PDiff

Free trial MacSelf-hostedWindows

What PDiff is

PDiff is desktop software for comparing text in PDF documents and finding changes in layout, formatting, or page breaks. It presents compared PDFs side by side, synchronizes extracted text with the pages, and highlights differences in both views. Reviewers can navigate changes, mark them as accepted, hide less relevant ones, and optionally add comments. Tools for managing differences include exclusion areas, page ranges, text-flow and table tools, replacement rules, comments, and OK checkmarks.

PDiff can also compare PDFs with DOC, DOCX, RTF, TXT, XLS, and other common formats. Non-PDF files are converted through their native applications. Results can be produced as tabular, annotated, or side-by-side PDFs, XML, CSV, PDiff project files, and CLI return codes. PDiff Professional supports GUI batch processing and command-line operation for workflows and software integration. The maker describes uses such as quality assurance, regulatory compliance, contract review, legal documents, pharmaceutical packaging, and technical documents. It supports Unicode text, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, and Hebrew. CSci Computer Science GmbH, founded in January 2009 and based in Hamburg, says documents are processed locally and not transferred over the internet. Pricing is available by request; business customers can request a full-functionality trial that stops at its end without automatically converting to a paid version or subscription.

Who it suits

PDiff suits teams and professionals reviewing PDFs and related documents for changes, including in quality assurance, regulatory compliance, legal work, and pharmaceutical packaging. Its local processing and optional workflow automation may matter to organizations handling business-critical documents.

What it does well

Highlights differences in layout, formatting, and page breaks.
Shows PDFs side by side with synchronized text.
Supports comparisons with common office and text formats.
Offers multiple report and export formats.
Professional supports batch processing and command-line operation.
The maker says documents stay local and are not sent over the internet.

What to know first

There is no free plan.
Pricing requires contacting CSci for an offer.
The trial stops working when its period ends.

Limits

The trial stops working when its period ends and does not automatically convert to a paid version or subscription. Editions differ in features, and the full version is offered through a tailored offer from CSci.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
PDiff Desktop, PDiff QA, PDiff Professional	Contact CSci for an offer tailored to your requirements. · Editions differ in features; Windows 64-bit and macOS 14+ are listed.	On request

As csci.de lists them, read 7 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Visit https://www.csci.de/en/pdiff/.
Contact CSci for an offer tailored to your requirements.
Business customers can request the downloadable full-functionality trial.
Check that the trial computer meets its requirements: 64-bit Windows or Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 14 or newer, at least 8 GB RAM, and internet access.
Choose among PDiff Desktop, PDiff QA, and PDiff Professional editions based on the required features.

Verdict

Consider PDiff if you need detailed PDF comparison, document review controls, and report options across PDF and office formats. Contact CSci for pricing; the free-functionality trial is temporary and requires compatible Windows or Apple Silicon Mac hardware.

Questions

Is PDiff free?

No free plan is listed. Business customers can request a free, full-functionality trial by download.

How much does PDiff cost?

Pricing is available on request. CSci invites users to contact it for an offer tailored to their requirements.

Which platforms does PDiff support?

The listed platforms are Windows and macOS, with self-hosted deployment. Trial requirements specify 64-bit Windows or an Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 14 or newer.

Can PDiff compare office files with PDFs?

Yes. It imports formats including DOC, DOCX, RTF, TXT, and XLS for comparison with PDFs, converting non-PDF files through their native applications.

Does PDiff send documents to the cloud?

The maker says document processing happens locally and documents are not transferred over the internet. Internet access may be used for license verification, update checks, and downloading updated help files.

Who makes PDiff?

CSci Computer Science GmbH makes PDiff. The company says it was founded in January 2009 and is based in Hamburg, Germany.

Facts from PDiff's own pages

Automation: PDiff Professional supports GUI batch processing and command-line operation for integration into other software and workflows. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Comparison display: The interface shows PDFs side by side with synchronized extracted text and highlighted differences. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Data handling: The maker says PDiff works locally without cloud processing and that documents are never transferred over the internet. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
File formats: It imports DOC/DOCX, RTF, TXT, XLS, and other common formats by converting them through their native applications, allowing comparisons with PDFs. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Filtering: Its six listed tools include exclusion areas, page ranges, text-flow and table tools, replacement rules, and comments or OK checkmarks. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Filtering tools: PDiff lists exclusion areas, page ranges, text flow and table tools, replacement, comments, and OK checkmarks as tools for filtering or managing differences. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Founded: 2009 · csci.de, 28 Sept 2026
Headquarters: Hamburg, Germany · csci.de, 28 Sept 2026
Intended use: The maker describes uses including quality assurance, regulatory compliance, contract review, pharmaceutical packaging, legal texts, and technical documents. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Languages: PDiff supports Unicode, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, and Hebrew text. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Maker: CSci Computer Science GmbH says it was founded in January 2009 and is based in Hamburg. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Other document formats: PDiff can import formats including DOC/DOCX, RTF, TXT, and XLS for comparison with PDFs; non-PDF formats are converted through their native applications. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
PDF processing: PDiff uses the Adobe PDF Library for PDF processing and text analysis. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Purpose: PDiff compares text in PDF documents across layout, formatting, and page-break changes and highlights deviations. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Reports: It can produce tabular PDF, annotated PDF, side-by-side PDF, XML, CSV, PDiff project, and CLI return-code outputs. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Requirements: The trial requirements list Windows 64-bit or a Mac with Apple Silicon and macOS 14 or newer, at least 8 GB RAM, and internet access. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Review controls: Users can navigate differences, mark changes as accepted, hide less relevant changes, and optionally add comments. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Review display: It shows compared PDFs side by side with synchronized extracted text and highlights differences in both views. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Security: The maker says document processing occurs locally, documents are not transmitted over the internet, and the software can operate offline by arrangement. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Support: The maker invites trial users who want to continue to contact it for an offer for a full version tailored to their requirements. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Technical network use: The maker says internet access may be used for license verification, update checks, and downloading updated help files; license information is sent via HTTPS. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Trial: Business customers can request a free, full-functionality trial by download; it stops working when the trial ends and does not automatically convert to a paid version or subscription. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Trial conditions: The trial stops functioning at the end of its period and does not automatically convert to a paid version or subscription. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026
Trial requirements: The trial page lists 64-bit Windows or Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 14 or newer, at least 8 GB RAM, and an internet connection as requirements. · csci.de, 7 Oct 2026

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