How to Compare Two Excel Files
Two versions of the same workbook that should match but don't — a resend, a colleague's edits, last month vs this month. Here's how to find every difference between them.
Last updated: August 2026
| Cell | This file | Other file | |
|---|---|---|---|
| B2 | 100 | → | 150 (changed) |
| C5 | West | → | West (same) |
| Row 9 | — | → | added row |
Method 1 — View Side by Side (visual)
- Open both workbooks.
- Go to View → View Side by Side.
- Turn on Synchronous Scrolling so both scroll together, and skim for differences.
Fine for a quick look; hopeless for spotting one changed number across thousands of rows.
Method 2 — Spreadsheet Compare (Office Professional Plus)
- If you have Office Professional Plus or Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, open Spreadsheet Compare from the Start menu (it installs with the Inquire add-in).
- Choose Compare Files, pick both workbooks, and click Compare.
- You get a colour-coded, cell-by-cell report of entered values, formulas, and formatting changes.
Powerful — but it's not in Home or standard editions, so many people don't have it.
Method 3 — the formula way
Copy both sheets into one workbook, then on a blank sheet enter =IF(Sheet1!A1<>Sheet2!A1, "changed", "") and fill it across the whole data range. Any cell marked changed differs. It works, but you rebuild it for every sheet and it can't show added or removed rows.
The 1-click way — Tellsheet
Compare Workbooks compares the open workbook against another file (.xlsx or .csv) in one step: it matches sheets by name, diffs each one cell-by-cell, and writes a single report to a new sheet — every changed cell (with its old and new value), plus rows added or removed and sheets that exist in only one file. The other file is parsed on your computer and never uploaded. For two ranges inside the same workbook, use Diff Two Ranges.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compare two Excel files for differences?
Eyeball them with View → View Side by Side, use Spreadsheet Compare (Office Professional Plus), write an =IF() formula that flags differing cells, or use Tellsheet's Compare Workbooks, which diffs every same-named sheet and writes a change report to a new sheet.
Does Excel have a built-in Compare Files tool?
Only Office Professional Plus and Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, via the Inquire add-in's Spreadsheet Compare. Home and standard editions don't include it.
How do I compare two files without uploading them?
Avoid online "compare Excel" sites. Tellsheet's Compare Workbooks parses the second file in your browser and never uploads it; Spreadsheet Compare also runs entirely on your PC.
Can I compare two sheets instead of two files?
Yes — Diff Two Ranges compares two ranges in the open workbook cell-by-cell, and Compare Two Columns flags matches and differences between two columns.
Related Excel guides
Compare two workbooks in one click
Compare Workbooks writes a full cell-by-cell change report inside Excel — the other file read locally, never uploaded.
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