How to compare two PDF files and see what changed

Compare two PDFs

1. Open Compare PDF and add the original first, then the revised version.
2. Click Compare files.
3. Read the report. Struck-through text appears only in the original, and bold text appears only in the revised version.

How to read the report

The report starts with a count of differences, then lists each one with its page number and a label: Changed, Added or Removed. In a Changed passage, the old words are struck through and the new ones are in bold, so a price change reads like: the fee is 100 and then 120.

Good for contracts, reports and policies

Comparing is most useful for documents where a small change matters, such as a price, a date, a deadline or a clause. Check each flagged difference against both documents. A comparison tool finds changes, but it can't tell you whether a change is acceptable, and it is not legal advice.

Limits to know about

• It compares text only. Layout, images and fonts are not compared.
• Scanned PDFs have to go through OCR PDF first.
• If text was moved or reflowed, those paragraphs can show as changed even though the words are similar.