Compare Two Excel Files and Highlight Every Difference
No formulas. No Conditional Formatting. No Power Query. No manual work.
Comparison report for two Excel files with highlighted differences (click 
for details)
Row 1910 is present only in left -> Added
xlCompare highlights it with green background color.
An empty row is inserted into the right sheet to align corresponding rows side by side.
First row is a heading row in this table.
xlCompare highlights it with light blue background color.
The heading row helps xlCompare produce accurate results when columns appear in a different order.
Column C (SKU) is a key column in this table.
xlCompare highlights it with light blue background color.
Key columns help xlCompare identify matching rows and align them correctly in the comparison report.
Column D (Price) is highlighted with light orange color.
This means that column D contains changed cells.
xlCompare highlights the column heading when the column contains changed cells.
Cell E520 is highlighted with light orange color.
Its value was changed from 144.26 to 156.34.
Every changed cell is highlighted with background color.
Depending on the Changed Value and Display Difference options, xlCompare shows corresponding value or difference below the original.
In this example, the difference is -12.08.
The red triangle indicates that this value is lower than the corresponding value.
The row heading for row 520 is highlighted in light orange.
This means that row 520 contains changed cells (E520).
Highlighted row and column headings help you quickly locate changed cells.
This also lets you quickly see whether a specific row contains any changed cells.
Move the mouse pointer over a changed cell to see detailed information about the modification.
The tooltip shows that cell E520 corresponds to cell E6.
Value was changed from 144.26 to 156.34.
The difference between the values is -12.08.
Worksheet Price List contains 403 modifications.
Changed cells, inserted and removed rows and columns are counted.
This lets you see how modifications are distributed across worksheets directly on the sheet tabs.
Complete list of changes found between 2 Excel files (click for details)
Complete list of all changes found between left and right file.
There are 403 modifications.
Use the drop-down list to show only modifications found on a specific worksheet.
The Legend provides a summary of the differences between the two files, including the number of changed values and formulas, as well as inserted rows and columns.
Click any item in the Legend to filter the comparison results and display only differences of the selected type.
Copy the list contents or Export them to an XLSX file.
Row 1910 is present only in the left file -> Added.
SKU of this item is US-001908.
Row 22 is present only in the right file -> Deleted.
SKU of this item is US-003049.
Value in cell E6 was changed from 144.26 to 156.34.
MSRP Price column in SKU US-000519 was modified.
The difference is -12.08 in the absolute value or -8.37%.
How to Find and Highlight Differences Between Two Excel Files Step-by-Step
Manually finding differences between Excel files requires knowledge of Excel features such as Conditional Formatting, formulas, and Power Query. It also carries a significant risk of errors.
Below, we'll show you how to compare two Excel files automatically with xlCompare and generate a clear comparison report.
1. Open Two Excel Files
To open two files in xlCompare, simply launch the application and drag and drop your files from File Explorer into the xlCompare window.
xlCompare has a familiar, Microsoft Excel-like interface, making it easy and intuitive to work with your spreadsheet data.
2. Click the Compare Files Button
To see the comparison results, simply click the Compare Files button in the main menu. xlCompare will give you the option to review and adjust the comparison settings, but you can skip this step and proceed with the default settings.
3. View the Comparison Report
The comparison results are now displayed on the screen. xlCompare compares all worksheets in both Excel files and highlights every difference with color.
xlCompare detects changes in cell values, formulas, fonts, text and background colors, other cell formatting properties, and comments.
What Differences Can xlCompare Find?
Changed Cells
Cells with changed values are highlighted with an orange background. Use the Changed Value and Display Difference commands to display the changed value together with the original value.
Changed Formulas
All modified formulas are included in the list of differences. To display only formulas that have changed, click Formulas in the Legend above the list of differences.
Hover over a cell, and xlCompare will highlight the changes within the formula text, making it easy to see exactly what was modified.
Inserted and Removed Rows
Rows that are missing from the other file are highlighted with color. In the left file, xlCompare highlights these rows with a green background, while in the right file they are highlighted with a red background.
You can customize these colors in the application settings.
Inserted and Removed Columns
Columns that are missing from the left file are highlighted in red. You can customize the highlight color in the xlCompare settings.
To hide all inserted and deleted columns, click Equal Columns in the menu. xlCompare will hide the unmatched columns and align the corresponding cells side by side in the comparison report.
Changed Cell Formatting
In addition to cell values and formulas, xlCompare compares all cell formatting properties, including fonts, text and fill colors, number formats, text alignment, and borders. You can choose which formatting properties to include or exclude in the xlCompare Comparison Settings.
Every cell with modified formatting appears in the list of differences. The Legend shows the total number of formatting changes found. Click Style in the Legend to filter the results and display only changes to cell formatting.
For detailed information about a formatting change, hover over the cell. A tooltip will show exactly which style properties have changed.
In this example, the font size and text color were changed, and bold formatting was applied to the cell.
Compare Formulas, Not Just Values
xlCompare analyzes the structure of each formula to detect only actual changes. Instead of treating a formula as a simple text string, xlCompare breaks it down into individual expressions and compares each part separately.
This approach helps eliminate false differences caused by inserted or deleted rows and columns. Inserting a new row - or making any other change that shifts cell references - can alter the text of many formulas even though their underlying calculations remain unchanged.
A cell-by-cell comparison such as FORMULATEXT(Sheet1!A1)=FORMULATEXT(Sheet2!A1) would report every formula that references a shifted range as different.
xlCompare uses a more intelligent formula comparison algorithm that takes these structural changes into account. As a result, it can distinguish reference changes caused by row or column shifts from actual edits to formulas and highlight only the formulas whose logic has genuinely changed.
Compare Two Excel Sheets by Key Columns
xlCompare natively supports Composite Keys (using two or more columns together as a single identifier). For example, if you have a staff roster, "John" or "Smith" alone isn't unique. You can select both the "First Name" and "Last Name" columns as keys. xlCompare combines these columns into a composite key to identify the corresponding row in the other sheet.
Built for Professional Excel Comparison
xlCompare is designed for all Excel users. Compare complete files locally on your PC, including all worksheets, formulas, formatting, rows, columns, and VBA code. Review and filter differences, export reports, transfer changes between files, or automate comparisons from the command line.
Most comparisons require no configuration, while advanced options remain available when you need precise control over the comparison.
17 Years on the Market
The story of xlCompare began in 2009 with the release of its first version as an Excel COM Add-in. Over the past 17 years, xlCompare has evolved significantly, growing from a simple Excel add-in into a standalone application with a comprehensive set of tools for comparing and merging Excel files.
We continue to develop and improve xlCompare, and we are grateful to every customer who has chosen and supported our product over the years.
Download and Install xlCompare
Download xlCompare
12.05
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September 15, 2026
12.05
xlcompare-12-05.msi
https://xlCompare.com/xlcompare-12-05.msi
8.9 MB
15 days
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