diff --git a/options/locale_next/locale_en-US.json b/options/locale_next/locale_en-US.json
index d861c42d66..8542114100 100644
--- a/options/locale_next/locale_en-US.json
+++ b/options/locale_next/locale_en-US.json
@@ -111,5 +111,6 @@
     "settings.visibility.description": "Profile visibility affects others' ability to access your non-private repositories. <a href=\"%s\" target=\"_blank\">Learn more</a>.",
     "avatar.constraints_hint": "Custom avatar may not exceed %[1]s in size or be larger than %[2]dx%[3]d pixels",
     "og.repo.summary_card.alt_description": "Summary card of repository %[1]s, described as: %[2]s",
+    "compare.branches.title": "Compare branches",
     "meta.last_line": "Thank you for translating Forgejo! This line isn't seen by the users but it serves other purposes in the translation management. You can place a fun fact in the translation instead of translating it."
 }
diff --git a/routers/web/repo/compare.go b/routers/web/repo/compare.go
index 90ce2e0a71..feedeef945 100644
--- a/routers/web/repo/compare.go
+++ b/routers/web/repo/compare.go
@@ -520,17 +520,6 @@ func ParseCompareInfo(ctx *context.Context) *common.CompareInfo {
 		ctx.Data["PageIsComparePull"] = headIsBranch && baseIsBranch
 	}
 
-	if ctx.Data["PageIsComparePull"] == true && !permBase.CanReadIssuesOrPulls(true) {
-		if log.IsTrace() {
-			log.Trace("Permission Denied: User: %-v cannot create/read pull requests in Repo: %-v\nUser in baseRepo has Permissions: %-+v",
-				ctx.Doer,
-				baseRepo,
-				permBase)
-		}
-		ctx.NotFound("ParseCompareInfo", nil)
-		return nil
-	}
-
 	baseBranchRef := ci.BaseBranch
 	if baseIsBranch {
 		baseBranchRef = git.BranchPrefix + ci.BaseBranch
diff --git a/templates/repo/branch/list.tmpl b/templates/repo/branch/list.tmpl
index fe945324ea..7ee53deb84 100644
--- a/templates/repo/branch/list.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/branch/list.tmpl
@@ -121,7 +121,11 @@
 								{{end}}
 							</td>
 							<td class="two wide right aligned">
-								{{if not .LatestPullRequest}}
+								{{if not ($.Permission.CanRead $.UnitTypePullRequests)}}
+									<a href="{{$.RepoLink}}/compare/{{PathEscapeSegments $.DefaultBranchBranch.DBBranch.Name}}...{{if ne $.Repository.Owner.Name $.Owner.Name}}{{PathEscape $.Owner.Name}}:{{end}}{{PathEscapeSegments .DBBranch.Name}}">
+										<button class="ui compact basic button tw-mr-0">{{ctx.Locale.Tr "compare.branches.title"}}</button>
+									</a>
+								{{else if not .LatestPullRequest}}
 									{{if .IsIncluded}}
 										<span class="ui orange large label" data-tooltip-content="{{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.branch.included_desc"}}">
 											{{svg "octicon-git-pull-request"}} {{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.branch.included"}}
diff --git a/templates/repo/diff/compare.tmpl b/templates/repo/diff/compare.tmpl
index c1b00c5f9e..9dadb13510 100644
--- a/templates/repo/diff/compare.tmpl
+++ b/templates/repo/diff/compare.tmpl
@@ -2,11 +2,16 @@
 <div role="main" aria-label="{{.Title}}" class="page-content repository diff {{if .PageIsComparePull}}compare pull{{end}}">
 	{{template "repo/header" .}}
 	{{$showDiffBox := false}}
+	{{$canReadPullRequests := .Permission.CanRead $.UnitTypePullRequests}}
 	<div class="ui container fluid padded">
 	<h2 class="ui header">
 		{{if and $.PageIsComparePull $.IsSigned (not .Repository.IsArchived)}}
-			{{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.pulls.compare_changes"}}
-			<div class="sub header">{{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.pulls.compare_changes_desc"}}</div>
+			{{if $canReadPullRequests}}
+				{{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.pulls.compare_changes"}}
+				<div class="sub header">{{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.pulls.compare_changes_desc"}}</div>
+			{{else}}
+				{{ctx.Locale.Tr "compare.branches.title"}}
+			{{end}}
 		{{else}}
 			{{ctx.Locale.Tr "action.compare_commits_general"}}
 		{{end}}
@@ -166,7 +171,7 @@
 		{{else}}
 			<div class="ui segment">{{ctx.Locale.Tr "repo.pulls.nothing_to_compare_have_tag"}}</div>
 		{{end}}
-	{{else if and .PageIsComparePull (gt .CommitCount 0)}}
+	{{else if and .PageIsComparePull (gt .CommitCount 0) $canReadPullRequests}}
 		{{if .HasPullRequest}}
 			<div class="ui segment grid title">
 				<div class="twelve wide column issue-title">
diff --git a/tests/integration/compare_test.go b/tests/integration/compare_test.go
index 3c3e8adf94..581aa67659 100644
--- a/tests/integration/compare_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/compare_test.go
@@ -267,13 +267,14 @@ func TestCompareWithPRsDisabled(t *testing.T) {
 			[]unit_model.Type{unit_model.TypePullRequests})
 		require.NoError(t, err)
 
-		t.Run("branch view doesn't offer creating PRs", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Run("branch view offer comparing branches", func(t *testing.T) {
 			defer tests.PrintCurrentTest(t)()
 
 			req := NewRequest(t, "GET", "/user1/repo1/branches")
 			resp := session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusOK)
 			htmlDoc := NewHTMLParser(t, resp.Body)
-			htmlDoc.AssertElement(t, "a[href='/user1/repo1/compare/master...recent-push']", false)
+			compareLink := htmlDoc.Find("a[href='/user1/repo1/compare/master...recent-push']")
+			assert.Equal(t, "Compare branches", strings.TrimSpace(compareLink.Text()))
 		})
 
 		t.Run("compare doesn't offer local branches", func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -290,11 +291,13 @@ func TestCompareWithPRsDisabled(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 		})
 
-		t.Run("comparing against a disabled-PR repo is 404", func(t *testing.T) {
+		t.Run("comparing against a disabled-PR repo", func(t *testing.T) {
 			defer tests.PrintCurrentTest(t)()
 
 			req := NewRequest(t, "GET", "/user1/repo1/compare/master...recent-push")
-			session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusNotFound)
+			resp := session.MakeRequest(t, req, http.StatusOK)
+			htmlDoc := NewHTMLParser(t, resp.Body)
+			assert.Equal(t, "Compare branches", strings.TrimSpace(htmlDoc.Find("h2.header").Text()))
 		})
 	})
 }