A paired difference test, better known as a paired comparison, is a type of location test that is used when comparing two sets of paired measurements to assess whether their population means differ. A paired difference test is designed for situations where there is dependence between pairs of measurements (in which case a test designed for comparing two independent samples would not be appropriate). That applies in a within-subjects study design, i.e., in a study where the same set of subjects undergo both of the conditions being compared.
Specific methods for carrying out paired difference tests include the paired-samples t-test, the paired Z-test, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test[1] and others.