Compare Documents in Word: A Step-by-Step Guide

To compare two versions of a document in Microsoft Word, open Word and choose Review > Compare > Compare, select the original and revised files, then choose OK. Word creates a separate comparison document that marks additions, deletions, and other changes, leaving your source files unchanged. You will need both versions saved as Word documents and access to Word for desktop; the Compare command is not available in Word for the web.

What You’ll Need

Two versions of the document: Have the earlier version and the later version available as files Word can open, ideally .docx files. Give them clear names so you can identify them in the selection window.
The correct version order: Decide which file is the original and which is the revised copy. Word uses that order to describe insertions and deletions.
Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac: The instructions below use the Windows desktop app. The Mac command is similar, although its wording or ribbon placement can vary slightly by build. Word for the web does not include the full document comparison command.
Permission to open both files: If either document is password-protected, stored in a restricted location, or still open exclusively by someone else, make sure you can access it before starting.

Step-by-Step

Check and identify the two versions. Find the earlier file and the version you want to compare against it. If filenames are vague, make a note of their dates or rename copies with labels such as Draft-original and Draft-revised. Do not rely only on the order in which files appear in a folder. The file chosen as Original should be the starting point; the file chosen as Revised should be the version whose changes you want to see. You can close both files first, but it is not essential if they are open in Word.
Open the Compare command. In Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows, open Word and select the Review tab on the ribbon. In the Compare group, select Compare, then select Compare again from the menu. Do not choose Combine by mistake: Combine is intended for bringing together tracked changes from multiple copies, while Compare identifies differences between two document versions. If the ribbon is simplified, widen the Word window or look in the Review tab’s overflow menu.
Choose the original document. In the Compare Documents dialog, use the folder or browse control beside Original document to locate the earlier version. Select it and confirm. Check the displayed filename before continuing. If the file is already open, Word may offer it in a list, but you can still browse to the saved file you intend to use. Selecting the wrong original reverses the meaning of changes, so this check matters even when the resulting markup looks plausible.
Choose the revised document. Use the control beside Revised document to select the later version. Confirm that the two fields show different files and that the revised field contains the version with the newer edits. If both versions have similar names, inspect the full path or file date in the file picker. Word compares the saved contents of the selected files; unsaved edits in an open document may not be included, so save the intended versions before running the comparison.
Review the comparison settings. Select More in the dialog if the comparison options are not already visible. Choose which kinds of changes Word should check, such as text changes, formatting, comments, or moves. For an ordinary text review, leave the relevant text and formatting options selected; turn off categories you do not need if the result becomes cluttered. Under Show changes at, choose Word level for easier reading of whole-word edits, or Character level when you need to see small spelling or punctuation changes. You can also choose whether changes appear in a new document, the original, or the revised document. A new document is usually the safest choice because it preserves both inputs.
Run the comparison and inspect the result. Select OK. Word processes the files and opens a comparison document showing the differences with revision markup. Depending on your settings and view, insertions and deletions may appear in different colors, with deleted text shown as a strike-through or in balloons. The exact color and display depend on Word’s review settings and the number of reviewers. The comparison result is a new working document; the original and revised source files are not automatically edited or overwritten.
Navigate and verify the changes. Use the Previous and Next controls in the Review tab to move through changes, or read the document with the Reviewing Pane open. In Windows Word, select Review > Reviewing Pane to show a list or summary of revisions; the pane may be vertical or horizontal depending on the option selected. Check important changes against the source files, especially moved paragraphs, tables, headers, footers, and formatting. If you need to accept or reject edits, do so in the comparison document only after confirming that it is the document you intend to edit. Save it under a new, descriptive name.

On a Mac: Open the desktop version of Word and look on the Review tab for Compare or Compare Documents. Select the two files in the dialog and check the options before starting. Ribbon labels and dialog layout can differ between Mac releases, but the essential choices are the original file, revised file, comparison settings, and where to display results. If you cannot find the feature in Word for the web, choose the option to open the document in the desktop app and run the comparison there.

Common Mistakes

Reversing the files: Word can still produce a result if the newer file is set as Original, but additions and deletions will be described from the opposite direction. Confirm the labels in the dialog before selecting OK.
Comparing unsaved edits: Word compares the selected file contents, not necessarily the current unsaved state of a document window. Save each version first, and use Save As if you need to preserve a distinct copy.
Expecting Word to decide which edits are correct: Compare highlights differences; it does not judge whether a change is accurate, approved, or suitable. A person still needs to review the marked result.
Using the wrong command: Compare and Combine are different tools. Choose Compare for two versions of one document. Use Combine only when you are consolidating tracked changes from separate reviewed copies.
Ignoring formatting and layout differences: A comparison can include formatting changes that make the markup busy. Conversely, if formatting is unchecked, the result may not call out a font or paragraph-format change you care about. Set the options to match the review task.
Editing the source by accident: The new comparison document is the safest place to review and resolve the marked changes. Save it with a new name rather than replacing either source file.

Tips

Keep a clean pair of source files. Store an untouched copy of each version before accepting or rejecting revisions. This makes it possible to repeat the comparison if you discover that a setting or file choice was wrong.
Use Word-level comparison for normal editing. It groups changes into readable words and is often easier to scan. Switch to character-level comparison when tracking a tiny punctuation, spelling, or number change precisely.
Limit the categories you compare. If you only need to check text, disabling unrelated markup such as formatting can make the output easier to follow. If presentation is part of the review, leave formatting selected and inspect the document visually as well.
Make the result easy to identify. Save the output with a name such as Agreement-comparison-2026-11-03. Include the source version names in a note or in the filename if several rounds are likely.
Review tables and non-body content separately. Check headers, footers, footnotes, text boxes, and tables in the result. Dense layout changes can be harder to interpret in markup than ordinary paragraphs.
Use Track Changes for ongoing collaboration. Compare is useful when you receive two separate versions after the fact. If people are still editing one shared draft, Track Changes is usually a clearer way to record future edits.

Troubleshooting

The Compare command is missing: Confirm that you are using the desktop Word app, not Word in a browser. Select the Review tab and expand the ribbon or its overflow menu if the window is narrow. On Mac, look for Compare Documents on Review. If the command remains unavailable, update or repair the Office installation, or open the file in a supported desktop version of Word.
Word says it cannot open a file: Confirm the file exists at the selected location and that you have permission to read it. If it is in cloud storage, wait for syncing to finish or download a local copy. For a damaged or unusual file type, open it in Word, use Save As to create a fresh .docx copy, then compare the copies. Password-protected documents may need to be opened and saved with appropriate access first.
The result shows almost every line as changed: The documents may have been independently reformatted, converted from another format, or built from different starting templates. Check whether the files are truly two versions of the same document. Try a fresh .docx copy of each and adjust comparison options, particularly formatting, to reduce unrelated markup.
Changes appear backwards: Reopen Compare and check that the earlier version is in Original and the later version is in Revised. Run the comparison again; changing the labels after the result is created does not automatically reverse the existing markup.
Some changes seem missing: Verify that the correct saved files were selected and that relevant comparison categories are enabled. A change to formatting will not be reported if formatting comparison is off. Also check comments, headers, footers, and other document areas rather than looking only at the main text.
The markup is hard to read or print: Open Review > Reviewing Pane to navigate changes, or adjust the display options in the Tracking group. If you need a clean reading copy, save a separate copy and accept or reject revisions there only after review. Do not hide markup and assume that doing so removes it; display settings can conceal revisions without resolving them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does comparing documents change the original files?
No. Word normally creates a separate comparison document, particularly when you choose the new-document option. The sources remain as they were unless you separately edit and save them. Save the comparison under a distinct filename to keep the versions clear.

Can I compare Word documents online?
Word for the web does not provide the same built-in Compare command as the desktop app. Open the files in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac and use the Review tab. You can then save the comparison document to a location you can access online.

Can Word compare two PDFs?
Word may be able to open and convert a PDF into an editable Word document, but conversion can change layout, line breaks, or other content. Convert each PDF to a Word file first, check the converted documents, and then compare them. For a layout-sensitive review, verify the PDFs visually too.

What is the difference between Compare and Combine?
Compare identifies differences between an original document and a revised version. Combine merges tracked changes and comments from separate reviewed copies into one document. If you simply have an older draft and a newer draft, start with Compare.

Can I accept or reject changes in the comparison result?
Yes. The comparison document uses revision markup that you can review with the controls on the Review tab. Check each change before accepting or rejecting it, and save the resolved result as a new file so the original versions remain available.

Why does Word show formatting changes I did not make?
Differences in templates, styles, document conversion, or paragraph settings can create formatting markup even when the text looks alike. Compare the files’ formatting options and, if your task is text-only, turn off formatting comparison and run the comparison again.

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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