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Compare Two Lists in Excel

Paste two columns copied from Excel. See what matches, what is missing from each side and which values repeat — then download the result or rebuild it with COUNTIF, FILTER or MATCH.

Runs in your browserUpdated October 31, 2026Matches, differences and duplicates · CSV export

The short answer

To compare two lists in Excel, use COUNTIF to test whether each value appears in the other list, FILTER to return the missing values, or XLOOKUP to bring back related data. This tool does the same comparison instantly in your browser, shows matches, differences and duplicates, and exports the result as CSV.

OptionsIgnore caseTrim spacesIgnore blanks

List A · 6 rows5 unique

List B · 6 rows5 unique

Values are compared as whole lines. In Excel, COUNTIF is case-insensitive; this tool matches that default.

In both

Only in A

Only in B

Duplicates A

Duplicates B

Only in List A

Alpha
Charlie
Echo

In both lists

Bravo
Delta

Only in List B

Foxtrot
Golf
Hotel

Duplicates in A

Bravo×2

Duplicates in B

Delta×2

Build the lookup formula

Do it with Excel formulas

Assume List A is in A2:A100 and List B is in B2:B100. Change the ranges to match your workbook.

=COUNTIF($B$2:$B$100,A2)>0

Returns TRUE when the value in A2 exists in List B. COUNTIF ignores case by default.

=FILTER($A$2:$A$100,COUNTIF($B$2:$B$100,$A$2:$A$100)=0,"No differences")

Microsoft 365/Excel 2021 only: lists values in A that are missing from B. The result spills into empty cells.

=SUMPRODUCT(--EXACT($A$2:$A$100,$B$2:$B$100))

Case-sensitive comparison of the same row in two columns. EXACT returns TRUE/FALSE; the double minus converts it to 1/0.

How to use it

1Paste the first column into List A and the second into List B, one value per line.
2Choose whether to ignore case, trim spaces or ignore blank lines.
3Review matches, values unique to each list and duplicates.
4Download the CSV or use the COUNTIF/FILTER formulas shown below the results.

Questions about the compare lists

How do I compare two lists in Excel without a formula?

Use Data → Remove Duplicates on a combined copy, or use conditional formatting to highlight duplicates. For a clear side-by-side result, paste both lists into this tool and download the comparison CSV.

Does COUNTIF match case?

No. COUNTIF is case-insensitive, so "Apple" and "apple" count as the same value. Use EXACT or SUMPRODUCT with EXACT when case matters.

What is the difference between a match and a duplicate?

A match is a value that appears in both lists. A duplicate is a value that appears more than once within the same list. A value can be both.

Is my data uploaded?

No. The comparison runs entirely in your browser. The lists are not sent to a server, saved in an account or included in analytics.

Need it done for you?

Need the comparison built into the workbook?

We can add a reusable comparison sheet with COUNTIF, XLOOKUP or Power Query, plus conditional formatting that flags every difference automatically.

Get a fixed quote Ask on WhatsApp See pricing →

From $15/hr
Fixed quote before work starts
Free minor revisions
Human experts, not AI files

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