Compare text from two PDFs

Copy the text from each PDF and paste it here. The comparison runs word by word, so lines that wrap differently in each file don't count as changes.

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Original text

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Changed text

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Added words are highlighted green, removed words red. Line breaks are ignored. 85.7% similar (21 shared words).

The tenant must give ~~Removed: two months'~~ Added: one month's notice in ~~Removed: writ- ing~~ Added: writing before leaving the property. The deposit is returned within 10 days of the final inspection.

At a glance

Comparison: Word by word, with line breaks ignored
PDF files: Not opened directly: copy the text out of each PDF and paste it
Hyphenated words: A word split across two lines ("writ-" + "ing") shows as changed; rejoin it first with the remove line breaks tool

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Compare text from two PDFs: what to know

This page starts the text diff for this case. For every option and how to use it, see the text diff.

Why PDFs are hard to compare

A PDF stores lines of text where they sit on the page. When you copy from it, every line ends with a break, and two versions of the same document rarely break in the same places. A line-by-line comparison then marks almost every line as changed.

Word-by-word mode ignores the breaks and compares the words as one stream. In the example, the only real changes are the notice period and a word split across two lines; the rest lines up even though the wrapping is different.

Getting the text out

Open each PDF, select all the text and copy it. Paste the older version on the left and the newer one on the right. If a PDF is a scanned image, there's no text to copy, and you'll need a copy with real text first.

Headers, footers and page numbers come along when you copy, so they show up as changes if the page breaks moved. Delete them from both boxes if they get in the way.

Questions

Can I upload the PDF files?

No. The tool compares text, so copy the text out of each PDF and paste it in. Nothing is uploaded.

Why does a hyphenated word show as changed?

The PDF split the word across two lines. Run both texts through the remove line breaks tool with rejoin hyphenated words turned on, then compare again.