On your computer, there are two Excel files with names that are strikingly similar to one another that are located in different directories. How can you tell whether the files are identical copies of the same Excel workbook or different versions of the same workbook? Even if you do not have Excel installed on your computer, you will still be able to follow along with this lesson and learn how to compare two Excel files.

These comparison tools will assist you in locating inconsistencies in data, values that have become obsolete, broken formulae, inaccurate calculations, and other errors that may be present in your Excel worksheet. In this article, we will look at “How to Compare Two Excel Files and Highlight the Differences?”

How to Compare Two Excel Files and Highlight the Differences

Comparing Two Excel Sheets: (View Side by Side)

Step 1: Open the Excel file that contains both spreadsheets, navigate to the View tab, and then pick New Window from the drop-down menu.

 Step 2: Choose the (second) worksheet that you wish to compare and then switch to it in the new window that has appeared.

 Step 3: If you want to see both worksheets side by side, you can adjust the size of the windows or move them closer together on the screen. When comparing Excel worksheets, this strategy works best when there are only a few rows or columns in each worksheet.

 Step 4: If you would rather utilize the comparison tool that Excel provides to set both windows side-by-side, you can do so by selecting the “View” tab and then selecting the icon labeled View Side by Side.

 Step 5: On the screen of your computer, Excel will immediately arrange both spreadsheets horizontally. Because it may be difficult to compare sheets when viewed in this landscape format, proceed to the following step, which involves reorienting the document so that it is presented in a vertical or portrait format.

 Step 6: Go back to the “View” menu, and this time chooses the Arrange All option.

In the “Arrange” window, choose Vertical, and then click the OK button.

 Step 7: This will arrange both spreadsheets on your screen such that they are concurrently visible to you. There is one more option that you need to turn on before you can begin the comparison, and it will go much more smoothly.

 Step 8: Tap the Synchronous Scrolling button, and then check to see that it is selected. 

 Step 9: Because of this, you are able to scroll through both spreadsheets at the same time, which enables you to compare your dataset in a row-by-row fashion simultaneously.

 Step 10: Make sure that the rows at the top of both spreadsheets are frozen if they are headers. This will prevent the rows from moving along with the rest of the dataset when you navigate through it.

 Step 11: Select Freeze Panes and select Freeze Top Row. Proceed in the same manner with the second worksheet.

 Step 12: Choose the Reset Window Position option to switch the orientation of the comparison back to landscape format.

 Step 13: When you are comparing the two worksheets, pick View Side by Side from the View menu to return both worksheets to their original dimensions.

 Step 14: You can now go line by line through both worksheets and evaluate them side by side. The fact that all versions of Excel contain this capability is undoubtedly the most useful aspect of it. 

 Step 15: Despite this, you will still be responsible for a significant portion of the job, such as locating cells that contain different figures, macros, or formulas, among other things.

Comparing Two Excel Files Using Online Tools:

In Excel, there are web-based programs that provide comparison services. If you can’t get Excel on your computer, you can still use these tools to your advantage. If you need to compare two Excel files, try out Aspose’s Excel Comparison tool. When you’re ready to compare two Excel files, just upload the first (main) file into the first box, then drop the second file into the second box. In the event that the files contain numerous sheets, use the Sheets tab to pick the sheets that you wish to compare. Aspose’s Excel comparison tool highlights discrepancies in yellow if the two sheets have cells with differing values or content. The problem with these online resources is that they all seem to emphasize different things. Contradictory calculations, formulas, etc., cannot be highlighted.