Compare PDF Lite
Compare two PDFs locally by page count and normalized text extraction. Download a simple report when you need a quick review before sending or archiving a file.
Private by default
Your files stay in your browser.
Fast
Built for quick document tasks.
Free
No account or paywall.
How to use it
- 1Upload the original PDF and the updated PDF.
- 2Run the compare to check page count and extracted text differences.
- 3Review the differing pages and download the text compare report if needed.
FAQ
What does this compare tool check?
This lite version compares page count and normalized text extracted from each page.
What does it not detect?
It does not reliably detect visual-only changes such as moved logos, image swaps, font changes, or signature placement.
Before you use this tool
A fast text comparison with clear boundaries
Compare PDF Lite checks page count and normalized text extracted from two documents, then identifies pages whose text differs. It can catch wording changes in revisions and produce a simple report. Normalization means the comparison is not a byte-for-byte or legal authenticity test.
Visual-only changes such as a moved logo, altered font, replaced image, color change, or shifted signature may not appear. Scans without text layers also limit the result. Pair this report with a visual review whenever layout, signatures, or graphics are important.
- Place the original and revision correctly
- Review every flagged page
- Visually inspect unreported layout changes
Run OCR on both documents first when comparing scans. Otherwise visibly different pages may both yield little text and appear deceptively similar.
Your file never leaves your device
Compare PDF Lite runs entirely in your browser. When you open a file, it is read into the page on your own computer and processed there — it is not uploaded to a server, stored in the cloud, or seen by anyone else. When you are done, the result is generated locally and downloaded straight to your device.
That matters because PDFs so often hold something private: a signed contract, a tax return, an invoice with a client's details, a scan of an ID. Many online PDF services quietly upload your document to process it. Because this tool keeps the work on your machine, you can work with your PDF without handing the file to a third party.
Tips for a clean result
- Start from the original PDF where you can. Re-exporting from Word or a scanner app usually gives a cleaner file than one that has already been through several tools.
- Very large files take longer because all the work happens on your device. Closing other heavy browser tabs frees up memory for big documents.
- Keep a copy of the original until you have checked the output. Because nothing is stored online, the version on your device is the only copy of the result.
- A modern browser on desktop handles the widest range of PDFs. Most tasks also work on mobile, though precise work is easier on a larger screen.