# Comparing Continuous Profiling Timeframes

[comparing timeframes](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/DASuCTt9vHg?rel=0&showinfo=0&modestbranding=1&autoplay=0)

Blackfire Continuous Profiler dashboard allows comparing two timeframes to better understand application dynamics in various contexts.

You could compare two versions of the application, before and after a deployment, or rush hours with quiet times for instance.

## Enabling comparison mode

A toggle on the top right corner of the continuous profiling dashboard enables the comparison mode.

![Enabling continuous profiling comparison mode](../images/continuous-profiling/cont-prof-comparison-menu.png)

Once comparison enabled, you can select two timeframes referred to as `A` and `B`. Those times can overlap.

## Understanding continuous profiling visual comparison

The flamegraph provides a visual representation of how timeframe `B` compares to `A` for the selected dimension using shades of colors. The stronger the color, the higher resource variation.

![Continuous profiling comparison mode provides a visual representation of resource consumption variation](../images/continuous-profiling/cont-prof-comparison-flamegraph.png)

Shades of green indicates timeframe `B` is consuming less resources than `A`for the selected dimension. Shades of red indicate the opposite.

A scale and contextual information are displayed when hovering a span. This ensures accessibility for all users and allow colorblind users to benefit from this feature.

![Continuous profiling comparison scale is accessible to colorblind users](../images/continuous-profiling/cont-prof-comparison-scale.png)