| | Proofreading | Editing |
| 1. | Performed on the final draft of the document | Performed on the first draft of the document and continues till the draft is finalized |
| 2. | Addresses surface-level issues | Addresses the core features of writing |
| 3. | Universally accepted, consistent definition | Definition varies according to the scope of editing. Editage, for example, offers three different editing services. |
| 4. | Eliminates misspellings, grammatical and punctuation errors, inconsistencies, formatting errors, etc. | Enhances the language by making changes for clarity, readability, and smooth narration. |
| 5. | Does not include word count reduction | Includes word reduction, if required |
| 6. | Makes already good writing error-free | Overall quality of writing is improved |
| 7. | Does not require much collaboration with the author | Collaborative as it requires the editor to work with the author |
| 8. | Shorter turnaround time | Slightly longer turnaround time (as the amount of work required is more) |