install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install latexdiff

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install latexdiff

MacPorts ports tree · tex/latexdiff/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install latexdiff

Debian stable package indexes · latexdiff · source: deb.debian.org

overview

Package summary

Compare and mark up LaTeX file differences

Project links

Commands and aliases

latexdiff
latexdiff-fast
latexdiff-so
latexdiff-vc
latexrevise

history

Project history and usage

latexdiff is a Perl tool for comparing two LaTeX files and producing a marked-up LaTeX file that shows significant textual changes. It fills the same social role for LaTeX authors that track changes fills in word processors.

Project history

CTAN identifies latexdiff as a package for determining and marking up significant differences between LaTeX files, with Frederik J. Tilmann as maintainer and copyright beginning in 2004. The main script header likewise names F J Tilmann and points to CTAN and the GitHub repository.

The project expanded beyond the core `latexdiff` script to include `latexrevise`, which can accept or reject changes, and `latexdiff-vc`, a wrapper for version-control systems. The `latexdiff-vc` script records support for systems such as CVS, RCS, SVN, Git, and Mercurial, with Git support appearing in its 1.0.1 history.

The GitHub repository was created on 2014-06-17. CTAN lists the package in TeX Live and MiKTeX and records the 2026-01-02 package version date.

Adoption history

latexdiff became a standard utility in academic and technical writing because journals, supervisors, and collaborators often request visible revisions, while LaTeX source files do not map naturally to word-processor track changes. CTAN, TeX Live, MiKTeX, Homebrew, Debian, MacPorts, and Ubuntu packaging made it easy to add to authoring workflows.

The ecosystem around it includes wrapper scripts and front ends such as git-latexdiff, latexdiffr, latexdiffcite, and browser/WebAssembly interfaces, reflecting the same need across Git, R Markdown, BibTeX, and web-based workflows.

How it is used

The typical command compares an old and a new `.tex` file and emits a new LaTeX file with inserted and deleted text marked using standard LaTeX packages. Users then compile the generated file to inspect revisions, or use `latexrevise` and `latexdiff-vc` for accepting changes or comparing version-control revisions.

Why package nerds care

latexdiff is package-nerd significant because it is small, scriptable, and solves a workflow problem that version-control diffs do not solve for human reviewers: a compiled PDF showing semantic document changes.

It is also a classic example of a package that glues together language tooling, version control, and publishing conventions without needing a GUI.

Timeline

2004: Copyright range begins for the main latexdiff script.
2005: latexdiff-vc copyright range begins.
2014-06-17: GitHub repository created.
2018-10-07: latexdiff-vc 1.3.0 records an `--only-changes` option.
2026-01-02: CTAN package version date for latexdiff 1.4.0.

Related projects

Related projects include latexrevise, latexdiff-vc, git-latexdiff, latexdiffr, latexdiffcite, latexchanges, TeX Live, MiKTeX, Git, Subversion, Mercurial, and Algorithm::Diff.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 1 platform targets.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure
`latexdiff`	cli	global executable
`latexdiff-fast`	cli	global executable
`latexdiff-so`	cli	global executable
`latexdiff-vc`	cli	global executable
`latexrevise`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-07

manager version1.4.0

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/ftilmann/latexdiff

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/ftilmann/latexdiffnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:latexdiff
Version	1.4.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/latexdiff
Homepage	https://www.ctan.org/pkg/latexdiff
Repository	https://github.com/ftilmann/latexdiff
Upstream docs	https://ctan.org/pkg/latexdiff
License	GPL-3.0-or-later
Source archive	https://github.com/ftilmann/latexdiff/releases/download/1.4.0/latexdiff-1.4.0.tar.gz
Uses from macOS	perl
Bottle	available (on all)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	latexdiff
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

latexdiff 1.3.2-1

utility to mark up significant differences between LaTeX files

https://www.ctan.org/pkg/latexdiff

sudo apt install latexdiff

Section: tex
Architecture: all
1 dependencies
9 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Latexdiff

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: latexdiff from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Ubuntu apt95%

latexdiff 1.3.2-1

utility to mark up significant differences between LaTeX files

https://www.ctan.org/pkg/latexdiff

sudo apt install latexdiff

Section: universe/tex
Architecture: all
1 dependencies
9 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Latexdiff

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: latexdiff from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

MacPorts95%

latexdiff

sudo port install latexdiff

normalized package name match
Matched by: Latexdiff

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: tex/latexdiff/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/latexdiff.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install latexdiff with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts