What changed between two versions of a contract or a quote? PDFRoll puts the pages side by side, highlights the differing areas in red and lists the words removed and added, in a PDF report you can download.
How it works
- Select the two PDFs (the original first).
- Click “Compare”.
- Download the comparison report.
Frequently asked questions
Can scanned documents be compared?
Yes for visual differences; the list of changed words requires real text. The “OCR PDF” tool can add it to a scan.
Do both PDFs need the same number of pages?
No, the extra pages are compared to a blank page.
Which file should I put first?
The original. The second file is treated as the new version: words it no longer contains are listed as removed, and its new words as added. You can swap the order with ◀ ▶.
What does the downloaded report contain?
A PDF with the pages of both versions side by side, the differing areas highlighted in red, followed by the list of text differences page by page.
Can I compare more than two documents?
No, the tool compares exactly two PDFs at a time. For several versions, compare them two at a time.
Are formatting changes detected?
Yes if they are visible: a change in color, font or image is highlighted in the visual comparison, even if the text is identical.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. Everything happens in your browser: your documents never leave your device.
How the comparison works
Select two PDFs: the first is the original, the second the new version. You can swap their order with the ◀ ▶ arrows before clicking “Compare”.
PDFRoll compares the documents page by page and produces a two-part report:
- For each page, the original on the left and the new version on the right, with the differing areas highlighted in red. The page title shows whether there are differences or “no visible differences”.
- A “Text differences” list that details, page by page, the words removed (in red) and the words added (in green).
A summary also shows how many pages have differences and how many text changes were found.
When should you compare two PDFs?
- Checking what a partner changed in a contract before signing it.
- Reviewing a new version of a quote, a lease or terms and conditions.
- Proofreading corrections to a thesis, a report or a print proof.
- Spotting a change in a logo, table or image between two mockups.
These documents are often confidential: here, they never leave your device.
Tips for a useful comparison
- The comparison is done page by page: if an added paragraph shifts the text, everything after it may show up as changed. The word list then helps you spot the real change.
- Scanned documents are compared visually, but the word list needs real text. Run them through “OCR PDF” first to get it.
- If the documents don’t have the same number of pages, the extra pages are compared to a blank page.
What about applying the changes?
The report is for spotting differences, not merging them. To fix a word or a sentence in the PDF, use “Edit PDF text”; to rework the document in depth, convert it with “PDF to Word”.