# Install odiff with Homebrew, Nix Very fast SIMD-first image comparison library (with nodejs API). Version 4.5.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-23. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#odiff. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:odiff ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install odiff ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#odiff ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/od/odiff/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:odiff - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Version:** 4.5.0 - **Source summary:** Very fast SIMD-first image comparison library (with nodejs API) - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-23T03:37:26Z - **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00 ## Executables - odiff (alias) ## Install behavior - Bottle: not available ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-08-03 - Package-manager version: 4.5.0 ## 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 Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - odiff: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/od/odiff/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/odiff.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/odiff.yml) ## Sources - pkg.so package database - Geiger risk classifier - curated package history - pkgdb category and tag curation - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph