Compare Two PDF Files
Pick the original and the revised PDF and read a list of what changed, page by page.
Free · runs in your browser · nothing is uploaded
Compare two PDF files here: this free browser tool lists every difference between them. Drop the older file on Original and the newer one on Revised, and it reports each removed, added or changed word with its page number. The comparison runs in your browser tab, so nothing is uploaded. There is no account, no ads, no analytics and no cookies. Scanned pages without a text layer can still be checked with the picture overlay view. Use it to compare a contract draft with the signed version, or to see what changed between two report releases.
You can export the list as a CSV file or an HTML report.
How to use the PDF comparison tool
- Drop the older PDF on the Original drop zone.
- Drop the newer PDF on the Revised drop zone.
- If the files landed on the wrong sides, click “Swap the two files”.
- Tick Ignore upper and lower case or Ignore punctuation if those differences do not matter to you.
- Wait for the comparison. The PDF engine loads the first time a file is opened, so the first run takes a little longer.
- Read the default list, Changes only. Each entry says removed, added or changed, with page numbers. Click a page link to jump to that page.
- Switch to Side by side to see removed words boxed in red on the original and added words boxed in green on the revised.
- Switch to Picture overlay to check fonts, images and layout. Keep “Forgive shifts of one pixel” on unless you need an exact pixel match.
- Export the list as a changes CSV, or export the full HTML report.
Page arrows move through the pages in pairs, so page 3 of one file sits next to page 3 of the other. The Ignore options and the view buttons can be changed at any point without rerunning the files.
How does compare two PDF files work?
The tool reads the text layer of both PDFs and compares them word by word across all pages. Each difference is labelled removed, added or changed, with its page number and a box on the page. Pages are paired by number, so page 4 of one file is checked against page 4 of the other.
- Word matching uses the jsdiff method, so a single changed word is reported as that word, not the whole sentence.
- Ignore upper and lower case and Ignore punctuation filter out differences you choose not to count.
- If the two files have different page counts, the tool reports that too.
- Scanned pages with no text layer have no words to compare. The tool does not run OCR, so use the picture overlay for those.
Does it detect formatting changes?
Not through the word comparison alone. Word results only report changes to the text itself. Font, image and layout changes that leave the words unchanged appear in Picture overlay, which compares dark pixels on each page.
| View | What it shows | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Changes only (default) | List of removed, added and changed words with page links | Finding text edits quickly |
| Side by side | Both pages, removed words boxed red on the original, added words boxed green on the revised | Reading each change in context |
| Picture overlay | Dark pixels only in the original in red, only in the revised in green, in both in grey | Fonts, images, layout and scanned pages |
The overlay also reports the share of dark pixels that differ, and “Forgive shifts of one pixel” is on by default.
A moved paragraph shows up twice: as removed where it used to be and as added where it landed. The list does not match the two entries for you, so read them together. The case and punctuation switches apply to the whole comparison at once.
Frequently asked questions
Can it open password-protected PDFs?
Yes. When a file is locked, a box asks for its password. The password stays in the browser tab, and the file is never uploaded, so you can compare a protected file without removing its protection first.
What happens if a section was moved?
Changes are labelled removed, added or changed. A paragraph that moved shows as removed text at its old position and as added text at its new position, each with a page number. Compare the two entries in Side by side to confirm they match.
How can I compare PDF files for free?
Open this page, drop the older PDF on Original and the newer one on Revised. The tool is free, needs no account, and shows no ads or cookies. The first file you open loads a PDF engine of about 2 MB, so the first comparison takes a little longer.
What happens to the documents I compare?
They stay on your device. The comparison runs in your browser tab and nothing is uploaded. After the first load, the tool keeps working with the network switched off.
Is there a way to compare two PDFs for differences?
Yes, this tool does that. Put the original on one side and the revised version on the other, then read the list of removed, added and changed words. Each entry has page numbers, and you can switch to a side-by-side or picture overlay view.
Does it work offline?
Yes, once it has loaded. The page’s security policy only allows requests to scrubproof.com. The PDF engine loads the first time a file is opened, so open one file while you are online.
What if the two PDFs have different page counts?
The tool reports the difference in page counts. Pages are paired by number, so the page arrows move between matching pages. Pages at the end of the longer file have no partner in the shorter one, so check them by hand.
Can it compare scanned PDFs?
Not by words. A scanned PDF with no text layer has no words to compare, and the tool does not run OCR. Use Picture overlay instead, which compares dark pixels on each page and shows the share that differs.
Related tools
- Compare PDF: use it when you want to see what changed between two versions of a document.
- Redact PDF: use it to find and delete text in a single PDF after you have reviewed the changes.
- Redaction check: use it to find text hidden under black boxes before you share a redacted file.
- Redact an image: use it to black out part of a photo or screenshot.