Learn how to visually compare two PDF documents using free GUI-based software, a command-based tool, or an online tool for Windows 11/10.

Beyond Compare is a file compare and directory sync utility wrapped in one. Beyond Compare Standard edition ($30) is a powerful utility for tracking down differences between files and folders.

CSDiff will do it, and is free. It can compare directories or file contents and show you the differences. It's a few years old but I've never had any problems using it on Windows 7.

If you were asked to write a program to compare two PDF files and show the differences, how hard do you think that would be? If you are [serhack], you’ll make it much easier than you might guess.

Do you need to compare two files to see how they're different? On Windows 11 (and 10), you can use the FC command without needing third-party tools, and in this guide, I'll explain how.