# Compare two PDFs and see what changed Source: https://www.mergevanta.com/compare-pdf Updated: 2026-10-22 > Compare PDF files online free: highlight added, removed and changed text, or visual differences, side by side. No watermark, no upload: it runs in your browser. Add two versions of a PDF and see every added, removed and changed word highlighted side by side, or compare how the pages look. Download a report with each change marked. It's free, adds no watermark and runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded. ## How can I compare two PDF files for differences for free? Add the original and the changed PDF to Mergevanta's Compare PDF tool, choose Text changes or Visual changes and press Compare PDFs. Every difference is highlighted side by side and listed, and you can download a report PDF with the changes marked. It runs in your browser, so the files are never uploaded. ## Key facts - **Price:** Free - **Watermark:** None - **Sign-up:** Not required - **Accepts:** 2 .pdf files - **You get:** A comparison report .pdf and a .txt list of changes - **Processing:** In your browser — files never leave your device - **Files stored:** Never - **Works on:** Windows, macOS, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android ## Why use Mergevanta - **Word-level highlights:** Added and changed words are underlined in green on the new version and removed words are struck through on the old one, with a list that jumps to each change. - **Inserted pages handled:** Compare the files as one document and an inserted or deleted page shows up as one added or removed page, not as changes on every page after it. - **Visual mode for images:** Visual changes compares the pages pixel by pixel, so swapped images, layout shifts and scanned pages are caught too, with a slider and blink view. - **Never leaves your device:** Both PDFs are read and compared in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and password-protected files are unlocked only in your tab. ## How to use it 1. Add the earlier version under Original and the newer one under Changed — use Swap if they're the wrong way round. 2. Choose Text changes or Visual changes. 3. For text, set Match pages to By page number, or As one document if pages were added or removed. 4. Press Compare PDFs, then click any entry under All differences to jump to it on the pages. 5. Press Download for the comparison report (PDF), or Download changes as text (.txt). ## Frequently asked questions ### Are my PDFs uploaded when I compare them? No. Compare PDF runs entirely in your browser: both files are read, compared and turned into a report on your device, and nothing is sent to a server. ### What is the difference between Text changes and Visual changes? Text changes compares the words, so it finds added, removed and edited text even when the layout moved. Visual changes compares how each page looks, so it also catches changed images, colors and layout, and works on scanned pages. ### Can I compare scanned PDFs? Yes, with Visual changes. Text changes needs selectable text, so for scans either use Visual changes or make the text searchable first with [OCR PDF](https://www.mergevanta.com/ocr-pdf). ### What happens if pages were added or removed? Choose As one document under Match pages. Both files are compared from start to finish, so an inserted page is reported as one added page and the pages after it still line up. ### What is in the comparison report? A summary with every change listed and linked to its page, then the pages of the changed file with added or changed words highlighted, a marker and a note where text was removed, and any pages that were removed added at the end. ### Can I compare password-protected PDFs? Yes. Enter each file's password when asked. It is only used in your browser tab to open the file and is never sent anywhere. ### Is there a page limit? There is no set limit. Long documents are compared one page at a time with progress shown, so your browser stays responsive; very large files mostly depend on your device's memory. ## Related tools - [Sign PDF](https://www.mergevanta.com/sign-pdf) - [Edit PDF](https://www.mergevanta.com/edit-pdf) - [Redact PDF](https://www.mergevanta.com/redact-pdf)