# Compare Two PDFs — Side by Side, Overlaid, or Swiped

> See two versions side by side, overlaid or wiped between — with every changed area outlined.

To compare two PDFs, add the original and the revised version. Both are rendered and compared pixel by pixel, and every area that differs is outlined — so a moved logo, a dropped table column or a changed figure is visible immediately. Read them side by side, overlay them so additions and removals show in colour, or wipe between the two to check alignment exactly. A line-by-line text comparison is available as well, for when you need to quote precisely what changed. Both files are read in your browser, so contracts under negotiation are never uploaded.

**URL:** https://convertto.tech/t/compare-pdfs
**Category:** PDF Tools (https://convertto.tech/c/pdf-tools)
**Privacy:** Runs entirely in the browser; no upload
**Cost:** Free, no sign-up
**Last updated:** 2026-08-01

## Key facts

- **Privacy:** Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded
- **Cost:** Free, unlimited, no sign-up

## How to use

1. Select your two pdfs — the file stays on your device and is never uploaded.
2. Choose the compare by.
3. Turn "Ignore whitespace differences" on or off as needed.
4. Press Run, then download the result when it is ready.

## FAQ

### Does this detect layout and image changes?

Yes — that is what the visual views are for. The two pages are rendered and compared pixel by pixel, so a moved logo, a changed chart or a reformatted table is outlined even when the words are identical. The separate text comparison answers the different question of which lines changed, which is what you want when you need to quote the difference rather than see it.

### Which view should I use?

Side by side to read both versions. Difference to spot changes fast — the revision is faded to grey and anything added shows green, anything removed shows red. Swipe when you need to confirm two versions line up exactly, since dragging the divider makes even a one-millimetre shift obvious.

### Why does a scanned PDF show as entirely different or entirely empty?

A scan is an image of text, not text, so there is nothing to extract unless the file has been through OCR. Two scans of the same page will both extract as empty and compare as identical, which is a false negative worth knowing about.

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