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Diff GT: Compare PDF Drawings, Schematics & CAD Plans automatically Quickly spot changes, revisions, and plan updates — even in complex, multi-page drawings.

Diff GT is a professional drawing comparison software that detects differences in PDF and CAD drawings.
Even complex schematics, circuit diagrams, and blueprints are analyzed across pages, with changes accurately highlighted.
Engineers use Diff GT to review drawing revisions and ensure that only intended changes are included.
Diff GT: PDF comparison for circuit layouts and technical drawings
Shield Stopwatch Documents Lock
Precise, deterministic drawing comparison without AI hallucinations. Compare drawings in seconds. Multi-page PDF &
large-format plans.
100% on-premise.
No cloud. Full data control.

 

Compare PDF drawings – automatically & revision-proof.

  • Compare different plan versions
  • Check revision statuses
  • Pinpoint changes
  • Highlight plan deviations
  • Compare large PDFs (file size or large-format pages)
  • Synchronize multi-page documents

 

Why is deterministic important?

  • Complete change detection at at vector, pixel, and character level
  • Reproducible results for audit and revision
  • No black box models, no AI hallucinations
  • On-premise deployment for sensitive data

Comparison of circuit layouts with different revisions

Chat to the comparison of revisions

Compare technical drawings and find changes instantly.

Do you work with circuit layouts or technical drawings?

Then you know the problem all too well: The use of modern CAD software makes it easy to make changes and revisions, but also automatically brings you many changing versions of your planning documents.

Your plans are later translated into reality and small differences can have a big impact. How can you be sure that you don’t miss any mistakes?

Find out how Diff GT helps you to keep track of all versions quickly and safely.

Clear.

The digital PDF comparison Diff GT shows you all the changes between two versions of technical drawings, CAD exports and PDF blueprints. Clearly and quickly. You see at a glance where something has changed in your technical drawings or circuit layouts.

Safe and efficient.

With Diff GT you can see all changes within a very short time, even with documents with hundreds of pages. The digital comparison does not miss the smallest difference even on the largest paper format.

Exact.

As a creator of planning documents, you can precisely determine whether all needed changes have been made and that unwanted changes have not occurred in other places. As a recipient of planning documents, you are often already familiar with the previous version, and you will quickly gain an overview of all alterations.

Intuitive.

You can use Diff GT immediately - without long manuals and without special training. The design of Diff GT emphasises on intuitive usability and intelligent methods for efficient and trouble-free working. Diff GT is a modern application - not only with regard to technology, but above all also with regard to its design philosophy.

Comprehensible.

The change marks of Diff GT provide you with an easily comprehensible version history for your technical drawings and circuit layouts. Even if you are already documenting a version history in your system, Diff GT’s reports are usually more intuitive. In the graphically prepared reports you will see changes at a glance. And if you do not have an automatic version history, Diff GT is essential for your change management.

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How to work with Diff GT.

With Diff GT you can compare two versions of PDF or CAD drawings: The software displays all changes, deletions and additions in text and graphic elements. Simply drag the two PDFs to be compared to the placeholder symbols (1) and start the comparison.

Synchronize PDFs with different page counts.

Diff GT can compare your PDF documents even if the page counts are different. Similar pages are automatically assigned to pairs of pages. A specially designed widget (2) shows you which pages are comparable, inserted or deleted.

Not to be overlooked.

The GUI of Diff GT ensures that you can always see clearly all differences between many document pages or on large-format single pages. The page miniatures (2) show clear highlights with the position and type of the deviations found, so that even the smallest difference can not be overlooked.

Clear highlighting of differences.

The main window of Diff GT (3) shows you precisely the differences in text and graphics elements. Differences are highlighted by markers and classified with a color scheme: deletions (red), additions (blue), changes (purple).

Enlarge differences.

In the zoom widget (4), you have three more detailed views of your documents: The “left” PDF, the “right” PDF and the difference that Diff GT has highlighted as a change. The enlargement follows the mouse - just point your cursor at the top to a deviation or another detail that interests you.

The PDF report documents the results.

If desired, you can also create a proof report in PDF format for the comparison result (5). In the report, both versions are clearly compared and - as on screen - all differences clearly highlighted.

Graphical and textual PDF comparison

Try out how easy it is to compare your CAD drawings with Diff GT.
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CAD drawings
CAD drawings
Building plans
Building plans
Circuit layouts
Circuit layouts
Electronics
Electronics
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering

Industries that rely on Diff GT for CAD drawings.

Diff GT is the ideal cross-industry solution for digital comparison of the following PDF documents:

  • circuit schematics and circuit diagrams
  • technical drawings
  • building plans and blueprints
  • CAD design drawings

Engineering Drawing Revision Comparison

Diff GT is used to compare drawing revisions and ensure only intended modifications were made. Automatically detect differences between technical drawings, schematics and architectural plans to prevent costly design errors.

Mechanical & Plant Engineering

Compare design drawings, manufacturing documents, and CAD exports. Engineers reliably check plan and revision statuses to detect even the smallest changes in multi-page documentation.

Electrical Engineering & Control Cabinet Construction

Automatic comparison of circuit diagrams and electrical schematics. Changes in PDF exports from E-CAD systems are precisely highlighted and documented.

Construction & Architectural Planning

Revision comparison of construction drawings, execution plans, and architectural plans. Differences between plan versions are visually highlighted — ideal for tendering, approval, and acceptance.

Automation Technology

Review control plans, network schematics, and technical documentation. Diff GT supports the validation of version changes in complex industrial projects.

Automotive & Supplier Industry

Version comparison of technical drawings and manufacturing plans throughout the entire product development process. Ensures that only approved changes are implemented.

Energy Supply & Infrastructure

Compare network plans, distribution plans, and technical documentation. Revision-safe verification of plan changes in critical infrastructures.

Further industries.

  • architecture (CAAD)
  • timber construction
  • urban planning
  • hydraulic engineering
  • traffic route engineering
  • surveying and mapping
  • product design
  • wood engineering
  • aircraft construction
  • mold and tool making
  • drive technology
  • hydraulics
  • pneumatics
  • shipbuilding
  • dentistry
  • jewelery and textile industry
Test Diff GT with your own technical drawings.
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The best of two worlds.

The comparison of circuit diagrams and technical drawings is a special challenge for a digital PDF comparison: Other software solutions are either optimized to compare graphics or to compare text. For your application, however, you need both.

What is a graphical PDF comparison?

In the case of a graphical PDF comparison, the two documents are first transferred to pixel images using a PDF renderer. Then, a digital image comparison takes place. Deviations are highlighted as pixels or groups of pixels. Text and vector drawings are also compared pixel-based as part of the entire image.

Advantages: Even the smallest deviations up to individual pixels can be detected. The comparison includes all visible contents of the PDF (raster images, vector graphics, text).

Disadvantages: Text may not change in content, position or presentation. This means changed line or page breaks, small differences in font kerning, or changed fonts lead to large pixel deviations so that actual deviations are difficult to distinguish from artifacts.

What is a text-based PDF comparison?

In a text-based PDF comparison, the text is first extracted from the documents. Then a digital text comparison takes place. Deviations are displayed as words or letters.

Advantages: The text can be compared for content differences, even if the layout of the text differs greatly in both documents. For example, changed positions, line breaks or different fonts are not a problem for the comparison.

Disadvantages: The comparison only includes text visible for full-text search. Other PDF content such as raster images and vector graphics are not compared. Even text that has been converted into paths, or text from scans is not compared by default.

The special feature of Diff GT: the ingenious combination of graphics and text comparison

Diff GT considers the text content in your PDFs using algorithms for text comparison and the graphic part in your PDFs with algorithms for pixel-accurate image comparison.

This combination gives you all the advantages of both approaches and you bypass the previously inevitable disadvantages. Diff GT can thus achieve perfect comparison results: text is compared very tolerantly to layout changes at the content level, and at the same time all graphical elements are compared with digital precision for visual differences.

PDF comparison Diff GT Icon

Did you already know …

…that the abbreviation GT in Diff GT stands for graphics and text and at the same time in the automotive industry for Gran Turismo: loosely translates to “great ride” with high comfort and sporty engine - two aspects that also fit well with the design goals of Diff GT.

PDF comparison of graphics and text

Get started with Diff GT's powerful PDF comparison for graphics & text.
Download ›

Powerful features.

Diff GT offers powerful functions for comparing circuit layouts and technical drawings.

64-Bit technology.

The software is completely based on modern 64-bit technology to ensure optimum performance and stability with Diff GT. Together with the consistent use of parallel processing you benefit directly from the full computing performance of your multicore CPUs in current computer architectures. Diff GT is available for Windows 64-bit and Mac OS X operating systems.

Proof reports as PDF or XML.

Diff GT documents all results of the PDF comparison in a detailed and clearly comprehensible PDF report. Redline PDF reports highlight drawing differences for engineering review workflows. If desired, it is also possible to generate the output in portable XML format for further machine processing.

Diff GT uses the Adobe® PDF Library™.

PDF comparison Diff GT uses the Adobe PDF Library PDF is a global standard for reliable electronic documents and ISO standard for archiving electronic documents. The Adobe® PDF Library™ ensures a platform-independent, accurate display and reliable and consistent text analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions.

What is drawing comparison software?

Drawing comparison software automatically detects differences between two versions of technical drawings. It highlights added, removed, or modified elements to support engineering review and change control processes.

Which file formats can Diff GT compare?

Diff GT compares vector and bitmap-based PDF drawings, including files exported from CAD systems. It supports technical drawings, electrical schematics, circuit layouts, and architectural plans.

Can Diff GT compare CAD files like DWG directly?

Diff GT does not compare native CAD files such as DWG directly. Instead, CAD drawings are exported as PDFs and then analyzed accurately. This workflow ensures that plan and revision statuses can be checked in a format-independent and cross-system manner — regardless of whether the PDFs originate from AutoCAD, EPLAN, SolidWorks, TIA Portal, WSCAD, or other CAD systems.

What types of changes can be detected?

Diff GT detects graphical and textual differences, including:

  • Geometry modifications
  • Moved or deleted elements
  • Changed annotations
  • Updated dimensions
  • Layer differences

Is Diff GT suitable for electrical schematics?

Yes. Diff GT is widely used to compare electrical schematics and circuit diagrams, ensuring that only intended changes were introduced between revisions.

Can large or complex drawings be compared?

Yes. Diff GT is optimized for large-format (DIN A0 and larger) and highly detailed technical drawings, including multi-page documents (100 pages or more) and complex assemblies.

How are differences displayed?

Detected changes are highlighted visually in a clear redline-style output. Reports can be exported for documentation, review, or integration into engineering workflows.

Does Diff GT support revision control workflows?

Yes. Diff GT helps engineers verify drawing revisions before release, reducing the risk of unintended modifications entering production.

Who typically uses Diff GT?

Diff GT is used by:

  • Mechanical engineers
  • Electrical engineers
  • CAD designers
  • Quality assurance teams
  • Change control managers

Why use automated drawing comparison instead of manual review?

Manual comparison is time-consuming and prone to human error. Automated comparison ensures consistent detection of even small changes and significantly reduces review time.


News

Diff GT 3.7 released

| Diff GT

The new version Diff GT 3.7 is available for download. The latest release of the PDF comparison software for circuit diagrams and technical drawings includes the following changes: …

More ›

Diff GT 3.6.2 released

| Diff GT

The new version Diff GT 3.6.2 is available for download. The latest release of the PDF comparison software for circuit diagrams and technical drawings includes the following changes: …

More ›

Diff GT 3.6 released

| Diff GT

The new version Diff GT 3.6 is available for download. The latest release of the PDF comparison software for circuit diagrams and technical drawings includes the following changes: …

More ›


Howto

Compare PDF: 10 insider tips how to get the best results

Our 10 insider tips are the condensate from years of work in the field PDF comparison and the feedback from renowned customers in all industries. We are happy to share this secret knowledge with you.

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