DocDiff

DocDiff is a local Windows application for comparing PDF, Word, and text documents. It reconstructs document blocks, aligns related content, and produces a side-by-side HTML report with word-level additions and deletions.

Use the portable application

Build the executable with build_exe.bat, then run dist\DocDiff.exe. The browser opens automatically at http://127.0.0.1:8765.

The executable is self-contained. A target Windows PC does not need Python or the project dependencies installed. Generated reports are saved in a reports folder beside the executable.

Run from source

1. Install Python 3.11 or newer.
2. Create a virtual environment and install requirements.txt.
3. Run python src\docdiff_app.py.

The application opens in the browser at http://127.0.0.1:8765.

Command-line comparison

python src\compare_docs.py original.pdf revised.pdf --output report.html

Build

build_exe.bat

The build script creates its own virtual environment, installs the required packages, and runs PyInstaller. It creates the untracked binary at dist\DocDiff.exe. Executables, uploaded documents, generated reports, and build directories are intentionally excluded from Git.

Privacy

DocDiff binds only to 127.0.0.1. Uploaded files are processed locally and temporary copies are deleted after comparison. The application does not require external web fonts or cloud services.