Comparison techniques
Reveal vs Split vs Crossfade: Which Comparison Mode to Use?
A hard edge helps you inspect a small detail; a gradual blend helps you see an overall shift. BeforeAfterly includes three comparison modes. Each uses the same two photos, but changes how the transition is shown.
By BeforeAfterly · Practical comparison guide · Published
The practical takeaway
Start with Split for detail, choose Reveal for a wipe-style presentation, and use Crossfade for tone changes or alignment checks.
Split: inspect both versions across a divider
Split shows the before image on one side of a divider and the after image on the other. Moving the divider changes which version occupies each part of the frame. The images occupy the same coordinates, so you can compare one area without looking between separate panels.
Use Split for retouching, sharpening, design revisions, or a renovation photo with matching framing. Move the divider slowly across a particular edge and pause. Use Middle for a balanced preview and the endpoint presets to inspect each full version.
Split is not a side-by-side collage of two complete photos. Each visible side is a cropped portion of an overlapping image. If you need two complete images in separate panels, use the before and after photo maker.
Reveal: uncover the after image over the original
Reveal keeps the before image underneath and places the after image over it. As you increase the position, more of the after image becomes visible from the left, or from the top in vertical orientation. At 0% you see the before image; at 100% you see the after image.
This is useful when you want the viewer to experience the transition as a single wipe. With horizontal Split, the before image occupies the left portion and the after image the right, so the endpoint order is reversed compared with Reveal. Use the visible labels and Swap Images to keep your presentation clear.
Both hard-edge modes need matching framing. A divider that crosses a misaligned subject can make it look stretched or broken. Prepare the crop in an editor before using either mode.
Crossfade: blend from one version to the other
Crossfade changes the opacity of the after image over the before image. At 0% the original is visible, at 100% the changed version is visible, and halfway between them you see a mixture of both. There is no hard divider.
Use it to explain exposure, color grading, a filter, or a broad change in a room. It can also reveal alignment problems: stationary features appear doubled or seem to move when the photos do not line up.
Avoid judging fine texture at the midpoint. Blending can hide artifacts or create ghosting that is not present in either file. Review the endpoints and use Split when you need to inspect a specific detail.
Choose direction and playback separately
Horizontal orientation moves the comparison from left to right. Vertical orientation moves it from top to bottom. This changes the direction of Reveal and Split; Crossfade still blends the entire frame. Choose the direction that crosses the feature you want to explain.
Autoplay works with all three modes. Loop repeats from an endpoint, Bounce reverses direction, and Once stops at an endpoint. Slow playback is usually easier to follow. You can pause with Space, use arrows for small position changes, and hold Shift for larger steps.
A useful presentation sequence is a full before view, one slow transition, a pause on the important change, and a full after view. Download PNG saves the current position, mode, and orientation for a static result. To share the movement, the GIF maker turns the same pair into a looping GIF or a video with a wipe, split, or crossfade.
Common questions
Which mode is best for checking a photo edit?
Start with Split to inspect edges and texture. Then use Crossfade to examine exposure and color changes, judging the final result at the endpoints.
Does vertical orientation change Crossfade?
No. Crossfade changes opacity across the entire frame. Orientation affects the direction of the divider in Reveal and Split.
Can the comparison animate automatically?
Yes. Use Play and open Advanced playback settings to choose Loop, Bounce, or Once. The speed control sets how quickly the comparison position changes.
Put it into practice.
Load your before and after images and try all three comparison modes. Free, with no sign-up.
Compare your images