install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install odiff

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#odiff

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/od/odiff/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Very fast SIMD-first image comparison library (with nodejs API)

Project links

Commands and aliases

odiff

history

Project history and usage

odiff is a native image-comparison CLI and Node.js-facing tool aimed at visual regression testing and screenshot diffing. Its package story is about speed and portability: the README describes a move from OCaml to Zig with SIMD paths for SSE2, AVX2, AVX512, and NEON.

Project history

The public GitHub repository was created on 2020-11-04. The README describes odiff as originally written in OCaml and later implemented in Zig, keeping the same focus on fast pixel-by-pixel visual difference checks for screenshots, photos, AI-generated images, and other highly similar image pairs.

Adoption history

The README lists integration points beyond the bare CLI, including Node.js bindings, a persistent server mode to avoid process startup overhead, Playwright support through playwright-odiff, Cypress support through cypress-odiff, and visual regression services such as Argos, LostPixel, and Visual Regression Tracker.

Homebrew and Nix packaging make the odiff binary available outside npm-centered workflows, while the Node.js API keeps it usable inside JavaScript test suites.

How it is used

Users compare two image paths and optionally write a PNG diff image. In test automation, Node.js callers use compare() or ODiffServer to run repeated comparisons with options for thresholds, anti-aliasing, ignored regions, layout mismatch handling, diff overlays, and memory reduction.

Why package nerds care

odiff is interesting because visual testing often hides native image diff engines behind JavaScript test frameworks. Packaging the native binary directly lets Playwright, Cypress, and standalone CI users share one fast comparator instead of each framework carrying a separate pure-JS pixel diff path.

Timeline

2020-11-04: public GitHub repository created.
2026-07-01: GitHub API metadata listed Zig as the primary language and MIT licensing.

Related projects

The README names framework adapters and services including playwright-odiff, cypress-odiff, Argos, LostPixel, Visual Regression Tracker, and OSnap.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: blue

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

Risk classifier

blue risk · medium confidence · tool

Why

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal

Signals

text:image

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.

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	Note
`odiff`	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 generated2026-08-04

manager version4.5.0

manager updated2026-07-23

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv4.5.0

https://github.com/dmtrKovalenko/odiff

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:odiff
Version	4.5.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/odiff
Homepage	https://github.com/dmtrKovalenko/odiff
Repository	https://github.com/dmtrKovalenko/odiff
License	MIT
Source archive	https://github.com/dmtrKovalenko/odiff/archive/refs/tags/v4.5.0.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-07-23T03:37:26Z
Pulse	updated
Build dependencies	zig
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

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

Nix95%

odiff

nix profile install nixpkgs#odiff

normalized package name match
Matched by: Odiff

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/od/odiff/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/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/odiff.yml

Used sources

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

Install odiff with Homebrew, Nix