The fastest way to compare two Word documents
Microsoft Word has a built-in comparison tool that shows you exactly what changed between two versions of a document. Open the newer version, go to the Review tab, select Compare, and choose the older version from your files. Word will create a new document highlighting every addition, deletion, and formatting change in a different color, with a panel on the left showing a summary of all changes.
If you don't have Word installed or prefer not to use it, Google Docs lets you view the full revision history of any document — every edit is timestamped and attributed to whoever made it. For documents stored outside Word or Google, you can also open both files side by side in your file explorer and read through them manually, or copy the text into a free online diff tool designed to spot differences between two blocks of text.
Key Takeaways
- Word's Compare feature creates a marked-up document showing all changes in color, accessible from the Review tab.
- Google Docs revision history shows every edit with timestamps and author names if the document was edited by multiple people.
- You can open two Word documents in separate windows and scroll through both at once to spot differences yourself.
- Online diff tools work for any text format and highlight character-by-character changes, useful for plain text or code-like content.
- The method you choose depends on whether you have Word installed, whether the document is in the cloud, and how detailed you need the comparison to be.
Using Word's built-in Compare tool
The Compare feature is the most thorough way to track changes in Word. Open the newer version of your document, click the Review tab at the top, then click Compare and select Compare Documents from the dropdown. A dialog box will open asking you to choose the original version. Navigate to the file and click Open.
Word will generate a new document that shows the original on the left side and the revised version on the right side, with all changes marked in balloons or inline depending on your settings. Additions appear in blue, deletions in red, and formatting changes in a different color. The left panel lists every change — you can click on any change to jump to it in the document. You can accept or reject each change individually, or accept all changes at once.
This method works best when both documents are stored locally on your computer or accessible through your network. If one document is very large or contains many images, the comparison may take a few seconds to process.
Comparing documents in Google Docs
If your document is in Google Drive, you don't need a separate comparison tool — the revision history shows every change made to the document. Open the document, click File, then Version history and See version history. A panel will open on the right showing every saved version with the date and time it was saved, plus the name of whoever edited it.
Click on any earlier version to see what the document looked like at that point. The current version appears on the left, and you can see the differences highlighted in color. If you want to restore an earlier version, click the three dots next to it and select Restore this version. This overwrites the current version, so use it carefully.
Google Docs revision history only works if both versions are in Google Drive. If you need to compare a Google Doc with a Word file, download the Word file to your computer first, then use Word's Compare tool.
Opening two documents side by side in Word
You can also compare documents manually by viewing them at the same time. Open the first document in Word, then open the second document — it will open in a new window. Position the windows so you can see both on your screen at once: right-click the taskbar and select Tile Windows Vertically or Tile Windows Horizontally depending on your screen size and preference.
Scroll through both documents and read them line by line. This method is slower than using Compare, but it works well for short documents or when you want to understand the context of changes rather than just see a list of them. You can also use the Find & Replace feature (Ctrl+H) to search for specific words or phrases in each document to spot where they differ.
If you enable Synchronous Scrolling in Word, both documents will scroll at the same speed when you scroll in one of them. To turn this on, click View, then Synchronous Scrolling. This is helpful when comparing documents with the same structure but different content.
Using online diff tools for plain text
If your documents are plain text files or you've copied the text out of Word, you can paste both versions into an online diff tool. Sites like Diffchecker, DiffNow, and Mergely let you paste or upload two text blocks and instantly see the differences highlighted. These tools are free and don't require you to install anything.
Paste the older version in the left box and the newer version in the right box, then click the compare button. The tool will highlight every line that changed, every word that was added or removed, and sometimes even character-by-character differences. Some tools let you download the comparison as a file or share a link to it.
Online diff tools work best for documents without complex formatting, images, or tables. If your Word document relies on layout or styling, use Word's Compare tool instead.
Comparing documents with tracked changes
If one of your documents already has tracked changes enabled, you can see the edits without using Compare. Open the document with tracked changes, and look at the Review tab. You'll see all additions, deletions, and formatting changes marked in the document with the author's name and timestamp. The Reviewing Pane on the left shows a summary of every change.
If you want to see what the document looks like with all changes accepted, click Review, then Display for Review, and select Final. To see the original version before any changes, select Original. You can accept or reject changes one at a time or all at once using the buttons in the Review tab.
Tracked changes are useful when multiple people are editing the same document. If you receive a document with tracked changes and want to compare it to an earlier version without tracked changes, use Word's Compare tool instead.
Choosing the right method for your situation
Use Word's Compare tool if you have both documents as Word files and want a detailed, marked-up comparison that you can accept or reject change by change. Use Google Docs revision history if your document is already in Google Drive and you want to see the full editing timeline. Open documents side by side if you want to read both versions in context and understand why changes were made, or if you're comparing very short documents.
Use an online diff tool if your documents are plain text, if you don't have Word installed, or if you want a quick visual comparison without creating a new file. If one document has tracked changes already enabled, simply review those changes in the document itself rather than running a separate comparison.
The method that works best depends on where your files are stored, what format they're in, and how detailed you need the comparison to be. For most Word users comparing two versions of the same document, Word's Compare tool is the fastest and most complete option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I compare two Word documents if they're stored in OneDrive or SharePoint?
Yes. Download both files to your computer or open them directly from OneDrive, then use Word's Compare tool. Alternatively, if the document is in SharePoint, you can check the version history within SharePoint itself — click the file, then Version history to see all saved versions and who edited them.
What if Word's Compare tool shows changes I didn't make?
This often happens when formatting or invisible characters changed between versions, even if the visible text is the same. Word treats these as changes. You can reject formatting-only changes without affecting the text, or accept all changes and then manually undo any you don't want.
Can I compare a Word document with a PDF?
Not directly with Word's Compare tool. Convert the PDF to a Word document first using an online converter or Word's built-in import feature, then run Compare. Keep in mind that PDFs don't always convert perfectly, so the comparison may show formatting differences that aren't real content changes.
Does comparing documents in Word create a permanent record?
No. The comparison creates a new temporary document showing the differences. If you want to keep it, you must save it manually. The original documents are not changed by running Compare.
Can I compare more than two documents at once?
Word's Compare tool works with two documents at a time. To compare three or more versions, compare the first two, then compare the result with the third document. This is slower but works for tracking changes across multiple versions.