Text mode: see every word that changed
Text mode reads the text of both files and highlights the differences word by word. Added words appear in green, removed words in red. You go through the document page by page, so it's easy to see exactly where each change happened.
This is the mode to use for contracts, policies, terms of service, academic papers and any document where the wording matters. It catches a changed date, a new clause or a number that went from 30 to 60 days, even when the rest of the page looks identical.
Visual mode: spot changes in layout and images
Visual mode lays the pages of both files on top of each other and marks in red the pixels that differ. It's useful when the change isn't in the text: a replaced logo, a moved table, a different chart, a new stamp or a shifted signature line. Designers use it to check proofs, and engineers use it to compare revisions of drawings and plans.
It also works with scanned documents that have no text layer, since it compares what the pages look like rather than their words.
Things to keep in mind
The comparison goes page by page. If content moved from one page to another, for example because a paragraph was added near the start and everything shifted down, it will show up as a change on each affected page. That's expected. Read the highlighted words in context to tell a real edit from a simple shift.
Text mode needs PDFs that contain real text. For scanned files, use visual mode, or run both files through OCR PDF first. The results are shown on screen; the tool doesn't create a new file. Password-protected files must be unlocked first with Unlock PDF.
For the clearest result, compare two versions of the same document with a similar layout. Comparing two completely different files will simply mark almost everything as changed.
When comparing saves you trouble
You sent a lease draft and got a “final” version back. Did anything besides the date change? A publisher returns proofs of your article. A supplier sends an updated price list. A university posts a new version of its admission requirements. Instead of reading both documents side by side, let the tool point to the differences and review only those.
Both files are processed in your browser. They never leave your device, and nothing is saved on our side, which matters when you're comparing confidential contracts or internal reports.
Tips for a faster review
Start with text mode when the question is “what did they change in the wording?”. Switch to visual mode if the text looks the same but something on the page still feels different, like a logo, a table border or a signature block.
If one of the files is password protected, unlock it first with Unlock PDF. If one version has extra cover pages, remove them with Remove pages so the page numbers line up and the comparison is easier to read.