Compare two PDF files on your phone
Did the landlord change a clause? Is the new version of a contract the same as the old one? PDF Maker compares two PDFs on your Android phone and shows every added, removed and changed word, page by page, with a marked copy to share. Neither file is uploaded.
These steps are for PDF Maker, our Android app. The app does the work on your phone; this web page does not touch your files.
How to compare two PDFs
- Open PDF Maker and tap Compare PDF in the Text group.
- Choose the Original (older) PDF and the Changed (newer) PDF.
- Pick Words to compare the text, or Looks to compare how each page looks (for scans, drawings and plans).
- Tap Compare. The summary shows how many words were added, removed and changed; tap any change to see it on its page.
- Tap Open marked copy or Share to send the newer file with the changes marked.
The marked copy
The marked copy is the newer PDF with added words in green, changed words in yellow and a red note where words were removed. Anyone can open it in a PDF app and see what changed, without this app.
How Words and Looks work
Words reads the text of both files and compares it as one stream, so a paragraph that moved to the next page is not reported as changed. Turn on Read scanned pages to read pages without text by OCR (Latin scripts and Devanagari; slower). Looks compares the pages as pictures and marks the areas that look different, which suits drawings, stamps and scans in any script.
Good to know
- The comparison runs on your phone; neither PDF is uploaded.
- Without Pro, a comparison is one of the day's smart exports; the app shows how many are left before you start.
- To change the wording yourself afterwards, use Edit PDF or convert to Word.
Questions
How do I compare two PDF files for differences?
Open PDF Maker, tap Compare PDF, choose the older and the newer file, pick Words or Looks, and tap Compare.
Can I compare scanned PDFs?
Yes. Use Looks to compare the pages as pictures, or Words with Read scanned pages for Latin-script and Devanagari text.
Can I share the differences?
Yes. The marked copy shows added words in green, changed words in yellow and removed words as red notes; share it like any PDF.
Are my files uploaded?
No. Both files are compared on your phone.