Text Similarity Checker

Compare two texts and see how similar they are as a percentage, with shared words highlighted. No signup, works on any device.

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Text A

Text B

Jaccard (words)

Cosine (words)

Character match

Jaccard & Cosine compare the words used; character match uses edit distance (skipped for very long texts). 100% means identical by that measure.

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This text similarity checker compares two texts and shows how similar they are as a percentage, directly in your browser. Paste one text in each box and the similarity updates live. No account, no install, so you can compare texts on any device in seconds.

On this page

How to Compare Two Texts Step by Step
What the Similarity Checker Measures and How
Similarity Versus an Exact Match
Who Uses a Text Similarity Checker
Pro Tips for Comparing Texts
Common Text Similarity Mistakes to Avoid
Related Tools You May Need Next
Frequently Asked Questions

How to Compare Two Texts Step by Step

Paste your first text. Paste or type the first text into the left box, the text you want to compare.
Paste your second text. Paste or type the second text into the right box, the text to compare it against.
Read the similarity score. The tool shows how similar the two texts are as a percentage, updating live as you edit either box.
See the shared words. The tool highlights or lists the words the two texts share, so you can see where they overlap.
Use the result. Read the similarity percentage and shared words to judge how alike the two texts are.

What the Similarity Checker Measures and How

A text similarity checker compares two pieces of text and measures how alike they are. You paste one text in each box, and the tool works out a similarity score as a percentage, based on how many words the two texts share relative to their total vocabulary.

The score is worked out by comparing the words in each text: a common method looks at how many words appear in both texts compared with the words that appear in either, giving a percentage where identical texts score 100 and completely different texts score 0. The tool also shows the words the two texts share.

Similarity measures overlap, not an exact match. A high score means the two texts share many words, not that they are identical. Read the percentage alongside the shared words to understand how and where the texts overlap.

Similarity is about overlap, not an exact match. Two texts can be highly similar without being identical, for example if one is a lightly reworded version of the other. The percentage gives a sense of how much they overlap, which you can read alongside the shared words to understand where they are alike.

Everything runs in your browser, so your texts are never uploaded and the score appears instantly and privately. The tool works the same on a phone, tablet or computer, with no account and no limit on how much text you can compare.

Similarity Versus an Exact Match

Result	What it shows	How to read it
Similarity %	How alike the two texts are	100 is identical, 0 is completely different
Shared words	Words in both texts	Where the texts overlap
Text A / B	Your two inputs	The texts being compared
Live update	Recalculated as you edit	Always current

Who Uses a Text Similarity Checker

Writers checking for overlapA writer compares two drafts to see how much they share, checking whether a rewrite is different enough from the original.

Students comparing versionsA student compares two versions of their work to see how much has changed between drafts.

Editors spotting duplicationAn editor compares two passages to see whether they overlap too much and should be varied.

People comparing documentsSomeone compares two documents to gauge how similar their wording is at a glance.

Anyone comparing two textsA person who wants to know how alike two texts are pastes one in each box and reads the similarity instantly.

Someone checking how alike two drafts are

Pro Tips for Comparing Texts

Compare like with like. Similarity depends on wording, so comparing texts of very different lengths or topics gives a low score. For a meaningful comparison, compare texts that cover similar ground.

Read shared words alongside the score. The percentage alone does not show where the texts overlap. Looking at the shared words tells you which parts are alike, which is often more useful than the number.

Reword to lower similarity. If you want two texts to be more distinct, use the shared words to see what they have in common and reword those parts, watching the score fall as you do.

Remember order is ignored. Word-based similarity looks at which words appear, not their order, so two texts using the same words differently can still score highly. Bear this in mind when reading the result.

Compare drafts as you edit. Paste an original and a rewrite to see how different they are, and keep editing to reach the level of overlap you want, watching the score update live.

Combine with other tools. For duplication within one text, our Duplicate Word Counter finds repeated words, and the Word Counter measures each text.

Common Text Similarity Mistakes to Avoid

Reading similarity as plagiarism proof. A similarity score shows word overlap between two texts you provide; it is not a plagiarism check against the web and is not proof of copying. Use it to compare two specific texts, not to judge originality against outside sources.

Ignoring text length differences. Comparing a short text with a long one tends to give a low score even if the short one is contained in the long one. For a fair comparison, keep the two texts reasonably comparable in length.

Expecting it to understand meaning. Word-based similarity compares which words appear, not what the texts mean. Two texts can express the same idea in different words and score low, or use similar words for different meanings and score high, so read the score with that in mind.

Treating the percentage as exact. The similarity score is a useful measure of overlap, but it depends on how it is worked out. Treat it as a sensible indicator of how alike two texts are, not an exact or official figure.

For more, our Duplicate Word Counter finds repeats within a text, the Word Counter measures each text, and the Plagiarism Checker checks text against the web.

A similarity percentage between two texts

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I compare two texts?

Paste or type one text into the left box and the other into the right box. The tool instantly shows how similar they are as a percentage, updating live as you edit either box, and highlights the words the two texts share. Read the percentage and the shared words together to judge how alike the two texts are. No account is required and there is no limit on how much you can compare.

How is the similarity percentage worked out?

The score compares the words in the two texts: a common method counts how many words appear in both texts against the words that appear in either, giving a percentage where identical texts score 100 and completely different texts score 0. It looks at which words the texts share, not the order of the words, so it measures overlap of vocabulary between the two texts you provide.

Does a high score mean plagiarism?

No. This tool compares two texts you paste in and measures how much their wording overlaps. It does not check your text against the web and is not a plagiarism detector, so a high score is not proof of copying, only a sign that the two texts you provided share many words. To check text against outside sources, use a plagiarism checker instead.

Does it compare meaning or just words?

It compares words, not meaning. The score is based on which words the two texts share, so it does not understand what the texts mean. Two texts can express the same idea in different words and score low, or use similar words for different meanings and score high. Read the score as a measure of word overlap, alongside the shared words it highlights.

Can I compare texts of different lengths?

You can, but comparing a very short text with a very long one tends to give a low score, even if the short text appears within the long one, because the score reflects overlap relative to all the words. For the most meaningful result, compare texts that are reasonably similar in length and cover similar ground.

Are my texts uploaded anywhere?

No. The comparison happens entirely in your browser, so your texts are never sent to a server. The score appears the instant you type, and nothing you write leaves your device. You can compare sensitive or unpublished texts knowing they stay on your own device, with no account and no sign-in.

Can I use it on my phone?

Yes. The tool runs in your browser and works the same on a phone, tablet or computer, with no app to install. Paste one text in each box and the similarity score appears instantly. Because everything runs on your device, it is just as fast and private on mobile as on a desktop, so you can compare texts anywhere.

Is the text similarity checker free?

Yes, it is completely free with no account and no limit. You can compare as many texts as you like, on any device, at no cost. The tool runs in your browser, so there is nothing to install, and the similarity percentage and shared words appear instantly as you type in either box.