Let’s be honest here: Microsoft Word’s built-in compare feature sometimes just doesn’t cut it. When you need serious document comparison, going over multiple files with hundreds of pages each, you need a full-featured tool to compare document versions. Something that treats formatting changes and changes in meaning differently. Something that differentiates between additions, deletions, and simple replacements.
You want something that’s user friendly and easy to work with. You want it to be easy on the eyes, and absolutely clear about what is what. You’d like it to be customizable, and you’d like it to have the ability to create a pdf of the changelog or highlighted files, so you have something to refer to when you’re sharing it with your team.
What you need is an AI-based tool that can compare word documents- or any other kind of documents- and highlight differences. What you need is a handy, easy to use tool called Draftable.
How to Compare Documents in Word
Draftable actually comes in three manifestations. There’s the Draftable API, or behind-the-scenes code, that can be white-papered into any other existing application if you’d like your app to do what Draftable is so good at. There’s also the desktop application. This one is ideal for serious document comparison, business-style: power comparison that can get through anything you need to have compared. Finally, there’s a free online tool that is available on the web for anyone who would like to compare their documents- no fees, no registration required.
We’ll talk here about how to use the web interface, as that’s going to be your go-to nine times out of ten. The same procedure goes for the other two versions, with one big difference: higher power.
To compare documents in Word:
- Navigate to https://draftable.com/compare
- Upload your MS Word documents: the original in the left-hand box, the new document in the right.
- Click Compare
The comparison isn’t instantaneous; you’ll have to wait for a moment or two for the AI to do its work. It’s a great chance to grab a cup of tea, or make a quick bathroom run. Before you’re back, your comparison will be ready to review.
Using AI to Compare Documents in Word
Using artificial intelligence to compare documents turns out to be a much more rewarding experience than making do with Microsoft’s native tools. All differences between the original document and the revision are easy to see when you’ve got both copies in front of you, and a changelog available as well. You get to choose how you’d like to label changes, and whether you’d like to view changes to formatting as well as changes to the text, or just revision in the text.
Draftable’s service isn’t limited to a Microsoft word document or two, either. The online service can compare word docs or pdfs, and the desktop version can also provide document comparison for Excel files and PowerPoints. You can select compare for any combination of these files, too. Suppose you wrote up a word document and sent it to a colleague, who made a few changes and converted it to a ppt. No worries; just upload both original and revised document. Draftable is intelligent enough to compare the two files and tell you exactly what has changed, even across formats.
Draftable takes security seriously, and you know your files will always be safe, whether you use the online version, API or desktop app for file comparison. If you’ve got the desktop program, your files will never even leave your computer.
So next time you need to compare documents in Word, no worries. There’s a highly accessible, easy to use AI tool that will let you do exactly that- and it just happens to be a delight to use.
