How to Compare PDF on Linux with DiffPDF

Margarete Cotty

2021-11-29 16:09:15 • Filed to: Knowledge of PDF • Proven solutions

As an avid reader or an editor, it takes so much time to compare different contents. Therefore, the availability of software capable of comparing the PDF would be a plus. Linux users may find it hard to compare PDF on Linux. This being an open source software, there are software that run in it. However, there's PDF diff for Linux software that best serves the purpose and it's free. In this article, we will show you how to compare PDF on Linux.

How to Compare PDF on Linux Ubuntu with DiffPDF
How to Compare PDFs on Windows

How to Compare PDF on Linux Ubuntu with DiffPDF

DiffPDF small tool is used mostly to compare PDF files on the Linux operating system. The software is completely free to use for Linux Ubuntu, Debian Fedora and PC Linux OS. Additionally, users can compare graphics availability in a document while they locate the difference.

Linux DiffPDF compares appearances within a set range of pages if need be. Additionally, you can exclude page margins compare to the PDF files within the required content only. Finally, you can generate reports of the files compared to come into an understanding. However, the software has received complaints of frequent failures; therefore, it's recommended to have a possible alternative.

Here is a simple guide to help you compare two PDF files on Linux Ubuntu.

Step 1. Begin by installing DiffPDF in your Linux Ubuntu OS.

Step 2. Insert the files to convert in "File#1" and "File#2" simultaneously.

Step 3. Select "Words" on the right sidebar compare drop-down. Proceed to select "preview" as the mode of view of files and click "Next" to check on the PDF changes.

To compare graphics such as images or graphs, choose "Appearances" on the compare drop-down list in the text position.
Comparing the two PDFs through characters, choose "Character" from the Compare drop-down list at the text position in our example.

Finally, to select the "Compare" button at the bottom of the sidebar or on the sidebar options to compare the texts, characters, files or graphics. The texts highlighted in different colors are the differences. Click the "Options" button to change the highlighted text color to the color you wish from the highlighting tab.

How to Compare PDFs on Windows

PDFelement is an intuitive PDF editor that helps you manage your PDF files in ease. It has a wide range of features ranging from editing, annotations, creates and fill forms, organizes PDF, PDF OCR and more incredible features. Unlike DiffPDF on Linux Ubuntu, the process in PDFelement is manual. Read through your document from the same window and compare it. This creates a room for exactness in the comparison. Using a PDF encryption feature, you can secure your documents from unauthorized access.

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These are the main features that help in easy working with files.

Convert feature to convert files into different file formats.
Edit and add text, watermarks, headers & footers, and background to PDF.
View and navigate across multiple windows of PDF and page view modes.
Graphical elements can be added, removed, resized, or rotated easily.
Create forms and auto-detect the form fields.
Extract and export data from interactive PDF forms.
Using OCR, extract data from scanned documents or images.
Insert page numbers, elements, and bates to PDF.
Encrypt your PDF files using the encryption feature.
Remotely sign and approve files digitally.
Optimize PDF files to your required size.
Share PDF with friends through email or save in Dropbox or Google Drive.
Supports in-built print feature to print files directly.

Windows users frequently have issues in comparison to PDF files since there's not been a direct software to compare. However, using PDFelement, you can compare two PDF files just like the Linux PDF compare software. The only problem is that it's a manual process but guarantees the user of effective output. Use this guide to open and compare PDF documents.

Step 1. Install and launch PDFelement software in your Windows PC.

Step 2. Open two separate PDF documents. Then drag the tab of the file and this will create another window. You can adjust the position and size of the windows.

Alternatively, click the “View” option on the Main Menu bar. Proceed to select the “Tile” icon of which can be the horizontal or vertical format. The orientation helps in a good view and comparison of the documents.