How to Compare Two Word Documents: Step-by-Step Guide to Track Changes, Merge, and Use Side-by-Side View in Microsoft Word

Learn how to compare two Word documents with Word’s Compare feature, side-by-side view, and third-party tools. Perfect for tracking changes and merging files.

When collaborating on documents or revising multiple versions of a file, comparing Word documents becomes an essential task. Whether you’re merging revisions, tracking changes, or resolving discrepancies, Microsoft Word offers powerful tools to streamline this process. In this guide, we’ll explore how to compare two Word documents, the features available, and alternative methods for comparison, ensuring your documents are as accurate as possible.

What is Document Comparison in Word?

Document comparison in Word refers to the process of identifying and highlighting the differences between two versions of the same document. Whether you’re working on a draft document or a final document, the ability to spot differences is critical when revisions are being made, particularly in collaborative environments.

For professionals, writers, editors, and project managers, comparing Word documents saves time and ensures accuracy. Using the Track Changes feature in Word allows teams to collaborate seamlessly by marking differences in the documents. As new content is inserted or deleted, Word’s Compare feature automatically highlights those changes, which can be reviewed and either accepted or rejected.

This process becomes even more crucial when multiple contributors are involved. Document collaboration tools like Microsoft Word make it easier to see who made each change, and when, offering version control that helps prevent conflicts and errors. If you’re ever unsure about a specific change, Track Changes lets you go back and review what has been modified, rejected, or inserted.

Comparing two Word documents also allows for effective revision management. For example, when you’re working on a revised document, it’s easy to check how many modifications have been made from the original document.

How to Compare Two Documents in Microsoft Word

Step-by-Step Guide for Using the Compare Feature

The Compare feature in Microsoft Word makes it simple to compare two documents, even if you’re new to Word’s advanced features. Here’s how to use it:

Open Microsoft Word: Start with a blank document.
Go to the Review tab in the ribbon at the top.
In the Compare section, select the Compare button. A drop-down menu will appear.
Click Compare Documents.
Select Documents: In the Compare Documents Dialog Box:
- Choose the Original Document first. This is the document that will act as the baseline.
- Select the Revised Document, the version with changes you want to compare.
Choose Comparison Settings: You can opt to label changes with a specific name, such as the author or the person who made the edits, which is helpful when multiple collaborators are involved.
- To display changes in a new document, select New Document in the Show Changes section.
Once all settings are configured, click OK to start the comparison.

Word will generate a new document showing the inserted text, deleted text, and any formatting changes that have occurred between the two documents. This helps quickly spot differences and makes reviewing edits much more manageable.

This Compare feature also allows for deep comparison of document versions without modifying the original files, which is especially useful when dealing with sensitive information that needs to be preserved intact.

Understanding the Microsoft Word Compare Interface

Once the documents have been compared, Word displays them in a comparative interface. The screen is divided into several sections that make navigating changes easy and intuitive:

Revisions: This section lists all of the changes made in the revised document. It serves as a detailed record of inserted text, deleted content, and formatting changes. You can quickly identify whether text was deleted or added.
Compared Document: The actual comparison is displayed in this section. The differences between the original document and the revised document will be highlighted in red (for deletions) and green (for additions). Changes are visually clear, which helps avoid confusion.
Markup Options: In the Display for Review dropdown, you can choose between options such as All Markup or Final Showing Markup. The All Markup option highlights all changes in detail, including text and formatting. By selecting Final, you can view what the document will look like if you accept all changes.
Navigation: The Revisions section acts as a guide to navigate through the changes in the Compared Document. Clicking on any change in the Revisions panel will take you directly to the corresponding change in the document, making it easy to review specific edits.

Understanding these sections is essential for anyone who frequently needs to track changes in a document, especially when dealing with multiple draft documents or final documents.

Advanced Comparison Features: Merging Documents in Word

Once you’ve reviewed the changes between two Word documents, you might want to merge them into a single version. The Merge feature is perfect for this:

Accept Changes: You can either accept individual changes or accept all changes at once. To do this, click the Accept button in the Review tab and select Accept All Changes.
Reject Changes: If any changes aren’t needed, you can reject them. Use the Reject button to discard unwanted edits.
Merge Documents Without Comparison: If you want to combine two documents but don’t need to compare them first, simply select Combine Documents from the Compare dropdown. This will merge the contents of the two documents, keeping the changes intact.

The Combine feature is particularly useful when you’re working with multiple collaborators and need to bring together different versions of a document without manually copying and pasting content. Once you accept or reject changes, you can save the final version as the final document.

Side-by-Side Comparison of Word Documents

For those who prefer a more visual comparison, Microsoft Word allows you to view two documents side by side. This is helpful for quick comparisons or when you’re working on a smaller-scale revision:

Open both documents in Microsoft Word.
Go to the View tab.
Click on View Side by Side in the Window group.
To scroll both documents simultaneously, enable Synchronous Scrolling.

Side-by-side comparison is great for collaborative work when two versions of a document are being compared, and it lets you spot changes easily in a visual format.

Using Google Docs and Free Tools for Document Comparison

Not everyone has access to Microsoft Word, and sometimes you need an alternative for comparing documents. Luckily, there are free tools and cloud-based platforms that provide similar functionality:

How to Compare Documents in Google Docs

Google Docs makes it simple to compare two documents:

Open the first document.
Go to Tools and select Compare Documents.
Choose the second document to compare and assign a label to the changes.
Click Compare to generate a new document with all differences displayed.

Google Docs offers a simpler version of the comparison that works well for light editing and is free to use. Unlike Word, changes appear as suggested edits in a different font color, making it easy to identify what was added or deleted.

Draftable and QuickDiff

For users who want an online Word document comparator without installing software, tools like Draftable and QuickDiff are excellent choices. Draftable provides a quick and efficient way to compare Word files, PDFs, and even PowerPoint presentations. It automatically highlights differences side by side.

Version Control and Document Collaboration in Word

When collaborating on multiple versions of a document, managing versions is essential to ensure consistency and accuracy. Microsoft Word’s version control system helps you track the history of changes and decide which version to keep.

With the Track Changes feature, each revision made by a contributor is recorded, and the editor can decide whether to accept or reject each change. This makes it much easier to keep track of edits across multiple contributors.

Using document collaboration tools in Word allows for smoother teamwork, where all revisions and suggestions are tracked in one place. This is especially useful for teams working remotely or when you need to maintain a consistent workflow.

Common Issues When Comparing Documents in Word and How to Fix Them

While Word’s comparison tools are powerful, some users may encounter issues when using them. Here are a few common problems:

Formatting Issues: Sometimes, formatting changes may not show up properly in the comparison. If this happens, adjust the Display for Review settings and ensure All Markup is selected to view all changes, including formatting.
Missing Changes: If some changes aren’t showing up, double-check that the Original Document and Revised Document are correctly selected. You may also want to revisit the Compare dialog box to ensure all settings are accurate.
Changes Not Highlighted: If Word isn’t highlighting changes as expected, go to the Review tab and select the proper markup options (e.g., Final Showing Markup).

Conclusion

Comparing documents efficiently can save you valuable time and prevent costly errors. Whether you’re using Microsoft Word’s Compare feature, the Merge function, or side-by-side comparisons, Word provides comprehensive tools to help you track changes and manage revisions. These features are invaluable for professionals, editors, and anyone involved in content creation.

Moreover, online alternatives like Google Docs and tools like Draftable ensure you have access to document comparison methods, regardless of the platform you use. Keep your revisions organized, collaborate seamlessly, and ensure accuracy with these document comparison tools.

FAQs

Where is the Compare Documents feature in Word?

To find the Compare Documents feature, go to the Review tab, select Compare, and then choose Compare Documents.

How do I merge documents in Word without comparing them?

Use the Combine feature in the Compare dropdown menu in the Review tab to merge the contents of two documents without showing changes.

Where is the compare documents feature in Word 2019/365/2016/2013?

All modern Word versions (2013 onward) have the Compare feature under the Review tab.

What is the difference between Compare and Combine in Word?

Compare highlights differences between two docs. Combine merges tracked changes from multiple documents into one for easier review.

Can I compare PDF and Word documents?

Yes, with online tools like Draftable, you can compare PDFs and Word files side by side.

What’s the best free tool to compare Word documents?

Draftable and QuickDiff are popular online choices; for full features, Microsoft Word’s built-in Compare wins for Office users.

How do I use track changes when comparing documents?

Word automatically enables revision markup in the compared document, highlighting all tracked changes for you to accept or reject.