Spreadsheet Diff

How to use Spreadsheet Diff

1. Drop the first workbook in List A and the second in List B, or choose browse files in each drop zone.
2. Choose Coordinate (match by cell position) for fixed layouts or Key column(s) (match rows by value) for row matching.
3. For key-column matching, enter at least one name, letter, or 1-based index in Key column(s) - required for key-column matching.
4. Set Ignore sheet(s), Ignore column(s), or the comparison checkboxes as needed.
5. Review Sheet comparison summary and Per-sheet results, then choose Export CSV or Export JSON.

What sheet matching reports

Spreadsheet Diff compares sheets whose names appear in both workbooks. A sheet present in only one file is reported as added or removed. Common sheets show row and column dimensions, while First row is a header also checks for added or removed headers. Enter sheet names separated by commas in Ignore sheet(s) to leave those sheets out.

Coordinate (match by cell position) compares cells at the same positions. With First row is a header selected, row 1 is left out of the coordinate cell count and checked as headers. Key column(s) (match rows by value) uses row 1 as the header for row matching.

How key-column matching handles rows

Select Key column(s) (match rows by value) when row positions can change. Enter column names, letters, or indexes separated by commas in Key column(s) - required for key-column matching. The tool matches rows by those values, then compares columns with the same header name. Ignore column(s) removes selected columns from that comparison.

Workbook A: ID | Amount
101 | 125

Workbook B: ID | Amount
101 | 130

Per-sheet result: ID 101, Amount changed 125 to 130

Duplicate key values are matched in order of appearance and produce a warning. If a specified key column is missing from a sheet's header row, that sheet is skipped for row-level comparison. Key-column mode also needs at least one key column before comparison starts.

What each comparison option checks

The default check compares displayed values. Compare formulas also checks formula text, while Compare cell formatting (number format) checks number-format differences. Ignore case lowercases text, Ignore whitespace trims and collapses whitespace, and Numeric-aware comparison compares numeric text as numbers when both values can be converted.

What appears in the report

• Sheet comparison summary lists sheet counts, matched sheets, added sheets, removed sheets, and the selected cell-matching mode.
• Per-sheet results shows dimensions, header changes, added or removed cells, changed cells, or row-level additions and removals.
• Choose Export CSV for a delimited change report or Export JSON for the structured comparison result.

Spreadsheet Diff or CSV Diff?

Spreadsheet Compare Tools includes this workbook comparison and the tools for flat table comparisons. Use Spreadsheet Diff for multi-sheet workbook structure, formulas, displayed values, and optional number formats. Use CSV Diff when the input is CSV, TSV, or another delimited table; Spreadsheet Diff rejects those text-file extensions.

Frequently asked questions