Document Comparison Tools Overview

Choices in Document Comparison Software (Redlining Tools)

Compare Plug-In

You can compare documents very easily with Compare Plug-In. Compare Plug-In enhances the built-in Compare Documents feature of Microsoft Word to provide a true redlining tool. For more information see Compare Plug-In.

Workshare® DeltaView®

Workshare DeltaView is a comprehensive and robust document comparison tool from Workshare Technology. For more information see Workshare DeltaView.

Our product comparison sheet highlights the differences between Compare Plug-In and Workshare DeltaView.

If you are a FileNet user, read more about document comparison solutions that integrate with FileNet.

What is a Redline?

A redline document is a document that shows the differences between two different documents. Deletions are commonly shown as struck-through text and additions are often shown as highlighted or underlined text. Other attributes of the document may show moved text or include a revision list.

Redline documents are especially useful when more than one person is working on a document because by creating a redline, each person can easily see what the other has done.

Why use a Document Comparison Tool?

If you don’t already use a document redlining tool, you’ve probably run into situations where you wished you could quickly compare the contents of two documents to review any text that’s been added, moved, or deleted.

The ability to compare documents has utility for many professionals. For example, in a contracting department, changes made to templates and draft documents must be reviewed by multiple people. The turn-around time for approving solicitations and contracts in the department can be improved with the ability to quickly and accurately compare versions of documents, shortening the editing and approval processes and ensuring the accuracy of modifications.

Why use a Document Management System?

Organizations that need to preserve the change history on documents or have multiple people updating documents should store documents in a document management system. A document management system allows users to “check out” a document before making modifications, ensuring that no one else can modify the official copy of the document while they have it checked out. This eliminates the problem of having multiple competing versions. When a user is done updating a document, they “check in” the new version. The older version is still stored in the document management system and the new version is given a new “version id”.

With integration to the document management system, document comparison software allows you view the differences between document versions stored in the the document management system library. Because the versions are stored in the library, there is no more need to save redline documents to preserve version history. Redlining documents also becomes easier because document versions are easy to locate.

For more information on Content Services, FileNet’s document management system, click here.