Programs that are able to compare documents obviously come in handy, and they can save your time and effort. The market is filled with such tools, and we picked five of the best tools for comparing two documents.

  • If two or more persons are working on the same file, a document compare software becomes essential to keep track of all the changes.

  • For users that work with PDF and Words files, the best choice for document comparison would be Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.

  • If you need a document viewer and compression tool, be sure to check ABBYY FineReader.

  • For users that need a program that compares two text files, we suggest trying out WinMerge.

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We recommend that you check out their extended set of features because they also include other really handy functionalities. After checking them out, you will be able to make an informed decision and pick the best program for comparing documents.

Best programs for comparing two documents

Soda PDF is a full-featured PDF creation and management software that allows you to edit, convert, e-sign, and compare documents.

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC (suggested)

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is an excellent tool to compare documents, and especially PDF files. You can use this feature to compare two different documents or multiple versions of the same document.

If several persons are working on the same document, keeping track of all the revisions can be quite difficult. With Acrobat Pro DC, you can quickly compare the text and other elements to quickly spot the differences.

You can visualize the files side by side to better identify the changes. Alternatively, you can also apply a series of filters so that Acrobat Pro DC highlights the changes regarding particular elements such as text, images, annotations, and more.

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC offers amazing features and it’s without a doubt the best program to compare two documents.

How to compare documents using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

  • Navigate to Tools
  • Click on Compare Files
  • In the left-hand pane, click on Select File to choose the file to compare
  • Click on Select File this time in the right-hand pane to select the second document or the newer version of the same document
  • Hit the Compare button to launch the comparison process
  • Select the Go to First Change option to review each different individually.

Other great features:

  • Can create and edit PDF files
  • PDF conversion
  • Compare documents
  • Ability to sign PDFs
  • Text recognition

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is a powerful PDF editing software that allows you to easily compare any two documents.

The popular Acrobat alternative is accessible through any device with a web browser and it comes in two editions. Both the Standard and Pro versions can be used to compare two documents.

The Review Module in Soda PDF lets you compare two documents, as well as insert comments and add shapes like arrows or stars.

On the other hand, its ability to work from the cloud and on multiple devices can enhance productivity if several persons are working on the same project.

Here are other great features included in this tool:

  • Create PDFs from 300+ file formats in just a few clicks.
  • Convert PDF files to Word, PowerPoint, Excel, HTML, and image formats with no loss of information.
  • Scan a document and extract the text with the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Module.
  • Protect your documents by adding 256-bit passwords, different permission levels, or a digital signature.
  • Insert images, links, or even add watermarks to the background of your documents via the Insert Module.

Soda PDF

Compare two documents using one of the best all-in-one solution for your PDF needs!

ABBYY FineReader

Using this program, you will get the opportunity to find the differences in text between two versions of a document. This tool will eliminate the time-consuming line-by-line matching.

The Compare Documents feature is able to identify the changes between the document’s versions in various file formats that include PDF, Word and more.

The result can be saved in Word or PDF formats, and insignificant differences can be ignored and removed from the report before you finalize it.

ABBYY FineReader is simple to use and powerful, so it’s a must-have program that compares two text files.

  • With the help of ABBYY FineReader, you will be able to enjoy a comparison between files that will save you time and effort.
  • This software allows you to detect all the differences in a text between two versions of the same document in just a matter of seconds.
  • The software is incredibly intuitive, and you can use it to compare texts productively.
  • You will be able to compare two versions of a text across different file formats such as Microsoft Office files, PDFs, paper scans and more.
  • Of course, you will also be able to compare the same type of files.
  • ABBYY FineReader supports text comparison in 35 languages, and the program is able to detect a document’s language automatically.
  • There will not be any change left to go unnoticed.
  • The changes are highlighted in the two documents, and they will be displayed side by side making them easy to notice.
  • Only the changes that affect the content meaning will be highlighted, and the irrelevant modifications are excluded.

ABBYY FineReader

ABBYY FineReader is a document viewer that supports various file types, and it also comes with a powerful document comparison feature.

ExamDiff

This is a freeware visual file comparison tool that is able to detect file changes and more automatically.

The freeware is compatible with Windows, and it’s ideal for file comparison. It is straightforward to use, and it comes with various functionalities that will turn out really useful.

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The software can compare two Word documents and highlight differences, but it requires a special plugin to do so.

Check out the best features that are included in this software below:

  • Using this software, you will be able to compare directories and binary files.
  • You can perform a three-way diff and merge, and you can also edit the files inside comparison panes.
  • You will get the ability to highlight diffs down the level of characters and words as well.
  • You can highlight syntax and ignore comments.
  • There will be no need to specify both filenames and all you have to do is enter a directory name for one of the files to be compared.
  • The software comes with an autopick feature in the Compare dialog box that is able to remember matching file pairs.
  • ExamDiff can automatically detect file changes and prompts the user to re-compare the files.
  • You will be able to use a drag and drop function for dropping one or two files into the software’s window.
  • The program comes with a fully customizable file extension filter.

The adjustable pane splitter with smooth synchronized scrolling will turn out a very useful feature.

⇒ Get ExamDiff’s

WinMerge

WinMerge is an open source differencing and merging tool for Windows. The program is able to compare both folder and files and to present the differences in a visual text format that is effortless to understand and handle.

  • WinMerge supports Windows, and it comes with a tabbed interface.
  • The program compares visual differencing and merging of text files.
  • This is a flexible editor with syntax highlighting, line numbers and word-wrap.
  • WinMerge is also able to show the differences in two vertical panes.
  • The location pane shows a map of the files that are being compared.
  • The regular expression based file filters allow excluding and including items.
  • The program is also able to compare one folder, and it can include all subfolders as well.
  • The results will be shared in a tree-style view.

Other essential features include shell integration, plugin support, localizable interface and an online manual as well.

⇒ Get WinMerge

Araxis Merge

Araxis Merge comes in two editions, and it’s important to note that only the professional version provides a three-way comparison, three-way merging, and all related features.

On the other hand, the standard edition is identical, but it works only with two documents. Nevertheless, it’s still a great program to compare two documents that is work checking out.

Check out more powerful functionalities that are included in this program:

  • A single license of the program will enable you to use both versions of Merge.
  • You will be able to compare huge files with the 64-bit version of the program, and you will also be able to take advantage of the massive amounts of memory that are available on the 64-bit systems.
  • You can identify removals, insertions, and all kinds of changes between various versions of source code, configuration files, text files and web files as well.
  • You can also compare and merge changes in two updated revisions of a file with their common ancestor.
  • The program offers you the possibility to save time by directly loading and comparing popular file formats.
  • You can also copy text from other apps and paste it into a Merge text comparison window.

⇒ Get Araxis Merge

GroupDocs

GroupDocs allows developers to seamlessly enhance their web, desktop, and mobile apps as well having the ability to display, annotate, convert, compare, e0sign and also assemble documents.

Overall, it’s a great program that compares two text files, so be sure to consider it.

Check out the best features that are included in the GroupDocs products family:

  • You will be able to get a difference summary report by comparing two versions of the same document using the file comparison API in any cross-platform app.
  • GroupDocs Comparison for .NET targets Windows forms and any type of app based on .NET Framework 2.0 or later versions.
  • You can download a free trial of this program just to see if it works for your needs.

⇒ Get GroupDocs

These are five of the best options you have available for programs that are able to compare two documents. No matter which one turns out to be your choice, you will be able to enjoy a vast set of useful features while comparing your documents.

Make sure to visit the software’s official website to be able to analyze more details about the programs’ features.

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