Comparison of PDF comparison tools is based on features like ease of use and compatibility, speed and accuracy. As a rule, these kinds of software can create text or image comparisons from two PDFs, or just one PDF document to see the differences.
If you work with documents in a daily basis, it’s possible that sooner or later, you’ll have to compare PDF files. It can be a very time-consuming task and the worst part is that most of the times you can miss critical details when comparing PDF documents because it’s not a perfect tool for this job. Even though there are many tools that permit you to compare PDF files, I’ve made a research and tried to find some of the best tools to compare PDF files.
The best PDF compare tools are definitely a great help in converting a pdf file into different formats like doc, ppt, jpg and other formats. These PDF compare tools can also be helpful in extracting details such as text, images and graphs from the source file into another document.
You have created a pdf file with MS Word and you want to see if the document is the same as the one you received before. Or, maybe you would like to compare two different pdf files? Maybe, you are confused while looking auto pdf compare software or pdf to word compare tools because there are so many tools and programs that perform this task. In this article we will cover some of best free pdf compare tool and how they work. Let’s read our article.
What is PDF software?
Portable document format (PDF) software, also known as a PDF editor, is a software tool that allows users to create and edit PDF documents, rearrange a document’s pages, and add digital signatures. It also lets them convert a PDF file to other formats such as Word, Excel, HTML, and JPG, and vice versa.
PDF software is used in businesses of all sizes across industries such as legal, construction, medical, and professional services.
Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is a pre-installed, go to PDF viewer and editor for the majority of Windows users. You can view and edit your PDF documents with their free version.
To enjoy advanced features like combining multiple files, extracting few sections, splitting files into smaller chunks, and comparing PDFs, you’ll have to subscribe to its premium version. Check the pricing of Adobe Acrobat.
With its premium version, the powerful tool makes it so much easier to spot differences in two files with its Compare option. It highlights the edited text and the images and marks what’s added, removed, or modified in the document so that you can compare it side by side preview of documents.
After comparing both files, it also generates a clean comparison report that helps you quickly navigate through future changes.
Adobe Acrobat is supported on Windows, macOS, and Android. If your pockets don’t allow you to spend money on such software, sit tight, as we’ll cover some free alternatives.
Diffchecker
As the name suggests, Diffchecker is a free tool that specializes in comparing files in different formats. It highlights the altered paragraphs and text, making it very conspicuous. After comparison, it gives a clean report specifying the changes made in the document. One can also view the changes in the side-by-side preview.
The ideal software for infrequent users, Diffchecker is supported on both Windows and macOS and has a web app. However, the desktop app and some other advanced features do require a small subscription fee of $9.
Copyleaks
Copyleaks is mainly used for detecting plagiarism, but it also has a handy “Compare tool” that supports comparing files in different formats. Further, Copyleaks has recently introduced a multi-language adaptability feature by which you can compare files in multiple languages.
By registering for its free trial, a 10-day trial commences, in which you’ll be limited to scan the number of pages. After exactly 2500 words, users need to subscribe to a monthly plan of $24.99.
Copyleaks is supported on Windows, Linux, and macOS, and it is recommended to use this tool in either Firefox or Chrome browsers.
DiffPdf
DiffPdf is specifically targeted towards PDFs and users can compare reports, books, and labels as well. What gives DiffPdf an edge is that it can compare documents both textually and visually, with the common and easy-to-spot use of highlights for deleted, inserted, and replaced texts in different colors.
It is safe to use and has no limitation on the number of pages or the size of compared files, giving this tool an edge over others. The interface is also quite customizable for a better experience.
Diffpdf requires you to register in advance, with a 20-day free trial and a full fee of $160 afterward.
PDFelement – The Best PDF Comparison Tool
PDFelement Pro is a powerful PDF compare tool designed to simplify user needs. This program is used by millions of people owing to its incredible capabilities. PDFelement gives you a good platform to compare two PDFs and find the differences with ease. The good thing with PDFelement is that it allows users to compare other file formats by automatically converting them to PDF format. Other features offered by PDFelement include converting, editing, print, annotating, protecting, sharing, comparing, and compressing. This program is fast, affordable, easy to use, and is compatible with many devices.
How to Compare PDFs with PDFelement
Step 1. Launch PDFelement on your PC, then click the “Compare PDF” tab.
Step 2. From the subsequent “File Comparison” window, click the “Select File” buttons to upload the original and the new files.
Step 3. Once uploaded, click “Compare.” The program will display the changes in different colors. Insertions, deletions, and modifications are represented by blue, red, and green colors, respectively.
Step 4. Click the “Previous Change” or “Next Change” arrows to compare your texts.
Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is another great PDF comparator tool in the market. This program has been in the industry for a long time and is reliable. With Adobe Acrobat, you can easily compare texts and obtain any changes in the original file. It comes with a handy highlight bar that makes visual comparison easier. Once the results are ready, you simply go to the results summary tab and obtain information on deleted, added, or modified content. Again, use the filters to view only what you want. You can choose to compare images, texts, annotations, or other formatting options.
How to compare PDFs with Adobe Acrobat
Step 1. Launch Adobe Acrobat on your device and navigate to “Tools” > “Compare Files.”
Step 2. Hit the “Select File” button one at a time to upload your old and new PDF files.
Step 3. Click “Compare” to allow the program to compare the two files.
Step 4. When the compare process is complete, proceed to the “Compare Results” summary to review your document.
Step 5. To start reviewing each difference in your new file, select “Go to First Change.”
Draftable
Draftable is a good online Word and PDF comparator tool worth trying. This program allows users to view documents side by side and get the differences without much struggle. The good thing is that the documents remain in sync as you scroll. You can switch to a single page view to see all changes together in one list or simply save time. Again, access the change list and select a change to that point within the document.
How to compare PDFs with Draftable
Step 1. Using your browser, go to the draftable file comparison page. Here, hit the “Choose file” buttons on the left and right to select and upload the original and new files.
Step 2. Hit the “Compare” button to trigger the comparison, then check the differences. The differences are marked in different colours.
PDFforge
PDFForge is a simple yet useful online PDF comparator tool. This program is easy to use and quickly displays the differences in content. It goes ahead to indicate them in their respective line numbers. The good thing with PDFforge is its good security for your sensitive data.
How to Compare PDFs with PDFforge
Step 1. Visit PDFforge PDF compare page.
Step 2. Drop the two files in their respective sections and click “Compare.”
Step 3. The differences will be displayed after a few seconds. Choose a suitable view option and check the differences.
Soda PDF
Soda PDF comes with the best all-in-one solution for your PDF needs, even with the comparing two PDF files feature tool.
You can compare two PDF files in two different ways. One option that you have is to use the Compare Documents feature from the Review Module. This option is recommended because you can compare different versions of the same file, having highlights at every change. So, your files will open up next to each other showing all the differences between one and another.
Another option is to use the Side By Side View feature from View Module that allows you to simply open up two files next to each other. Here, the disadvantage here is that for this option are no markings to indicate changes or differences in the document.
Besides the comparison tool, you must know that you can edit with Soda PDF like any other word processor: you can add, remove, change or modify the text, fonts, colors directly in the PDF.
ABBY FineReader
ABBY FineReader is a powerful document comparison tool that supports multiple file formats. It is a premium tool, but you can try the free trial for a limited time to try the software without any risk.
One interesting feature offered by ABBY FineReader is the ability to compare two files of two different formats.
For example, you can compare a PDF file and a Word document of the same file side-side by the side without having to convert it to one specific file format.
ABBY FineReader also offers a document editing and conversion feature. You can edit scanned images or PDF Files and any necessary information or correct typos directly from the ABBY FineReader editor.
The scanned documents and images can be converted into multiple formats including Word, Excel, searchable PDF, and more.
In addition, ABBY FineReader comes with a proofreading feature, and it can recognize decorative fonts for accurate results and support creative Ebooks by converting the documents to EPUB and FB2 format.
ABBY FineReader is a robust document comparison tool. While the price tag is a little on the higher side, it can be justified with the features on offer.
The benefits of PDF software
The benefits of using a PDF software solution include:
- Enhanced security: PDF software offers features such as password protection, user restrictions, and encryption to restrict unauthorized users from modifying, copying, or printing file contents. These security features help prevent information misuse. Some tools also offer redaction, a security feature that allows users to remove sensitive and classified information from within a document.
- Seamless collaboration: A PDF editor lets multiple users collaborate on the same document. Users can add notes or comments to a specific word or an entire section. They can also digitally sign the document from within the same interface.
- Version control: A PDF software solution allows users to effectively track document changes by maintaining a version history, which lists the changes made to a document over its lifetime. It highlights who created each version, when the version was created, and what changes were made under that version.
Conclusion
The Pdf Compare Tools is for comparing the text content of PDF files. It’s main purpose is to help you find differences between two PDF files – quickly, without reading. Compare PDF includes a variety of different comparison algorithms. Most of them compare words or sentences of the input files, but some compare data by looking at the layout and appearance of pages. For example, you can use ‘Page Complexity’ to see how much information is on each page of your PDFs.
If you wish to make some changes in the pdf file you need a software that can compare pdf files. Comparing two pdf files enables you to know the differences between them.The best PDF compare tools are definitely a great help in converting a pdf file into different formats like doc, ppt, jpg and other formats. These PDF compare tools can also be helpful in extracting details such as text, images and graphs from the source file into another document.