GetFormatted

Compare two PDFs

Find what changed between two versions of a PDF: the pages that differ, where, and which words were added or removed.

How it works

  1. Add the original PDF.
  2. Add the changed version.
  3. Press Compare the two PDFs.
  4. Look at the marked pages, read the list of changed words, or download the marked pages as a PDF.

What it shows you

  • Which pages are different, and where on each page, marked with red boxes.
  • A switch to see the original, the changed page, or the differences, for each page.
  • The words that were added (green) and removed (red) on each page.
  • Extra or missing pages when the two files are different lengths.

How it compares

Pages are compared one to one, in order, by how they look, so a changed image, colour or layout is found as well as changed words. The list of words comes from the text inside the PDF. A scanned page is only a picture, so it has no words to list, but its visual changes are still marked.

If a page was added near the start of one file, every page after it shifts and will show as different. In that case, remove the extra page from one file first with Delete or extract pages.

Good to know

  • Pages are compared one to one, in order. If a page was inserted near the start, every page after it will show as different.
  • Differences are found by comparing how the pages look, so a change in colour, an image or a small layout shift is reported, not only changed words.
  • The list of changed words is read from the PDF's text, so it is empty for a scanned page that is only a picture.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to compare two PDFs here?
Yes. Files up to 25 MB and 50 pages are free, and GetFormatted Pro raises this to 250 MB and 1,000 pages.
Are my PDFs uploaded?
No. Both files are compared in your browser and neither is sent anywhere.
Does it find changes in images and layout, or only text?
Both. It compares how the pages look, and also lists changed words from the text.
Can I keep the result?
Yes. Download the marked pages as a PDF.
Can it compare scanned PDFs?
It marks visual differences on scanned pages, but a scan has no text inside, so no list of changed words is available for it.

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