PDF Compare

Text management is quite a popular activity and a preferred format for storing text is PDF. However, this format can hold a lot more types of content, and you might end up in the situation where you need to compare a couple of PDF files. Luckily, PDF Compare comes with a variety of algorithms dedicated to finding all sorts of differences.

As far as the setup procedure is concerned you only spend a little while and a few mouse clicks before you get the opportunity to take it for a spin. The interface is pretty intuitive, with most of the space dedicated to preview and management of files and differences. Multiple windows show up, however, as each comparison type shows results in its own window.

Needless to say that the main target file here is the PDF. You can only compare two files at a time, but it’s possible to easily load them by dragging them over the appropriate spots. Preview of files and results are displayed in a dual-pane which covers most of the active window. The majority of methods have built-in highlighting capabilities to better show differences.

As mentioned, the application can compare PDF files using different methods. Thus you’re able to find differences in text and graphics, visuals, simple and advanced text, structure, and byte by byte. These functions can also be quickly triggered through hotkeys, but the two target files need to be loaded first.

Each method shows its results in an independent window, and this is because most of the types provide different management operations. Reports can be created in the end and printed out. Highlighting can be customized with different colors for several types of differences. There are also dedicated export options, such as exporting the picture from a document or just the text content.

Taking everything into consideration, we can state that PDF Compare is a reliable application capable of differences in a variety of content types. You can choose the highlight color, comfortably analyze differences in individual windows, generate reports, and even export custom bits of content.