How to Compare Your PDFs on Mac Quickly and Accurately

When dealing with financial reports or legal instruments, the content of your PDF files may change over time. Using a PDF comparison tool can be immensely helpful to ensure accuracy and identify any missing information from earlier versions. 

Megon Venter

B2B SaaS Content Writer

Megon is a B2B SaaS Content Writer with 7 years of experience in content strategy and execution. Her expertise lies in the creation of document management tutorials and product comparisons.

With PDF Reader Pro Mac, you can quickly and visually compare two PDFs, highlighting the differences and making it easier to track changes or make necessary adjustments.

This article will guide you through the simple process and show you how to complete a document comparison in just five minutes, saving you time and effort.

• Easy Steps to Compare PDFs with PDF Reader Pro on Mac
  
• Best Practices for Comparing PDFs
• Comparing PDFs: FAQ

Easy Steps to Compare PDFs with PDF Reader Pro on Mac

Step 1: Open PDF Reader Pro

Launch PDF Reader Pro and click on "Open File".

Step 2: Page Display

Under "Display Mode," click on the pages side by side. You can also use "Split View" to view them horizontally or vertically.

You can learn more about converting files like HEIC through one of our many conversion tutorials.

Best Practices for Comparing PDFs

Following best practices and use helpful tips and tricks is important to ensure accurate and efficient PDF comparisons. Consider the following recommendations to enhance your PDF comparison process.

1. Prepare Documents: Clean up documents for comparison, removing irrelevant annotations or comments.
2. Update PDF Reader Pro: Ensure you're using the latest version of the software for improved comparison features.
3. Understand Comparison Features: Learn how PDF Reader Pro highlights differences between PDFs.
4. Adjust Comparison Settings: Customize settings to focus on significant differences, ignoring minor variations like formatting.
5. Review Differences Carefully: Examine each highlighted difference to understand its impact.
6. Use Annotations: Mark important changes or add clarifying notes using annotation tools.
7. Cross-Reference Originals: Keep original documents handy for context on highlighted differences.
8. Create a Changes Summary: Summarize significant changes for easy reference and sharing.
9. Check for False Positives/Negatives: Manually verify the comparison to catch any inaccuracies.
10. Save and Archive Comparisons: Record comparison results for future reference or compliance needs.

"PDF Reader Pro for Mac provides a suite of online tools for annotation and commenting that are particularly beneficial for comparing documents."

Megon Venter

B2B SaaS Content Writer

Source: LinkedIn

Thanks to PDF Reader Pro, comparing PDFs and implementing changes has become a steady process for me.

The intuitive comparison tools and easy editing capabilities allow for quick identification and modification of any document discrepancies. Converting from and to PDF and other formats is quick with PDF Reader Pro.

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Moreover, I greatly appreciate the strong security features, which enable secure sharing of confidential documents, ensuring that sensitive information remains protected during collaboration.

You can learn more about comparing PDF documents with one of our many conversion tutorials.

Comparing PDFs: FAQ

Why should I compare PDFs?

Comparing PDFs is essential for identifying the type of differences between two document versions. It helps ensure accuracy, verify changes, and track modifications made over time. Comparing PDFs is particularly useful for proofreading, reviewing contracts, analyzing revisions, or verifying document integrity.

Can I compare specific pages within PDFs?

Yes, with PDF Reader Pro Mac, you can specify the page range you want to compare within the PDF documents. This flexibility allows you to focus on specific sections or exclude irrelevant pages from the comparison process.

How do I export the results after comparing PDFs?

After completing the comparison, PDF Reader Pro Mac allows you to save the compared files in different ways. You can save them as separate documents (old and new), or combine them into a single PDF with the comparison results. This flexibility allows you to choose the export option that best suits your needs.

Can I compare password-protected PDFs?

Yes, PDF Reader Pro Mac supports the comparison of password-protected PDFs. However, you will need to provide the correct password to unlock and access the content of the protected files before the comparison process.

Can I annotate or comment on compared PDFs?

Yes, PDF Reader Pro Mac offers a range of annotation and commenting tools similar to Adobe Acrobat that can be used during the PDF comparison process. You can highlight text, add comments, draw shapes, and more, facilitating collaboration and communication regarding the identified differences. Any future comparison you make will enjoy a standardized folder comparison utility. 

Is PDF comparison available in PDF Reader Pro for other platforms?

Yes, PDF Reader Pro offers similar PDF comparison features for other platforms such as PDF Reader Pro for Windows. The specific functionalities of our document comparison tools may vary slightly across different operating systems, but the core capability to compare PDFs is available on multiple platforms.