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Compare Excel Files

Drop the original and the modified workbook and get every difference: sheets added or removed, rows added or removed, and cells whose value changed.

Processed locally in your browser

Options

Empty: rows are compared by position. With a column letter, header name or number, rows are matched by that value, so added and removed rows are found even when the order changed.

What is Compare Excel Files?

When a spreadsheet comes back from a colleague, or a monthly export changes, you need to know exactly what is different. This tool reads two workbooks (.xlsx, .xls, .xlsm, .ods or .csv) locally, matches their sheets by name and compares the values cell by cell, as they are displayed.

By default rows are compared by position. Enter a key column such as an ID and rows are matched by that value instead, so inserted, deleted and re-ordered rows are told apart from real edits. You get a summary, a coloured comparison with +, − and ~ markers, a table of up to 2,000 differences with the old and new value of every cell, and a differences.xlsx file with the complete list.

How does it work?

  1. Select exactly two files: the original first and the modified version second (or tick "swap").
  2. Optionally type a key column (a letter, a header name or a number) to match rows by ID instead of by position.
  3. Click Compare the two files and read the summary of sheets, rows and cells.
  4. Browse the visual comparison and the table, or download differences.xlsx for the full list.

Common use cases

  • Checking which cells a colleague changed in a shared budget or report.
  • Comparing this month’s export with last month’s to see new and removed customers.
  • Verifying that a migration or a formula rewrite did not alter any value.
  • Auditing a price list by matching products on their SKU column.

Examples

Drop the original and the modified workbook and get every difference: sheets added or removed, rows added or removed, and cells whose value changed.

Privacy

Compare Excel Files runs entirely in your browser. The text or files you provide are processed on your device and are not uploaded, logged or stored on our servers.

Limitations

Only values are compared, as displayed: formatting, comments, hidden formulas and macros are ignored, and formulas are never executed. Sheets are matched by name only, so a renamed sheet appears as one removed and one added sheet.

Related guides

  • Compare Excel Files with Reordered Rows

    A useful spreadsheet diff depends on matching the right records. Compare by cell position when row order is stable; choose a key column when records have moved.

Frequently asked questions

When should I use a key column?

When rows can be inserted, deleted or sorted differently between the two files. Without a key, an inserted row shifts everything below it and every cell after it looks modified. With a key such as an ID, each row is compared with its counterpart.

How are the cell addresses reported?

In Excel notation, for example C12. When rows are matched by key, the address refers to the modified file. Added and removed rows show their row number in the file they exist in.

Which file is the original?

The first one you select. Everything present only in the second file is reported as added and everything present only in the first as removed. Tick "swap" to reverse the roles without reselecting.

Are my workbooks uploaded?

No. Both files are read and compared by code running in your browser, so confidential spreadsheets never leave your device.

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