Paste two lists to see instantly what matches, what’s missing, and what’s unique to each one. Use it for invoices and payments, attendance lists, email lists, stock codes or anything else you need to reconcile.
Only in A
In both
Only in B
Extra spaces at the start and end of each line are ignored. Nothing you paste leaves your browser.
Compare two lists in Excel
To do the same in a spreadsheet, with List A in A2:A100 and List B in B2:B100:
| To find | Excel 365 formula |
|---|---|
| Only in A | =FILTER(A2:A100,COUNTIF(B2:B100,A2:A100)=0) |
| Only in B | =FILTER(B2:B100,COUNTIF(A2:A100,B2:B100)=0) |
| In both | =FILTER(A2:A100,COUNTIF(B2:B100,A2:A100)>0) |
For older versions of Excel, and for comparing row by row, see compare two columns for matches and find missing values between two lists.
Frequently asked questions
Does it ignore extra spaces?
Yes. Spaces at the start and end of each line are removed before comparing, which fixes the most common reason lists don’t match.
Is the comparison case-sensitive?
Not by default, so ANU and Anu match. Tick the option to match case exactly.
How many items can I compare?
Thousands. Everything runs in your browser, so very large lists depend on your device.