---
title: Install Spekter on Linux | Snap Store
description: Get the latest version of Spekter for Linux - Instant file and folder
  comparison
url: https://snapcraft.io/spekter
---

# Spekter

[Hallvard Ystad (hallyhaa)](https://snapcraft.io/publisher/hallyhaa "View all snaps from Hallvard Ystad (hallyhaa)")

* [Hallvard Ystad (hallyhaa)](https://snapcraft.io/publisher/hallyhaa "View all snaps from Hallvard Ystad (hallyhaa)")
* [Development](https://snapcraft.io/search?categories=development)
* [Utilities](https://snapcraft.io/search?categories=utilities)

latest/stable 1.4.0

Install latest/stable of Spekter

---

**Install using the command line**

```
sudo snap install spekter
```

Don't have snapd? [Get set up for snaps](https://snapcraft.io/docs/installing-snapd).

---

### Package name

* spekter

---

### License

* MIT

---

### Last updated

* 16 October 2026 - latest/stable

---

### Websites

* [gitlab.com/hallyhaa/spekter](https://gitlab.com/hallyhaa/spekter "https://gitlab.com/hallyhaa/spekter")

---

### Contact

* [gitlab.com/hallyhaa/spekter/-/work\_items](https://gitlab.com/hallyhaa/spekter/-/work_items "https://gitlab.com/hallyhaa/spekter/-/work_items")

---

### Source code

* [gitlab.com/hallyhaa/spekter](https://gitlab.com/hallyhaa/spekter "https://gitlab.com/hallyhaa/spekter")

---

### Report a bug

* [gitlab.com/hallyhaa/spekter/-/work\_items](https://gitlab.com/hallyhaa/spekter/-/work_items "https://gitlab.com/hallyhaa/spekter/-/work_items")

---

##### Report a Snap Store violation

* [Report this Snap](https://snapcraft.io/spekter#report-snap-modal)

---

* [Description](https://snapcraft.io/spekter#tab-description)
* [Security](https://snapcraft.io/spekter#tab-security)

#### Instant file and folder comparison

Visual GUI tool for recursive directory and file comparison.
Side-by-side and unified diff views with synchronized scrolling,
inline character-level highlighting, Meld-style Bezier gutter connectors
and a tabbed interface. Binary files are detected and reported with sizes
rather than rendered as garbled text. Detects when JSON or JSONL files
differ only in element ordering, and applies hunk-slider postprocessing
so an inserted object in a JSON array is marked as one whole object.

Code and data files are syntax coloured, with grammars for a lot of
languages built in and more available as plugins: a plugin is just a
folder of Sublime Text grammar files, with no code to install.
Colouring is instant.

The diff view has a read-only caret with full keyboard navigation
(arrow keys, word-hop with Ctrl, smart Home/End, Shift to extend the
selection, Tab to move between panes, Ctrl+G to go to a line, F7 and
Shift+F7 to jump between changes). A diff opens on its first change.
Spekter watches the compared files on disk and shows a pulsing reload
chip in the header when either side changes. A change-overview minimap
on each pane marks where the diffs sit, and clicking it syncs the
opposite pane.

Large files stay responsive: a file's text appears instantly while its
diff is computed on a background thread, computed diffs are cached, and
the changed files are prefetched as you browse, so opening or revisiting
them feels immediate even at a million lines.

Ignored entries (.git, node\_modules, editor swap files and the like)
are skipped but listed as dimmed stubs rather than silently erased,
and the rules go both ways: expand an ignored directory or open an
ignored file to compare it anyway, or right-click any entry to ignore
it yourself. These choices are remembered per directory pair.

An instant, keyboard-driven alternative to Meld and diff for comparing
folders and code.

---

## Install Spekter on your Linux distribution

Choose your Linux distribution to get detailed installation instructions. If yours is not shown, get more details on the [installing snapd documentation](https://snapcraft.io/docs/installing-snapd).

[### Arch Linux](https://snapcraft.io/install/spekter/arch)

[### CentOS](https://snapcraft.io/install/spekter/centos)

[### Debian](https://snapcraft.io/install/spekter/debian)

[### elementary OS](https://snapcraft.io/install/spekter/elementary)

[### Fedora](https://snapcraft.io/install/spekter/fedora)

[### KDE Neon](https://snapcraft.io/install/spekter/kde-neon)

[### Kubuntu](https://snapcraft.io/install/spekter/kubuntu)

[### Manjaro](https://snapcraft.io/install/spekter/manjaro)

[### Pop!\_OS](https://snapcraft.io/install/spekter/pop)

[### openSUSE](https://snapcraft.io/install/spekter/opensuse)

[### Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://snapcraft.io/install/spekter/rhel)

[### Ubuntu](https://snapcraft.io/install/spekter/ubuntu)