How to compare two lists
- Add both lists. Paste each list into its box, one item per line, or drop a TXT, CSV or XLSX file. You can also copy two columns from Excel or Google Sheets at once and split them into two lists.
- Pick the part you need. Click a part of the circles, or tick it in the list below them: only in the first list, in both, or only in the second.
- Copy or download. Each part has its own copy button. The result pastes straight back into a spreadsheet, one item per row.
What each part means
- Only in List A
- Items in the first list that are missing from the second. Use it to find who registered but didn’t check in, or which products are missing from a new export.
- In both
- Items that appear in both lists: the matches.
- Only in List B
- Items in the second list that are not in the first.
- All, without duplicates
- Every item from both lists, each listed once. This is the merged list.
Why two items that look the same don’t match
Lists exported from different systems often differ in ways you can’t see: Anna@Example.com and anna@example.com, a trailing space, or a zero-width character copied from a web page. Most list tools just count these as different. This one tells you how many pairs differ only in case, spaces or hidden characters, shows you those pairs, and lets you change the rule with one click. You can undo the change.
By default, spaces at the start and end are ignored, hidden characters are removed, and upper/lower case must match. Emails usually work better with case ignored. IDs and product codes usually don’t.
Compare whole rows by a column
Paste whole tables instead of single columns, and choose which column to match by, such as email or employee ID. The result can include the full rows from both tables, ready to paste back into your spreadsheet. Leading zeros and long numbers stay as text.
Where your lists go
The comparison runs in this browser tab. List contents, file names and list names aren’t sent to our server or to anyone else. The page uses Google Analytics to count visits, comparisons and exports; see Privacy for exactly what it receives.
Questions
How do I find items in list A that are not in list B?
Add both lists, then use the copy button next to “Only in List A”. Rename the lists by clicking their titles, so the result says, for example, “Only in Registrations”.
Can I compare two columns from Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. Copy both columns together and paste them into the first box. The tool asks whether the two columns are two lists, and splits them if you say yes.
Are duplicates counted?
Each item counts once. If a list contains the same item more than once, a note tells you how many, and you can see which ones.
Is the comparison case-sensitive?
Yes, by default. Turn on “Ignore upper/lower case” under Matching rules, or use the one-click fix when the tool finds pairs that differ only in case.
How large can the lists be?
In our tests on a Mac, two lists of one million lines each compared in about 1 to 4 seconds, depending on the browser. Older or low-end devices will be slower.