diff --git a/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/screens/memory/panes/diff/widgets/classes_table_diff.dart b/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/screens/memory/panes/diff/widgets/classes_table_diff.dart
index a40c9ebc2e2..3c2900e56da 100644
--- a/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/screens/memory/panes/diff/widgets/classes_table_diff.dart
+++ b/packages/devtools_app/lib/src/screens/memory/panes/diff/widgets/classes_table_diff.dart
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ class _SizeColumn extends ColumnData<DiffClassData> {
   _SizeColumn(this.dataPart, this.sizeType)
     : super(
         columnTitle(dataPart),
+        titleTooltip: columnTooltip(dataPart),
         fixedWidthPx: 80.0,
         alignment: ColumnAlignment.right,
       );
@@ -183,6 +184,24 @@ class _SizeColumn extends ColumnData<DiffClassData> {
     }
   }
 
+  static String columnTooltip(_DataPart dataPart) {
+    switch (dataPart) {
+      case _DataPart.created:
+        return 'Size of this class allocated between the two snapshots.\n'
+            'This is the value for this row, not a cumulative total.';
+      case _DataPart.deleted:
+        return 'Size of this class released between the two snapshots.\n'
+            'This is the value for this row, not a cumulative total.';
+      case _DataPart.delta:
+        return 'Net size change of this class between the two snapshots '
+            '(allocated minus freed).\n'
+            'This is the value for this row, not a cumulative total.';
+      case _DataPart.persisted:
+        return 'Size of this class present in both snapshots.\n'
+            'This is the value for this row, not a cumulative total.';
+    }
+  }
+
   @override
   int getValue(DiffClassData data) {
     switch (sizeType) {
diff --git a/packages/devtools_app/release_notes/NEXT_RELEASE_NOTES.md b/packages/devtools_app/release_notes/NEXT_RELEASE_NOTES.md
index 01ad0a7d9e2..1b72a850546 100644
--- a/packages/devtools_app/release_notes/NEXT_RELEASE_NOTES.md
+++ b/packages/devtools_app/release_notes/NEXT_RELEASE_NOTES.md
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ TODO: Remove this section if there are not any updates.
 ## Memory updates
 
 * Added the ability to pin classes to the top of the Profile Memory table. [#8898](https://github.com/flutter/devtools/issues/8898)
+* Clarified that Diff Snapshots size columns (Allocated, Freed, Delta, Persisted)
+  show memory for that class row, not a running total of the table.
+  [#8837](https://github.com/flutter/devtools/issues/8837)
 
 ## Debugger updates