diff --git a/pw_cli/py/BUILD.bazel b/pw_cli/py/BUILD.bazel
index fd8d21574f..67320ffa73 100644
--- a/pw_cli/py/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/pw_cli/py/BUILD.bazel
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ py_library(
         "pw_cli/branding.py",
         "pw_cli/color.py",
         "pw_cli/decorators.py",
+        "pw_cli/diff.py",
         "pw_cli/env.py",
         "pw_cli/envparse.py",
         "pw_cli/file_filter.py",
diff --git a/pw_cli/py/BUILD.gn b/pw_cli/py/BUILD.gn
index 3c4680936c..32b7a3832a 100644
--- a/pw_cli/py/BUILD.gn
+++ b/pw_cli/py/BUILD.gn
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ pw_python_package("py") {
     "pw_cli/branding.py",
     "pw_cli/color.py",
     "pw_cli/decorators.py",
+    "pw_cli/diff.py",
     "pw_cli/env.py",
     "pw_cli/envparse.py",
     "pw_cli/file_filter.py",
diff --git a/pw_cli/py/pw_cli/diff.py b/pw_cli/py/pw_cli/diff.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ba142b6f21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pw_cli/py/pw_cli/diff.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# Copyright 2024 The Pigweed Authors
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not
+# use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of
+# the License at
+#
+#     https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT
+# WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the
+# License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under
+# the License.
+"""Print git-style diffs."""
+
+
+import difflib
+import sys
+from typing import Iterable, Sequence, Union
+
+from pw_cli.color import colors
+
+_COLOR = colors()
+
+
+def colorize_diff_line(line: str) -> str:
+    if line.startswith('--- ') or line.startswith('+++ '):
+        return _COLOR.bold_white(line)
+    if line.startswith('-'):
+        return _COLOR.red(line)
+    if line.startswith('+'):
+        return _COLOR.green(line)
+    if line.startswith('@@ '):
+        return _COLOR.cyan(line)
+    return line
+
+
+def colorize_diff(lines: Union[str, Iterable[str]]) -> str:
+    """Takes a diff str or list of str lines and returns a colorized version."""
+    if isinstance(lines, str):
+        lines = lines.splitlines(True)
+
+    return ''.join(colorize_diff_line(line) for line in lines)
+
+
+def print_diff(
+    a: Sequence[str], b: Sequence[str], fromfile="", tofile="", indent=0
+) -> None:
+    """Print a git-style diff of two string sequences."""
+    indent_str = ' ' * indent
+    diff = colorize_diff(difflib.unified_diff(a, b, fromfile, tofile))
+
+    for line in diff.splitlines(True):
+        sys.stdout.write(indent_str + line)
+
+    sys.stdout.write("\n")
diff --git a/pw_ide/guide/vscode/legacy.rst b/pw_ide/guide/vscode/legacy.rst
index 58298493e7..4a54d0f353 100644
--- a/pw_ide/guide/vscode/legacy.rst
+++ b/pw_ide/guide/vscode/legacy.rst
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ be committed to source control.
 
    You should treat ``settings.json`` as a build artifact and avoid editing it
    directly. However, if you do make changes to it, don't worry! The changes
-   will be preserved after running ``pw ide sync``
+   will be preserved after running ``pw ide sync`` if they don't conflict with
+   with the settings that command sets.
 
 The same pattern applies to ``tasks.json``, which provides Visual Studio Code
 tasks for ``pw_ide`` commands. Access these by opening the command palette
diff --git a/pw_ide/py/pw_ide/commands.py b/pw_ide/py/pw_ide/commands.py
index 47ccb8ccbf..f46387ee99 100644
--- a/pw_ide/py/pw_ide/commands.py
+++ b/pw_ide/py/pw_ide/commands.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import sys
 from typing import cast, Set
 
+from pw_cli.diff import print_diff
 from pw_cli.env import pigweed_environment
 from pw_cli.status_reporter import LoggingStatusReporter, StatusReporter
 
@@ -252,19 +253,23 @@ def cmd_vscode(
     )
 
     for settings_type in types_to_update:
+        prev_settings_str = ''
         prev_settings_hash = ''
         active_settings_existed = vsc_manager.active(settings_type).is_present()
 
         if active_settings_existed:
-            prev_settings_hash = vsc_manager.active(settings_type).hash()
+            prev_settings = vsc_manager.active(settings_type)
+            prev_settings_str = str(prev_settings)
+            prev_settings_hash = prev_settings.hash()
 
         with vsc_manager.active(settings_type).build() as active_settings:
             vsc_manager.default(settings_type).sync_to(active_settings)
             vsc_manager.project(settings_type).sync_to(active_settings)
             vsc_manager.user(settings_type).sync_to(active_settings)
-            vsc_manager.active(settings_type).sync_to(active_settings)
 
-        new_settings_hash = vsc_manager.active(settings_type).hash()
+        new_settings = vsc_manager.active(settings_type)
+        new_settings_str = str(new_settings)
+        new_settings_hash = new_settings.hash()
         settings_changed = new_settings_hash != prev_settings_hash
 
         _LOG.debug(
@@ -284,6 +289,14 @@ def cmd_vscode(
                 f'{verb} Visual Studio Code active ' f'{settings_type.value}'
             )
 
+            print_diff(
+                prev_settings_str.splitlines(True),
+                new_settings_str.splitlines(True),
+                fromfile=f"{settings_type.value}.json",
+                tofile=f"{settings_type.value}.json",
+                indent=8,
+            )
+
 
 # Elements:
 # - The root search path of the compilation database
diff --git a/pw_ide/py/pw_ide/editors.py b/pw_ide/py/pw_ide/editors.py
index 7382cc1266..9539d5da6b 100644
--- a/pw_ide/py/pw_ide/editors.py
+++ b/pw_ide/py/pw_ide/editors.py
@@ -324,6 +324,9 @@ def __init__(
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
         return f'<{self.__class__.__name__}: (in memory)>'
 
+    def __str__(self) -> str:
+        return json.dumps(self.get(), indent=2)
+
     def get(self) -> EditorSettingsDict:
         """Return the settings as an ordered dict."""
         return self._data
diff --git a/pw_module/py/pw_module/create.py b/pw_module/py/pw_module/create.py
index 257194b032..edba041592 100644
--- a/pw_module/py/pw_module/create.py
+++ b/pw_module/py/pw_module/create.py
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@
 from pw_build import generate_modules_lists
 import pw_cli.color
 import pw_cli.env
+from pw_cli.diff import colorize_diff
 from pw_cli.status_reporter import StatusReporter
-from pw_presubmit.tools import colorize_diff
 
 from pw_module.templates import get_template
 
diff --git a/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/format_code.py b/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/format_code.py
index 6f22d29909..ed0fa8304e 100755
--- a/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/format_code.py
+++ b/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/format_code.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 )
 
 import pw_cli.color
+from pw_cli.diff import colorize_diff
 import pw_cli.env
 from pw_cli.file_filter import FileFilter
 from pw_cli.plural import plural
@@ -69,7 +70,6 @@
     file_summary,
     log_run,
     PresubmitToolRunner,
-    colorize_diff,
 )
 from pw_presubmit.rst_format import reformat_rst
 
diff --git a/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/keep_sorted.py b/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/keep_sorted.py
index 0330f4ee5d..12926e51f2 100644
--- a/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/keep_sorted.py
+++ b/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/keep_sorted.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 )
 
 import pw_cli
+from pw_cli.diff import colorize_diff
 from pw_cli.plural import plural
 from . import cli, git_repo, presubmit, presubmit_context, tools
 
@@ -385,7 +386,7 @@ def _process_files(
             )
 
             outs.write(diff)
-            print(tools.colorize_diff(diff))
+            print(colorize_diff(diff))
 
     return errors
 
diff --git a/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/python_checks.py b/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/python_checks.py
index f9bd5cc8e0..b0c8f73912 100644
--- a/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/python_checks.py
+++ b/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/python_checks.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import sys
 from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory
 
+from pw_cli.diff import colorize_diff_line
 from pw_env_setup import python_packages
 
 from pw_presubmit.presubmit import (
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@
     PresubmitFailure,
 )
 from pw_presubmit import build
-from pw_presubmit.tools import log_run, colorize_diff_line
+from pw_presubmit.tools import log_run
 
 _LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
diff --git a/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/rst_format.py b/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/rst_format.py
index 490bd6c413..9d1576c5dd 100644
--- a/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/rst_format.py
+++ b/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/rst_format.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 import textwrap
 from typing import Iterable
 
-from pw_presubmit.tools import colorize_diff
+from pw_cli.diff import colorize_diff
 
 TAB_WIDTH = 8  # Number of spaces to use for \t replacement
 CODE_BLOCK_INDENTATION = 3
diff --git a/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/tools.py b/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/tools.py
index cc9d662cb7..157555030b 100644
--- a/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/tools.py
+++ b/pw_presubmit/py/pw_presubmit/tools.py
@@ -28,33 +28,11 @@
     Pattern,
 )
 
-import pw_cli.color
 from pw_cli.plural import plural
 from pw_cli.tool_runner import ToolRunner
 from pw_presubmit.presubmit_context import PRESUBMIT_CONTEXT
 
 _LOG: logging.Logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-_COLOR = pw_cli.color.colors()
-
-
-def colorize_diff_line(line: str) -> str:
-    if line.startswith('--- ') or line.startswith('+++ '):
-        return _COLOR.bold_white(line)
-    if line.startswith('-'):
-        return _COLOR.red(line)
-    if line.startswith('+'):
-        return _COLOR.green(line)
-    if line.startswith('@@ '):
-        return _COLOR.cyan(line)
-    return line
-
-
-def colorize_diff(lines: Iterable[str]) -> str:
-    """Takes a diff str or list of str lines and returns a colorized version."""
-    if isinstance(lines, str):
-        lines = lines.splitlines(True)
-
-    return ''.join(colorize_diff_line(line) for line in lines)
 
 
 def make_box(section_alignments: Sequence[str]) -> str: