> Summary: The Neon CLI `diff` command prints a git-style schema diff between two branches: the branch under review (the `+++` side) and the branch you compare against (the `---` side). Use this reference for the exact positional argument and flags: set the branch under review with `--branch`, the branch to compare against with the `compare-branch` positional, limit output to one database with `--database`, and target a project with `--project-id`.

# Neon CLI command: diff

Show a git-style schema diff between two branches

The `diff` command shows a git-style schema diff between two branches, in the same unified diff format `git diff` produces. The branch under review is the `+++` side; the branch you compare against is the `---` side. Omit the `compare-branch` argument to diff against the reviewed branch's parent, which answers "what did I change since branching?". See [Schema diff](/guides/resilience-architecture-guides-schema-diff) for more on comparing schemas in Neon.

The `+++` branch comes from `--branch`, or the branch pinned in your [`.neon` context file](/guides/apis-sdks-cli-link), or the project's default branch, in that order. `diff` covers every database on that branch unless you pass `--database`. Use `--output json` or `--output yaml` for a machine-readable diff, one entry per database.

`neon diff` is a shortcut for comparing branch schemas. To compare against a historical point in time (by timestamp or LSN), use the [`neon branches schema-diff`](/guides/apis-sdks-cli-branches#neon-branches-schema-diff) subcommand.

## Usage

```bash
neon diff [compare-branch] [options]
```

## Options

| Option               | Description                                                                                        | Type   | Default | Required |
| -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ | ------- | :------: |
| `--branch`, `-b`     | The branch to review (the '+++' side). Defaults to the branch pinned in the local context (.neon). | string | —       |    No    |
| `--database`, `--db` | Limit the diff to a single database. Defaults to every database on the current branch.             | string | —       |    No    |
| `--project-id`       | Project ID                                                                                         | string | —       |    No    |

## Examples

Diff the branch pinned in your `.neon` context against its parent. This works only when the pinned branch has a parent; against the project's default branch it errors, since there's nothing above it to compare:

```bash
neon diff
```

Diff the reviewed branch's schema against the `main` branch:

```bash
neon diff main
```

## Example output

Say your `feature/checkout` branch adds a `discount_code` column to the `orders` table and a new `coupons` table on top of `main`. Diff it against `main` with `--branch`, which reviews an explicit branch regardless of your `.neon` context:

```bash
neon diff main --branch feature/checkout
```

```diff filename="Output"
INFO: → Comparing schema main → feature/checkout
diff --neon database neondb
--- main (br-solitary-block-atxzqx8a)
+++ feature/checkout (br-wandering-bar-atq2lw6c)
@@ -22,6 +22,19 @@
 SET default_table_access_method = heap;

 --
+-- Name: coupons; Type: TABLE; Schema: public; Owner: neondb_owner
+--
+
+CREATE TABLE public.coupons (
+    code text NOT NULL,
+    percent_off integer NOT NULL,
+    expires_at timestamp with time zone
+);
+
+
+ALTER TABLE public.coupons OWNER TO neondb_owner;
+
+--
 -- Name: orders; Type: TABLE; Schema: public; Owner: neondb_owner
 --

@@ -29,7 +42,8 @@
     id integer NOT NULL,
     customer_id integer NOT NULL,
     total numeric(10,2) NOT NULL,
-    created_at timestamp with time zone DEFAULT now()
+    created_at timestamp with time zone DEFAULT now(),
+    discount_code text
 );
```

Each branch's schema is dumped as `pg_dump --schema-only` SQL and the two dumps are compared, so the diff includes generated lines you didn't write directly, such as `-- Name: ...` comments and `ALTER TABLE ... OWNER TO` statements. Lines prefixed with `+` exist only on the branch under review; `-` lines exist only on the compare branch. If the schemas match, `diff` reports no differences instead.

***

## Related docs (Projects and branches)

- [snapshots](/guides/apis-sdks-cli-snapshots)
- [projects](/guides/apis-sdks-cli-projects)
- [branches](/guides/apis-sdks-cli-branches)
- [databases](/guides/apis-sdks-cli-databases)
- [roles](/guides/apis-sdks-cli-roles)
- [operations](/guides/apis-sdks-cli-operations)

***

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## Related pages

- [Neon CLI command: snapshots](./apis-sdks-cli-snapshots.md)
- [Neon CLI command: projects](./apis-sdks-cli-projects.md)
- [Neon CLI command: branches](./apis-sdks-cli-branches.md)
- [Neon CLI command: databases](./apis-sdks-cli-databases.md)
- [Neon CLI command: roles](./apis-sdks-cli-roles.md)
- [Neon CLI command: operations](./apis-sdks-cli-operations.md)

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