How do I compare two PDF files to see what is different?

Open Acrobat and go to 'All tools'. Select 'Compare files'. Choose your two PDF documents. Select a comparison mode, like 'Autodetect'. Click 'Compare'. Acrobat will show you a summary of changes and let you navigate through them.

What are the different comparison modes in Compare Files, and how do I choose the right one?

Autodetect: Acrobat tries to guess the best way to compare your files. Reports/Spreadsheets: Best for documents with tables and numbers. Presentation Decks: Good for slides and visual documents. To choose, think about what kind of document you have. If it's mostly text, 'Autodetect' or 'Compare text only' is often good. For complex layouts, try the specific modes.

Systematic Control Comparisons in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

1 way to ask · copy any one

DBecome — “help me grow”Every quarter new process [versions] sneak in weaker controls and we only catch them after…+

Every quarter new process [versions] sneak in weaker controls and we only catch them after incidents. I want a systemic way to compare [versions] that reliably flags control erosion. Describe the pattern that allows controls to be diluted, and prescribe one checklist [item] and one [gate] to add to the update process so we catch these changes before they’re approved.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid

1
Open Adobe Acrobat on your computer.
2
Go to Tools and select Compare Files.
3
Click Select File under 'Compare' and choose your first PDF (the older or original version).
4
Click Select File under 'With' and choose your second PDF (the newer or revised version).
5
Click Compare to start the comparison.
6
Review the results in the comparison summary and use the side-by-side view to examine highlighted differences.
Best practiceFor best results, avoid using scanned PDFs as input files, as text recognition may be inconsistent.

In the appWith the API

You can filter the comparison results to focus on text, images, or formatting changes for a clearer review.

This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.

Glossary

words on this page

PDFA common file type used to share documents that look the same everywhere.ExampleShe saved the brochure as a PDF so everyone would see the exact same layout and fonts.

Comparison ModeA setting that tells Acrobat how to look for differences in different types of documents.ExampleYou choose 'Text Only' comparison mode when comparing two versions of a contract.

Security SettingsRules that protect a PDF file, like preventing changes or copying.ExampleThe security settings on the PDF prevented anyone from printing or copying its contents.

Who does this

3 roles

EditorLegal AssistantProject Manager

FAQ

about this task

Open Acrobat and go to 'All tools'.
Select 'Compare files'.
Choose your two PDF documents.
Select a comparison mode, like 'Autodetect'.
Click 'Compare'. Acrobat will show you a summary of changes and let you navigate through them.

When you choose 'Compare text only', the Compare Files tool will ignore all pictures and graphics in your documents. It only looks for changes in the words. This is useful if you only care about text changes, like in a legal document, and do not want to see if an image moved slightly.

Yes, you can compare signed document versions using the Compare Files tool. Acrobat has a specific feature for this. It helps you understand what changes were made after a document was signed, which is important for legal and official documents. This ensures the integrity of the signed version while still allowing review.

This message appears because one or both of your PDF files are protected. Security settings stop Acrobat from making changes or even reading the file in detail for comparison. To fix this, you need to remove the security from both documents first. You can usually do this using Acrobat's 'Protect' feature.

Autodetect: Acrobat tries to guess the best way to compare your files.
Reports/Spreadsheets: Best for documents with tables and numbers.
Presentation Decks: Good for slides and visual documents.
To choose, think about what kind of document you have. If it's mostly text, 'Autodetect' or 'Compare text only' is often good. For complex layouts, try the specific modes.

Systematic Control Comparisons

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails