How to Compare Two Spreadsheets for Differences: A Comprehensive Guide

When working with data, especially in environments that require meticulous record-keeping or collaborative editing, you’ll often find yourself needing to compare two spreadsheets. Whether you’re checking for errors, merging updates from colleagues, or simply understanding changes over time, knowing how to effectively compare spreadsheets is an invaluable skill. This guide offers a detailed exploration of various methods to compare two spreadsheets for differences, ranging from built-in Excel features to more advanced third-party tools.

Visual Side-by-Side Comparison in Excel

For a quick, visual check, especially with smaller datasets or when you need a general overview, Excel’s “View Side by Side” mode is a straightforward solution. This method allows you to arrange two spreadsheet windows next to each other on your screen, facilitating direct visual comparison.

Comparing Two Excel Workbooks Side by Side

Imagine you have two versions of a sales report, perhaps “Sales Report – Week 1” and “Sales Report – Week 2”. To visually compare these workbooks:

Open both Excel workbooks that you intend to compare.
Navigate to the View tab on the Excel ribbon.
In the Window group, click the View Side by Side button.

Excel will automatically arrange the two open workbooks side by side, typically in a horizontal layout by default.

For a vertical arrangement, which some users find more convenient for comparing columnar data:

After activating “View Side by Side,” click the Arrange All button, also located in the Window group on the View tab.
In the “Arrange Windows” dialog box, select Vertical and click OK.

To enhance the comparison, especially when dealing with large spreadsheets, enable Synchronous Scrolling. This feature links the scrolling of both windows, allowing you to scroll through both spreadsheets simultaneously and maintain alignment. Synchronous Scrolling is usually activated automatically when you enable “View Side by Side” and can be found directly below the “View Side by Side” button on the View tab, in the Window group.

Comparing Multiple Excel Workbooks Simultaneously

If you need to compare more than two Excel files at once, Excel’s “View Side by Side” can still be utilized. After opening all the workbooks:

Click the View Side by Side button. Excel will often prompt a Compare Side by Side dialog box.
In this dialog, you can select which workbooks to display alongside the currently active workbook.

Alternatively, for a broader view of all open Excel files:

Click the Arrange All button on the View tab.
Choose from arrangement options like Tiled, Horizontal, Vertical, or Cascade to display all open workbooks on your screen.

Comparing Two Sheets Within the Same Workbook

Sometimes, the spreadsheets you need to compare are within the same Excel workbook. To view two sheets from the same workbook side by side:

Open the Excel workbook.
Go to the View tab and click New Window in the Window group. This opens a second window displaying the same workbook.
Click View Side by Side.
In each window, navigate to the specific sheet you want to compare. For example, select “Sheet1” in one window and “Sheet2” in the other.

Formula-Based Spreadsheet Comparison for Value Differences

For a more analytical approach, you can use Excel formulas to create a difference report. This method is particularly useful when you need to systematically identify cells with differing values across two spreadsheets.

To compare two sheets, for instance, “Sheet1” and “Sheet2”, and generate a difference report:

Open a new, blank worksheet in your workbook.

In cell A1 of the new sheet, enter the following formula:

=IF(Sheet1!A1<>Sheet2!A1, "Sheet1:"&Sheet1!A1&" vs Sheet2:"&Sheet2!A1, "")

Drag the fill handle (the small square at the bottom-right of the selected cell) to copy this formula down and across to cover the range of data you need to compare.

This formula works by comparing corresponding cells in “Sheet1” and “Sheet2”. If the values are different, it reports the values from both sheets; otherwise, it leaves the cell blank.

Limitations of Formula-Based Comparison:

Value-focused: This method only compares cell values and does not account for differences in formulas or formatting.
Row/Column sensitivity: Adding or deleting rows or columns in one sheet will misalign subsequent comparisons.
Sheet-level scope: It does not detect workbook-level differences, such as added or deleted sheets.

Conditional Formatting to Highlight Differences

Conditional formatting offers a visually striking way to highlight cells that differ between two spreadsheets directly within one of the sheets being compared.

To highlight differences using conditional formatting:

Select the range of cells you want to compare in the worksheet where you want the highlighting to appear. Start by clicking the top-left cell of your data range (typically A1) and press Ctrl + Shift + End to select all used cells.
Go to the Home tab on the ribbon.
In the Styles group, click Conditional Formatting and then New Rule.
In the “New Formatting Rule” dialog, select “Use a formula to determine which cells to format”.
Enter the following formula in the “Format values where this formula is true” box:
```
=A1<>Sheet2!A1
```
Replace “Sheet2” with the name of the other sheet you are comparing against.
Click the Format button to choose the formatting style (e.g., fill color, font style) to be applied to differing cells.
Click OK in both the “Format Cells” and “New Formatting Rule” dialogs.

This will dynamically highlight cells in your selected range that have different values compared to the corresponding cells in “Sheet2”.

Limitations of Conditional Formatting for Comparison:

Similar to formula-based comparison, conditional formatting is primarily value-focused and sensitive to structural differences like added/deleted rows or columns. It is also limited to sheet-level comparisons and doesn’t address differences in formulas or formatting.

Compare and Merge Shared Workbooks for Collaborative Changes

Excel’s “Compare and Merge Workbooks” feature is designed specifically for scenarios where multiple users are collaborating on the same workbook. It allows you to combine changes made in different copies of a shared workbook into a single master version.

Preparation for Using “Compare and Merge Workbooks”:

Share the workbook: Before distributing the workbook for editing, it must be shared. Go to the Review tab, in the Changes group, click Share Workbook. Check the box “Allow changes by more than one user at the same time…” and click OK. Save the workbook if prompted.
Copies for each user: Each user should save a copy of the shared workbook with a unique filename before making their edits.

Steps to Compare and Merge Workbooks:

Enable the “Compare and Merge Workbooks” command: This command is not readily visible in Excel by default. To add it to your Quick Access Toolbar:
- Click the dropdown arrow on the Quick Access Toolbar and select More Commands.
- In the “Excel Options” dialog, under “Choose commands from”, select All Commands.
- Scroll down to Compare and Merge Workbooks, select it, and click Add to move it to the right-hand section. Click OK.
Merge the workbooks:
- Open the original, shared workbook.
- Click the Compare and Merge Workbooks command on the Quick Access Toolbar.
- In the dialog box, select the copies of the shared workbook you want to merge and click OK. You can select multiple copies by holding down the Shift key.
Review the changes:
- To visualize the merged changes, go to the Review tab, Changes group, and click Track Changes > Highlight Changes.
- In the “Highlight Changes” dialog, configure the settings to show changes made by “Everyone”, “When: All”, and ensure “Highlight changes on screen” is checked. Click OK.

Excel uses color-coding and highlights row and column headers to indicate where changes have been made. Hovering over a changed cell will show details about the edit.

Limitations of “Compare and Merge Workbooks”:

Shared workbook requirement: It only works with workbooks that were initially set up as shared workbooks.
Version specific: Designed for merging versions of the same original file, not for comparing fundamentally different spreadsheets.
Feature set: While useful for collaborative edits, it may not provide the detailed comparison of values, formulas, and formatting that other methods or tools offer.

Third-Party Tools for Advanced Spreadsheet Comparison

For users requiring a more robust and feature-rich solution to compare spreadsheets, several third-party tools are available. These tools often go beyond Excel’s built-in capabilities, offering comprehensive comparisons of values, formulas, formatting, and even structural changes like added or deleted rows and columns.

Synkronizer Excel Compare: Comprehensive Comparison, Merge, and Update Tool

Synkronizer Excel Compare is an Excel add-in designed for in-depth spreadsheet comparison and merging. It provides a range of features for identifying differences and synchronizing data between Excel files.

Key features of Synkronizer Excel Compare:

Detailed difference identification: Compares values, formulas, cell formats, comments, and names.
Merge and update functionality: Allows for selective merging of differences from one sheet to another.
Difference reporting: Generates detailed reports of all identified differences, which can be customized and exported.
Side-by-side view: Displays compared sheets side-by-side for easy visual analysis.
Comparison options: Offers various comparison modes, including “normal worksheets,” “with link options,” “as database,” and “selected ranges.”
Customizable filtering: Allows users to ignore specific types of differences (e.g., case sensitivity, spaces, formula differences with same results).

Using Synkronizer Excel Compare for Spreadsheet Comparison:

Launch Synkronizer: After installing, find Synkronizer on the “Add-ins” tab in Excel and launch it.
Select workbooks and sheets: Choose the two Excel workbooks and specific sheets you wish to compare within the Synkronizer pane.
Choose comparison options: Select the appropriate comparison type and specify what content types and formats to compare.
Start comparison: Click the “Start” button to initiate the comparison process.
Review results: Examine the summary and detailed difference reports provided by Synkronizer. Differences are visually highlighted in the side-by-side view.

Synkronizer’s reporting and merging capabilities make it a powerful tool for managing and reconciling differences in Excel spreadsheets, especially in professional settings.

Ablebits Compare Sheets for Excel: Wizard-Driven Comparison and Review

Ablebits Compare Sheets for Excel, part of the Ablebits Ultimate Suite, offers a user-friendly, wizard-driven approach to comparing Excel worksheets.

Key features of Ablebits Compare Sheets:

Step-by-step wizard: Guides users through the comparison setup process.
Multiple comparison algorithms: Offers algorithms tailored to different data structures, including “No key columns,” “By key columns,” and “Cell-by-cell.”
Review Differences mode: Presents compared sheets side-by-side in a special mode for easy difference review and management.
Difference highlighting: Uses color-coding to highlight different types of discrepancies.
Merge/Ignore options: Provides tools to merge or ignore differences directly within the review mode.
Backup creation: Automatically creates backups of original files before comparison.

Alt text: Selecting a specific table within an Excel worksheet for comparison using Ablebits Compare Sheets.

Using Ablebits Compare Sheets:

Launch Compare Sheets: Find the “Compare Sheets” button on the “Ablebits Data” tab in Excel.
Wizard setup: Follow the wizard to select the worksheets to compare, choose a comparison algorithm, and specify comparison options.
Review Differences mode: After comparison, the sheets open in “Review Differences” mode, highlighting discrepancies.
Manage differences: Use the toolbar within the “Review Differences” mode to navigate through differences, merge, or ignore them.

Ablebits Compare Sheets is designed to be intuitive and efficient, making it a good choice for users who need a powerful yet easy-to-use spreadsheet comparison tool.

Other Notable Third-Party Tools

xlCompare: xlCompare focuses on comparing and merging workbooks, sheets, and VBA projects, with features for finding duplicates, updating records, and filtering comparison results.
Change pro for Excel: Change pro for Excel by Litera is designed for both desktop and mobile comparison, emphasizing formula and layout change detection, and reporting capabilities.

Online Spreadsheet Comparison Services

For quick, one-off comparisons, especially for non-sensitive data, online services offer a convenient alternative without the need for software installation.

Example Online Service: CloudyExcel

CloudyExcel is an online tool that allows you to upload two Excel files and compare them directly in your browser.

Using CloudyExcel:

Navigate to CloudyExcel: Open your web browser and go to the CloudyExcel website.
Upload files: Upload the two Excel workbooks you want to compare.
Compare: Click the “Find Difference” button.
Review results: CloudyExcel highlights the differences directly in the online spreadsheet viewer.

Online services like CloudyExcel are useful for quick checks but may have limitations in terms of feature depth and are generally not recommended for sensitive or confidential data due to security considerations of uploading files to external servers.

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Method for Spreadsheet Comparison

Comparing two spreadsheets for differences can range from a simple visual check to a complex analysis requiring specialized tools. The best method depends on your specific needs, the size and complexity of your spreadsheets, and the level of detail required in the comparison.

Visual “View Side by Side”: Best for quick, high-level comparisons of small to medium datasets.
Formula-based comparison: Suitable for identifying value differences systematically but limited in scope.
Conditional formatting: Ideal for visually highlighting value differences within a sheet.
“Compare and Merge Workbooks”: Designed for collaborative editing scenarios with shared workbooks.
Third-party tools (e.g., Synkronizer, Ablebits): Offer comprehensive feature sets for in-depth comparison of values, formulas, formatting, and structure, along with merging and reporting capabilities.
Online services (e.g., CloudyExcel): Convenient for quick, basic comparisons of non-sensitive data.

By understanding these different methods, you can choose the most effective approach to compare your spreadsheets, ensuring data accuracy and efficiency in your workflow. Whether you opt for Excel’s built-in features or explore third-party solutions, mastering spreadsheet comparison techniques is a valuable asset in any data-driven environment.