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Compare Two PDF Files

Upload the old and new version and get one report, with every added and removed word marked and every page that looks different boxed in red.

About Compare PDF

Compare PDF versions before you sign or approve anything, word by word and by how every page looks: a contract that came back from the other side, a policy with "minor edits", a price list from a supplier. Add the original as the first file and the changed one as the second. Besides the text, the pages of both versions are compared by how they look and shown side by side, with every area that looks different boxed in red, which catches what a text comparison can't see, such as a swapped picture, a missing stamp or signature, a changed chart or a moved table. It even works on scanned documents with no text at all, and a second scan that sits a few pixels off is lined up first, so only real changes are boxed.

With Compare set to Text and how the pages look, the default, you get one PDF. First comes the text report, with additions highlighted in green, deletions in red and struck through, and a count of each at the top, then a page listing which pages changed, and then the pages side by side. The text is read in order, with broken lines joined back into paragraphs, and matched word by word, and a changed figure such as 18.6% to 19.2% counts as one edit, not a jumble of digits. Choose Text only or How the pages look (side by side) to get just one part. The visual comparison covers the first 30 pages free and 200 pages with VIP. Scans without text are compared by how the pages look, and the result says so.

How to use Compare PDF

  1. 1
    Add the original

    Choose the older version first. It's tagged Original.

  2. 2
    Add the new version

    Add the second PDF, tagged Changed, and choose what to compare under Compare. You need exactly two files.

  3. 3
    Compare and read

    Click Compare PDF, read the highlighted words and the boxed areas, and download the report to share.

Why use Cubfile for this

  • Word-level redline

    Insertions and deletions are marked inside sentences, not just as whole changed lines.

  • Visual comparison

    Pages side by side with every difference boxed in red, from pictures and stamps to signatures, charts and layout.

  • Works on scans

    Scanned PDFs are compared by how the pages look, and a slightly shifted second scan is lined up first.

  • One shareable report

    The text redline, a list of the changed pages and the pages side by side in one PDF to attach to an email.

FAQ

Compare PDF: questions and answers

How do I compare PDF files for changes?
Add the original PDF, then the changed one, and click Compare PDF. The report shows added words in green and removed words in red, then every page of both versions side by side with the differences boxed in red. Once you're happy with the changes, Sign PDF lets you sign the new version without printing.
Can I compare two scanned PDF files?
Yes. A scan has no text to compare, so the pages are compared by how they look, each page of both files side by side with every area that differs boxed in red, and the result tells you so. If the second scan sits a few pixels off, it's lined up first, so the shift itself isn't flagged.
Does it spot changes in pictures, stamps or layout?
Yes, with Text and how the pages look or How the pages look (side by side). A replaced logo, a new stamp or signature, a changed chart or a moved block is boxed in red on the side-by-side pages, and a page before them lists which pages changed. Text only compares words and numbers and ignores fonts, colors and pictures.
How large can the two PDFs be?
Each file can be up to 50 MB on the free plan or 1 GB with VIP, and a comparison counts as one task. The visual comparison covers the first 30 pages on the free plan and 200 with VIP. Visitors get 2 tasks in total, free accounts 2 a day.
Are the contracts I compare kept?
No. Both PDFs and the report are deleted automatically one hour after the comparison, and in the meantime nobody reads them.
Share Compare PDF with a friendIt runs in any browser, and they can try it without signing up.

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