How to Compare two Word Documents

If you’re struggling to track changes between multiple versions of a Document, comparing two Word documents can be a solution. Whether you are collaborating, reviewing, or checking your latest piece, it can be a game changer for you. In this article, you are going to learn how to compare different Word documents side by side with a free online Word document comparison tool.

How to Compare two Word Documents

Table of Content

  • How to Compare Two Documents in Word
  • How to Compare Two Word Documents for Differences
  • How to Compare Two Word Documents for Similarities
  • Free Online Word Document Comparison Tool
  • FAQs – How to Compare Word Documents

If you’re not able to spot the difference between the two documents, here’s the short version of how to compare two Word documents. Check below to learn the step-by-step procedure.

How to Compare Two Documents in Word

It is really easy to compare documents in the MS Word Desktop app but it is not possible immediately too. Here’s the easiest way to do the same,

Step 1: Open a new document in Word

Open a new word document in Microsoft in which you need to track changes.

Step 2: In the upper ribbon, click Review.

Click on Review Option in the Ribbon

Step 3: Click Compare, and then click Compare Documents.

Step 4: Update Mandatory fields

Update the following fields in the compare document window,

  • Original Document,
  • Revised Document, and
  • Label Changes with

Step 5: Click ‘OK’ when Completed

How to Compare Two Word Documents for Differences

Comparing two Word documents and highlighting the differences is a handy skill that can save you time and help you spot changes easily. In this guide, we’ll show you how to do just that, so you can stay organized.

Step 1: Open Microsoft Word

Step 2: Open the Documents you want to compare

Step 3: Search for the Review Tab

Step 4: Click on “Compare”

Step 5: Select “Compare Two Versions of a Document”

Ste 6: Choose the Original and Revised Documents and Click ‘OK’

How to Compare Two Word Documents for Similarities

Do you Want to see how the two documents are alike? If you’re working on a project and need to check for similarities between different versions of your work. Here’s how to do it,

Step 1: Open Both the Documents

First, Open both documents in Microsoft Word.

Step 2: Click on Review tab

Go to the “Review” tab at the top of the screen.

Step 3: Click on “Compare” in the “Compare” group.

Select “Compare” again, then choose the two documents you want to compare.

Step 4: Click “OK”

Click OK and wait for some time for the word to do the work. After a moment, you’ll see a new document showing the differences and similarities highlighted.

Free Online Word Document Comparison Tool

You can compare you word document online using some tool.

Diffchecker

Diffchecker stands out as a popular free online word document comparison tool, offering a user-friendly interface and robust features to streamline your editing workflow.

How Diffchecker Works

Step 1: Simply upload your two Word documents (docx, doc) directly from your device.

Step 2: Diffchecker displays them side-by-side, highlighting changes with clear visual cues:

Inserted text: Underlined in green

Deleted text: Struck through in red

Formatting changes: Distinct visual indicators

This intuitive layout makes it easy to spot even the most minor modifications.

DocDiff

DocDiff isn’t a single, widely-recognized free online word document comparison tool. GroupDocs, a company offering document productivity solutions, has a product called “GroupDocs Comparison” that sometimes uses the “DocDiff” branding. It allows you to compare various document formats, including Word documents (.docx, .doc).

Aspose.Words Online

Aspose.Words Online takes a different approach to document comparison compared to Diffchecker and GroupDocs Comparison.

Not Exactly a Free Online Tool

Aspose.Words Online is part of a suite of document processing solutions offered by Aspose. While it has online capabilities, it’s not a completely free, standalone online tool like Diffchecker.

Conclusion

In conclusion, comparing two Word documents can be very helpful for anyone working with written content. By following the simple and easy steps given above in this article, you can easily identify the changes, track revisions, and find similarities across your document. So, whenever you need to compare documents, remember these steps and channelize the full potential of your writing process.

FAQs – How to Compare Word Documents

How do I compare two Word Perfect documents?

  • Open both documents in MS Word.
  • Go to the “Tools” menu.
  • Choose “Merge” and then “Compare Documents.”
  • Select the two documents you want to compare.
  • Click “OK” and WordPerfect will show you the differences.

How do I merge and compare two Word documents?

  • Open your documents in Microsoft Word.
  • Go to the “Review” in the toolbar.
  • Click on ‘Compare’ in the review option.
  • Choose “Combine” instead of “Compare,” then select the second document.
  • Click “OK” and Word will merge the documents and show you the differences.

How do I view two Word documents together?

  1. Open both documents in Microsoft Word.
  2. Go to the “View” tab at the top.
  3. Click on “View Side by Side” in the “Window” group.
  4. MS Word will split the screen, showing both documents side by side for easy comparison.



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