Compare two PDFs on your machine.

Status: Free download

PDF Diff compares financial statements, contracts, and review packs, then saves a highlighted PDF. It runs on your Mac or Windows PC. Your PDFs never leave your computer.

Get it free for Mac Get it free for Windows

See a sample comparison

Runs on: Your Mac or PC
What leaves: Nothing. PDFs are never uploaded.
Account: None. No Palm Hill account or API key.
Price: Free, on the Mac App Store and Microsoft Store.

See exactly what changed.

Sangoma’s fiscal 2025 Q1 and Q2 statements. Actual amounts and highlights from the exported PDF.

16,749, earlier value — **Cash and cash equivalents: 16,749 → 17,065.** Red marks deletions; green marks insertions. Values are in US$ thousands. Amounts are cropped directly from page 3 of the comparison; row labels are reproduced for readability.

17,065, later value — **Cash and cash equivalents: 16,749 → 17,065.** Red marks deletions; green marks insertions. Values are in US$ thousands. Amounts are cropped directly from page 3 of the comparison; row labels are reproduced for readability.

Download the sample diff PDF · 608 KB · 24 pages Open the full comparison

Sources: Original Q1 statement and original Q2 statement. This alignment example omits page 5 from the Q1 input; the exported comparison identifies it as “Original Missing.”

See the comparison in the app

PDF Diff showing the Sangoma financial statements side by side, with a Save action and red and green highlights. — Review the result in PDF Diff, then save a separate PDF to your computer.

Review changes without uploading documents.

Keep PDFs on your computer.

Review contracts, financial filings, and compliance packs without uploading their contents. Comparison runs locally, with no Palm Hill account.

Follow changes when pages shift.

Automatic alignment helps match corresponding pages when additions, deletions, or layout changes move content between pages.

Save a result you can share.

Review insertions in green and deletions in red. Export the side-by-side PDF for a workpaper, review pack, or colleague.

Where your data goes

The app processes your documents locally. PDFs and comparison results are not uploaded. Store downloads and this website have their own analytics; they do not receive the PDFs you compare in the app. Read the app privacy policy.

From two PDFs to a reviewable result.

Choose two PDFs
Drop in the earlier and later versions, or select them from your computer.
Compare and review
Let the app align pages, then inspect the highlighted differences side by side.
Save the highlighted PDF
Export the comparison as a separate file. Your original PDFs stay intact.

Comparison options

Choose automatic alignment, reading order, flexible semantic matching, or page-number matching. Adjust similarity where supported, PDF compression, highlight colors, and opacity. Light, dark, and system themes are available.

Free on Mac. Free on Windows.

Install from your platform’s store. No Palm Hill account or API key required.

Mac

macOS 12 or later · Apple Silicon (M1 or later)

Download: About 532 MB
Store name: PDF Difference
Price: Free

Windows

Windows 10 version 1809 or later, or Windows 11 · x64

Download: About 681 MB
Installed space: Up to 1.46 GB
Memory: 8 GB minimum
Price: Free

Sizes reflect the store listings checked September 15, 2026 and may change with updates. Stores require an internet connection for installation and updates and may ask you to sign in. This is a desktop app; the Mac version requires Apple Silicon.

Before you install

Does it work offline?

Yes. The installed app compares PDFs and matches pages locally. An internet connection is needed to download the app and receive updates through the store.

Are my PDFs uploaded?

No. Document processing and page matching take place on your computer. Your PDFs and comparison results are not sent to Palm Hill or a comparison service. App privacy details.

What if the page numbers change?

Automatic alignment matches pages by their content, helping follow changes when pagination shifts. You can also choose reading-order, flexible semantic, or page-number alignment. Review the result when documents have substantial structural changes.

Can I save the highlighted result?

Yes. Save a separate PDF with the earlier and later documents side by side and changes highlighted. Open a real exported comparison to see the format.

Can I batch comparisons or use an API?

You can queue multiple individual comparisons in the desktop app and review them in Jobs. The desktop download does not include a public API or an automated folder-batch interface.

Does it work with scanned PDFs?

PDF Diff compares extracted text. For image-only scans, first use an OCR tool to add selectable text, then compare the resulting PDFs. It is not a pixel-by-pixel image comparison tool.

Do I need an account?

No Palm Hill account or API key is needed to compare documents. Apple or Microsoft may ask you to sign in to their store to install the app.

Choose the workflow that fits.

Use PDF Diff to compare PDFs locally and save the result. It compares extracted text; it is not an OCR tool or a pixel-by-pixel image comparison tool. Review the highlighted changes before relying on the result.

Option	When it fits
PDF Diff	You want free, local PDF comparison with highlighted export on Mac or Windows.
Adobe Acrobat Pro	You already use Acrobat’s broader PDF toolset and its desktop Compare Files feature meets your needs.
Draftable Desktop	You need offline comparison and PDF export across formats such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF. Review its current licensing options.
Custom scripts	You need a customized or automated workflow and can maintain the setup. Visual output depends on the implementation.

Vendor information checked September 15, 2026. Follow the product links for current features and terms.

Compare your next pair of PDFs locally.

Free to install. Your documents stay on your computer.