Compare Two PDF Files and Highlight the Differences
Find out exactly what changed between two versions of a PDF — a contract redline, a revised quote, or an updated policy. UtilHub's free PDF compare tool lines up the pages of both files and highlights every added, removed, and changed word side by side, with a list of changes you can step through one by one. Switch to visual mode to catch differences that text can't show, such as moved images, new stamps, or layout shifts. Both documents are read and compared on your device, so confidential agreements are never uploaded. There is no sign-up and no page limit, and on a phone the two versions stack so you can flip between them with a tap.
How to use Compare PDF
- Add the original PDF, then the revised PDF.
- Wait while both files are read and their pages are matched.
- Review the highlights: green for added text, red for removed text.
- Use the change list to jump between differences, or switch to visual mode.
- Download the difference report if you need to share the changes.
Features
- Word-level highlighting — Additions, deletions, and edits are marked inside the text, not just flagged by page, with options to ignore case, punctuation, and extra spaces.
- Text and visual comparison — Text mode finds wording changes; visual mode overlays the pages to reveal moved images, signatures, and layout shifts.
- Change list and report — Step through every change in order and export a summary to share with a colleague or client.
- Private and unlimited — Files are compared in your browser with no upload, no account, and no file-size cap beyond your device's memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I compare two PDF files for differences?
Add the original PDF and the revised version. The tool reads both, matches their pages, and highlights every change — added words in green, removed words in red. Use the change list to jump from one difference to the next, or switch to visual mode to see layout changes. Everything runs in your browser, with no sign-up.
Does it compare the text or how the pages look?
Both. Text comparison extracts the words from each page and marks exactly which ones were added, removed, or changed — ideal for contracts and reports. Visual comparison renders both versions and highlights the areas that differ, which catches changes text cannot show, such as a swapped logo, a moved table, or a new signature.
Are my PDF files uploaded?
No. Both documents are opened and compared on your device, so nothing is sent to a server, logged, or stored. That makes the tool safe for contracts, financial statements, and other confidential files. You can confirm it: add both files, turn off Wi-Fi, and switch between text and visual mode — everything keeps working.
Can I compare scanned PDFs?
Use visual mode. A scanned PDF is a picture of the page rather than real text, so there are no words for text mode to compare, but visual mode compares the page images and highlights the areas that changed. A quick test: if you can't select individual words in your PDF viewer, the file is a scan.
Can I compare a PDF with a Word document?
Convert the Word file to PDF first — our Word to PDF tool does it in your browser — then compare the two PDFs. Text mode compares the words themselves, so page breaks or font changes introduced by the conversion don't show up as differences, and you see only the edits that matter.