How to Compare Documents in Microsoft Word

To compare two Word files, open the desktop version of Word and choose Review > Compare > Compare on Windows. Select the older file as the original and the newer file as the revised version, then choose OK. Word creates a third document that marks the differences, leaving the two source files unchanged. Before starting, make sure you can access both files and know which one is the earlier version.

What You’ll Need

Two Word documents: Have the original and revised files saved somewhere you can browse to. Word works best with editable files such as .docx; if a file is in another format, open it in Word and save a copy as a Word document first.
The desktop Word app: The full Compare command is available in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows and Mac. If you are working in Word for the web and cannot find it, open the documents in the desktop app.
A clear version order: Decide which file is the baseline and which contains the later edits. Reversing them will not prevent a comparison, but it changes which edits Word marks as additions or deletions.
A place to save the result: Word normally creates a new comparison document. Pick a folder for it so you can find the marked-up result without confusing it with either source file.

Step-by-Step

Check and prepare the two files. Close duplicate copies if you have several versions open, and confirm the filenames and dates. Identify the earlier document as the original and the later one as the revised version. If either file is a PDF, scan, or other non-editable format, convert or open it in Word first and check that the text and layout came through correctly. Save the converted file under a new name so the source remains available.
Open Word and go to Compare. In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, open the Review tab, find the Compare command, and choose Compare from its menu. In some ribbon layouts, the button may appear as Compare without a visible menu until you open its dropdown. On a Mac, use Review > Compare > Compare Documents or the Compare command shown on the Review tab. The wording and placement can vary slightly by Word build, but look under Review rather than Home.
Choose the original document. In the comparison dialog, use the browse button beside Original document to locate the earlier file. Select it and confirm the choice. Check the displayed filename before moving on; selecting two files with similar names is an easy way to compare the wrong pair.
Choose the revised document. Use the browse button beside Revised document to select the later file. Verify that the original and revised fields are not reversed. If the revised file was edited by someone else, Word may ask for a label for that person’s changes; enter a useful name or initials if the field is available. Labels make it easier to understand the markup, especially when several versions or reviewers are involved.
Review the comparison options if needed. Expand More or the additional options area in the dialog to choose which kinds of changes Word should detect. Depending on the version, options include text, formatting, comments, tables, headers and footers, footnotes, endnotes, text boxes, or fields. Leave the defaults for a general review. If you only care about wording, turn off formatting comparisons to avoid marks for font, spacing, or layout changes. For text, a word-level display is usually easier to read; character-level comparison can help pinpoint a small edit inside a word.
Set where Word should show changes. Under Show changes in, choose New document for the safest, clearest result. This creates a separate comparison copy and preserves both originals. Some versions also let you show the comparison in the original or revised document. Avoid those choices if you need to keep the source files pristine or are unsure whether they will be altered. When the options look right, select OK.
Read the comparison document. Word opens the result with changes displayed as markup, similar to tracked revisions. Insertions and deletions are marked, and formatting changes may be identified separately. Review the document from the beginning, using the navigation or Reviewing Pane if it is available to move through changes. If you see only a clean page, check the review display setting and choose All Markup rather than No Markup or a simplified view.
Inspect, save, and act on changes deliberately. Read each marked passage in context and decide whether it is a real content change, a formatting difference, or an accidental edit. Use Word’s accept or reject controls only if you are intentionally resolving the comparison; accepting changes alters the comparison copy, not the two original files when you chose New document. Save the result with a distinct name, such as Report comparison 2026-11-03. Keep the original and revised files as separate references until the review is complete.

Common Mistakes

Reversing the file order: Word still finds differences, but the markup may describe the changes in the opposite direction from what you expect. Confirm which file is older before selecting OK.
Comparing the wrong copies: Files named Final, Final2, and Final-revised can be difficult to distinguish. Check the document contents or use a clear naming convention, not just the filename.
Assuming the result replaces the originals: A comparison is a separate review document when you choose New document. It is not automatically a clean merged copy, and it does not decide which edits should be kept.
Ignoring formatting differences: A comparison can show many changes caused by fonts, paragraph spacing, or layout rather than changed wording. Adjust the comparison options when text is your main concern.
Thinking there are no changes because the page looks clean: Markup may be hidden by the current review display. Switch to All Markup before concluding that the files match.
Comparing a converted file without checking it: A PDF conversion or older file format can alter line breaks, tables, or symbols. Review the converted copy before treating its differences as edits made by an author.

Tips

Use an untouched baseline. If you need to compare several rounds of edits, keep one reliable original and compare each new version against it. This makes the change history easier to interpret than comparing every file to the one immediately before it.
Save the comparison separately. Include the word comparison or reviewed in the result filename. This reduces the risk of sending the marked-up file when someone needs the clean revised version.
Choose a useful display level. Word-level markup is generally less cluttered for paragraphs and sentences. Character-level detail can be more helpful for checking punctuation, spelling, or a single changed number.
Use comments for decisions. If reviewers need to explain why a change should be kept or rejected, add comments to the comparison copy rather than changing the source documents. Keep the discussion close to the relevant passage.
Check the whole document, not just the first visible change. Use the Reviewing Pane or move through the document to see the complete list. Pay extra attention to tables, footnotes, headers, and text boxes if those areas matter to the review.
Protect sensitive material. A comparison result can contain text that was deleted from one version but remains visible in the markup. Before sharing it, review tracked changes and comments, and create a clean, approved copy if the recipient should not see the revision history.

Troubleshooting

I cannot find Compare. Make sure you are using Word’s desktop app and have the Review tab visible. If the ribbon is simplified or narrow, expand it or look for a dropdown on the Review tab. Word for the web may not show the same full comparison controls; use the option to open the file in the desktop app, then follow the Review menu path. On Mac, check Review for Compare Documents.

The comparison shows no changes. First verify that you selected the intended files and that their text really differs. Then check whether the relevant comparison options are enabled. If markup is hidden, change the display to All Markup. Two files can look different on screen because of page setup or printer settings without containing differences in the content categories Word is comparing.

The result is overwhelmed with marks. Reopen Compare and reduce the categories being compared, particularly formatting, if you only need wording changes. You can also run a second comparison with different options rather than trying to interpret every kind of markup at once. If differences in headers, footnotes, or tables are important, make sure those categories remain selected.

Word will not open one of the files or the fields are unavailable. Check whether the file is password-protected, restricted, or stored in a location you cannot access. Open it directly in Word, provide the password if appropriate, and save an editable copy in a trusted location. If it is damaged or in an unsupported format, create a new Word copy and verify its contents before comparing. Do not remove protection from a document unless you have permission.

I cannot tell which version a change came from. Re-run the comparison with the older file in Original document and the newer file in Revised document, and add a meaningful reviewer label if offered. The result is easier to interpret when the versions and labels are correct. If you already made a comparison with reversed files, create a new one with the fields switched rather than trying to infer the intended direction from every mark.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does comparing documents change the original files?
Not when you choose New document under Show changes in. Word creates a separate comparison result. Save that result under a new name and keep the source files unchanged until you finish reviewing.

Can I compare more than two Word documents at once?
The Compare command compares one original document with one revised document per run. To inspect several versions, compare each version against a chosen baseline or run separate pairwise comparisons, then label and save each result clearly.

Can Word compare documents that were edited with Track Changes?
Yes. Word can compare the saved contents of the two files, including edits that were previously tracked. The comparison result may show differences as new markup. If the source files already contain unresolved revisions, inspect them carefully so you do not confuse earlier tracked edits with the comparison’s findings.

Can I compare Word documents on a Mac?
Yes. In Word for Microsoft 365 on Mac, use the Compare command on the Review tab, commonly shown as Review > Compare > Compare Documents. Dialog labels and available options may differ slightly from Windows, but the basic process of selecting original and revised files is the same.

Can I compare a Word document with a PDF?
Word’s Compare dialog is designed for documents Word can open and compare. Open or convert the PDF in Word first, check the resulting document for conversion errors, and then compare that Word copy with the other file. Scanned PDFs may need text recognition before their contents are editable.

How do I make a clean copy after reviewing?
Save the comparison result under a new filename, then accept or reject the changes you have reviewed. For a final copy, make sure the review display is not merely hiding markup; resolve the revisions and check for comments or other material you do not want to share before distributing it.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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