The fastest way to compare documents in Word

Word has a built-in comparison tool that shows you exactly what changed between two versions of a document. Open the document you want to use as your starting point, then go to the Review tab and click Compare. Select Compare again from the dropdown menu, then choose the older version of the document you want to compare it against. Word will create a new document that highlights every addition, deletion, and change in a different color, with a panel on the left showing all the revisions in order.

This method works best when you have two separate files and want to see all differences at once. The comparison document is read-only, so you cannot accidentally edit it — you can only accept or reject each change individually. If you want to keep the comparison for your records, save it with a new name like "Document_Comparison_Final.docx".

Key Takeaways

  • Word's Compare tool creates a new document showing all changes between two versions, with additions and deletions marked in different colors.
  • You access Compare through the Review tab, and it works on any two .docx files regardless of how different they are.
  • Track Changes lets you see edits as they happen in real time, while Compare is better for reviewing all changes after the fact.
  • If you only want to see what one person changed, use Compare with the Original option to isolate their edits from the final version.

Using Track Changes to see edits as they happen

If you want to watch changes appear in real time as someone edits a document, turn on Track Changes instead. Go to the Review tab and click Track Changes, then click it again to turn tracking on. Every edit — text added, deleted, or moved — will now appear in a colored bubble with the editor's name and timestamp. You can see who made each change and when they made it.

Track Changes is useful when you are collaborating with others and want to review their work before accepting it into the final document. You can accept changes one at a time by right-clicking each one and selecting Accept, or go to the Review tab and click Accept All Changes to approve everything at once. If you want to reject a change, right-click it and select Reject.

When to use Compare versus Track Changes

Use Compare when you have two finished versions of a document and need to see what is different between them. This is the right choice if someone sent you a revised version and you want to understand every change they made, or if you are comparing your draft to an older version to make sure nothing was accidentally removed.

Use Track Changes when you are actively editing a document or sending it to someone else to edit. Turn it on before you start making changes, and everyone who works on the document will see exactly what each person added, removed, or rewrote. This method is better for live collaboration because changes appear as they happen, not all at once at the end.

If you receive a document with Track Changes already turned on, you can review each change in the Review tab. The Next and Previous buttons let you move through changes one at a time, and you can accept or reject each one individually.

How to view changes side by side

Word can show you two versions of a document in side-by-side windows so you can read them at the same time. Open both documents, then go to the View tab and click View Side by Side. Word will split your screen in half, with one document on the left and one on the right. When you scroll in one document, the other scrolls automatically to keep them aligned.

This method does not highlight changes the way Compare does — you have to spot the differences yourself by reading both versions. It is useful when you want to compare the overall structure or flow of two documents, or when you are checking whether specific sections match. If the automatic scrolling gets in the way, click Synchronous Scrolling in the View tab to turn it off and scroll each document independently.

Accepting or rejecting changes after comparison

After Word creates a comparison document, you will see a Revisions pane on the left side listing every change. Click on any change in that list to jump to it in the document. The change will be highlighted in the main text area, usually in blue for additions and red for deletions.

To accept a change, right-click it in the document or in the Revisions pane and select Accept Change. The text will turn black and the change will be marked as accepted. To reject it, select Reject Change instead, and the text will revert to its original form. You can also use the Accept All Changes and Reject All Changes buttons in the Review tab if you want to approve or deny everything at once, though this is risky if you have not reviewed each change.

Once you have accepted or rejected all changes, the Revisions pane will empty and the document will show only the final version. Save the document at this point if you want to keep a record of what the comparison showed.

Comparing documents with different formatting

If the two documents you want to compare have different fonts, spacing, or styles, the Compare tool will still work — it focuses on the actual text content, not the formatting. However, the comparison document will inherit the formatting from the document you opened first (the one you clicked Compare from). If you want the final document to use specific formatting, open that version first before running the comparison.

If you only care about text changes and want to ignore formatting differences entirely, you can adjust the comparison settings. Click Compare in the Review tab, then select Compare Options. You will see checkboxes for things like Formatting, Case, and Punctuation. Uncheck any category you want Word to ignore during the comparison. For example, unchecking Formatting will make Word treat "bold text" and "regular text" as the same content.

Saving and sharing comparison results

The comparison document Word creates is a new file that exists separately from your original documents. If you want to keep it, save it with a clear name that shows it is a comparison — something like "Report_v1_vs_v2_Comparison.docx". This way you can refer back to it later without confusing it with either of the original versions.

You can share the comparison document with others just like any other Word file. They will see all the highlighted changes and can accept or reject them on their own. If you send the comparison to someone else, they can open it and continue reviewing changes, or they can accept all changes and send you back a clean final version.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I compare documents that are not in Word format?

Word's Compare tool works best with .docx files. If you have documents in other formats like .doc, .pdf, or .txt, you may need to convert them to .docx first. You can open a PDF in Word and save it as a .docx, though the conversion may not preserve all formatting perfectly.

What if the two documents are completely different?

Word will still create a comparison and mark every difference, even if the documents are very different. The comparison will be long and may be hard to read, but it will show you exactly what changed. If the documents are so different that a line-by-line comparison is not useful, the side-by-side view might work better for understanding the overall changes.

Can I undo changes after I accept them?

Yes. After you accept or reject changes, you can undo your decision by pressing Ctrl+Z (or Cmd+Z on Mac) or by going to the Edit menu and clicking Undo. This works as long as you have not closed and reopened the document. Once you close the file, the accepted changes become permanent.

How do I compare more than two documents?

Word's Compare tool only works with two documents at a time. To compare three or more versions, compare the first two, accept or reject all changes, then compare that result with the third document. This is slower but will show you all differences across all versions.

Does comparing documents use Track Changes?

No, they are separate features. Compare creates a new document showing all differences between two finished files. Track Changes records edits as they happen in a single document. You can use both on the same document — for example, you could compare two versions and then turn on Track Changes to edit the comparison result.