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You can compare two document versions on your desktop with Microsoft Word’s Compare feature or LibreOffice Writer’s Compare Document command. Both produce a reviewable document showing changes; neither feature, by itself, proves that the application makes no network connections. Keep your originals and save the comparison separately, and follow your organization’s security rules when handling sensitive files.
Before you compare: keep the originals safe
Work from copies or plan to save the result as a new file. Word normally displays its comparison in a new document; if you choose the original or revised file as the destination, Word modifies that selected document. LibreOffice lets you save the reviewer’s document under a new name after comparing. In either application, use a separate output file if you need to preserve both source versions unchanged.
Compare two versions in Microsoft Word
Microsoft documents this workflow for Microsoft 365 and desktop Word versions including Word 2024 and Word 2021. It compares a selected original with a revised document and can display text changes, comments, and formatting changes. You can show differences at word or character level.
- Open Word and choose Review > Compare > Compare two versions of a document (legal blackline).
- Select the original document and the revised document in the comparison dialog.
- Choose the changes to include, such as comments, formatting, and text changes, and set the display level you need.
- Review the comparison. Word’s default is to show the results in a new document. Save that comparison with a distinct name.
Microsoft Support states, “The source documents that are being compared are not changed.” That describes the documented comparison operation; it is not a guarantee about network traffic or the application’s broader privacy behavior. See Microsoft’s legal-blackline comparison instructions.
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Microsoft’s separate instructions for Word 2019 for Mac give the path Review > Compare > Compare Documents. Select the original and revised files; Word shows differences with revision marks in a new copy based on the original. That support page is scoped to Word 2019 for Mac, so do not assume its exact labels apply to every Mac release. See Microsoft’s Word 2019 for Mac instructions.
Compare versions in LibreOffice Writer
Writer’s comparison workflow starts with the reviewer’s newer document and compares it against the older original. It marks passages inserted in the newer document and passages deleted from it. You can accept or reject marked changes, then save the reviewer’s document under a new name.
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- Open the newer, reviewer-edited document in Writer.
- Choose File > Compare Document.
- Select the older original document when prompted.
- Review the marked insertions and deletions; accept or reject changes as needed.
- Save the resulting reviewer’s document under a new name to retain the source files.
LibreOffice provides automatic comparison, comparison by word, and comparison by character. The character option includes a minimum-character setting. See LibreOffice’s comparison guide and its comparison options documentation.
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Which comparison workflow should you use?
| Need | Suitable workflow |
|---|---|
| You have Word desktop and need to compare text, comments, or formatting | Word’s legal-blackline comparison, with the relevant change categories selected |
| You already use LibreOffice Writer and want insertions and deletions you can accept or reject | Writer’s Compare Document command |
| You need finer-grained differences | Use word- or character-level display in Word, or word- or character-based comparison in Writer |
| You need a separate review copy | Use Word’s default new comparison document or save Writer’s reviewer document under a new name |
The official instructions reviewed here do not provide a controlled accuracy comparison between Word and LibreOffice, so there is no evidence-based accuracy ranking. Choose based on the software available, the types of changes you need to see, and how you want to preserve the result.
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What desktop comparison does—and does not—say about privacy
These are documented desktop workflows for comparing selected document versions. Their instructions explain how to create and review a comparison, but do not establish that all network traffic, telemetry, connected services, plugins, or cloud-related activity is disabled. A desktop command alone therefore cannot substantiate claims such as “zero data leaves your computer” or “completely private.”
If the documents are sensitive, follow your organization’s approved device and network policy and verify the exact application configuration before opening or comparing them. The comparison feature answers how to review differences; it does not replace your organization’s security controls.
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