Track Changes for LaTeX

Free Tool, No Perl install, No Terminal

Word has Track Changes. LaTeX has latexdiff. This is latexdiff in your browser, a free LaTeX track changes tool with no Perl install required.

original.tex

Before

revised.tex

After

Advanced options

Marking style Deletion style Float handling Math markup

Files stay private. We process the diff and discard the input immediately.

diff.tex

How it works

Paste the original .tex Drop the original version into the box on the left.

Step 1

Paste the revised .tex Drop the revised version into the box on the right.

Step 2

Click Generate Diff You get a third .tex file. Compile it with pdflatex: additions show in blue, deletions in red strikethrough.

Step 3

Your original and revised files stay untouched. The work runs server-side using the real latexdiff script from CTAN.

Same as Word

See every change Exactly what was added and removed between two versions.

Visible

Reviewer-ready output Suitable for co-authors, supervisors, or journal editors who want to see your changes.

Shareable

Accepted by journals A compiled latexdiff PDF is the standard marked-up revision across PLOS, Elsevier, IEEE, Springer, MDPI, and ACM.

Journal-ready

Limitation

Single .tex file only No \input{} / \include{} flattening yet. Concatenate chapters first, or wait for the multi-file tool.

For now

File size cap Fine for any normal single-file paper.

500KB / file

No comment tracking Content changes only. Use \todo{} or \marginpar{} for comments.

Content only

No accept / reject UI The diff is a read-only snapshot, not an editor.

Read-only

Good to know

A snapshot, not a live editor

latexdiff compares two finished files and writes a static marked-up file. To accept a change, use the new version going forward; to reject it, revert to the old file and re-diff. You need two completed versions, not live typing.

Free LaTeX track changes tool

Overleaf gates Track Changes behind its Premium plan. This gives you the same version-to-version comparison free. To compare two Overleaf files, download both versions (Menu, Download, Source) and paste each above.

Compile with the ulem package

The output is a .tex file. latexdiff adds \RequirePackage[normalem]{ulem} to the preamble; install ulem (standard in TeX Live and MiKTeX) and compile with pdflatex.

Template conflicts? Use SAFE

Classes like elsarticle, acmart, and sn-jnl redefine commands the default markup relies on. If the diff compiles but the markup is invisible, switch the subtype option to SAFE and regenerate.

Frequently asked questions

Does LaTeX have a built-in Track Changes?

No. LaTeX has no tracking feature. The community convention is latexdiff, a Perl script that compares two source files and writes a marked-up third file. This tool runs that script for you.

Is this the same as Overleaf Track Changes?

Functionally similar for comparing two versions. Overleaf Track Changes is a live, interactive editor on the Premium plan. This is a static diff of two completed files, free. If you need live editing, use Overleaf; if you need a diffed file for a resubmission or co-author review, this works.

Do I need to install Perl?

No. The latexdiff Perl script runs on our server. You just paste the two files.

Can I accept or reject changes one by one?

Not in the diff itself, which is a snapshot rather than an editor. To accept a change, use the new version as your source going forward. To reject one, edit the new version to match the old, then re-diff.

My journal asks for a marked-up version on resubmission. Is this it?

Almost always yes. The compiled PDF of a latexdiff output is the de facto standard for marked-up LaTeX resubmissions across PLOS, Elsevier, IEEE, and Springer titles. Some journals have specific colour requirements; the default blue-add / red-delete works for most.

Will this handle equations correctly?

Yes, with a caveat. The default math-markup=coarse marks any changed equation as a single block. For symbol-level detail switch to fine in the options; it is fragile on complex equations but useful for small algebraic edits.

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