or AUTH are grouped into a separate Secrets section. Their values are shown as •••• by default. You can reveal individual values by clicking Unmask. Check Export unmasked before downloading a CSV if you want the raw values in the export.
How is this different from git diff or diff?
Line-based diff tools compare files line by line. When keys reorder, comments shift, or blank lines appear, a line diff can show noise. Dotenvdiff parses the actual key-value pairs and groups results by semantic category — Missing, Changed, Same, Secrets — so you see what matters for environment configuration review, not line-level churn.
Does Dotenvdiff support .env.local, .env.production, or other filenames?
Yes. The filename does not matter — the tool reads the content of whatever you paste or load. You can compare any two files in standard .env key=value format regardless of how they are named on disk.
How do I export the comparison?
After running a comparison, the Download CSV button becomes active. Click it to download a CSV file with columns for key, state (Missing/Changed/Same), value on side A, and value on side B. By default, secret values appear masked in the CSV; check Export unmasked to include the raw values instead. The CSV is generated entirely in your browser — no data leaves your machine.
Known limitations
Dotenvdiff is transparent about what it does and does not do. These constraints are by design or by the lack of backend infrastructure — never hidden.
Dotenvdiff never makes a network request. It cannot pull secrets from AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault, a CI pipeline, or any remote store. Paste the values in manually.
If both files set DATABASE_URL=localhost, Dotenvdiff reports them as identical. It cannot tell you that production should not point at localhost. The tool shows what differs; you decide which side is right.
Dotenvdiff produces a screen view and a CSV export. It does not modify files on disk, write back to your filesystem, or offer to merge changes.
Close the tab or refresh the page — the comparison is gone. There are no accounts, no databases, and no audit trail. If you need to keep a record, export the CSV.
Features like team workspaces, persistent review links, and shared comparisons require a backend (accounts, database, email) that does not exist yet. These are described on the Pricing page as a future Organization tier but are not available today.
Dotenvdiff cannot email you when a comparison changes, send reminders, or run scheduled diffs. There is no email sender or scheduling backend. If you need periodic comparisons, run them manually and export the CSV.
Contact us
Dotenvdiff is a free tool from Agen2ic, LLC. If you have a question that is not answered here, or if you need to report an issue, email us at:
Agen2ic.ai accepts mail at any local part, so messages to dotenvdiff@agen2ic.ai reach a human and identify which product the mail is about. We aim to respond within one business day.
No postal address — this product is operated by Agen2ic, LLC, a Colorado limited liability company. No postal address, company number, or phone number is published. Please use the email address above.