How to compare document text using Windows 10
Ava Arnold
Updated on April 04, 2026
If you have two versions of documents but do not know which one is the final version or if something was added or removed, the Compare option in MS Word comes in handy.
Using File Compare or the FC command in Command Prompt is another way if you need text or binary compare. The output is shown in Command Prompt and is not easy to read. For all file formats that Word can open, the Compare option in Word is the easiest to use.
How to compare document text using Windows 10
1) In the search box on the toolbar type Word.
2) Select Word from the search options.
3) On the MS Word toolbar click Review.
4) In the Review menu, click Compare.
5) From the two options available, select Compare…
6) In the Compare documents dialogue box click the browse icon for the Original document.
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7) Select the first file for comparison.
8) Click Open to add it to the dialogue box.
9) Click the browse icon for the Revised document.
10) Select the second file for comparison.
11) Click Open to add it to the dialogue box.
12) Click OK for the process to start.
13) In the Compare Result document review the text in red. The text with strikethrough is the content missing from the second file. The text in square brackets is the text added in the second file.
