Spreadsheet Version Comparison
Compare two versions of a CSV and see exactly which cells changed, which rows were added or removed — column by column, row by row.
How to use Spreadsheet Version Comparison
- Set the inputs and options shown here: Version A (older), Version B (newer), Key column (to match rows between versions).
- Run the tool with Compare Versions.
- Review the result or preview on the page and confirm it matches your input before using or sharing it.
Finding exactly which cells changed between two CSV versions
Comparing two versions of a spreadsheet by eye — scrolling two windows side by side — is slow and error-prone past a handful of rows. Matching rows by a key column and comparing every other field catches precisely which cells changed, which rows were added, and which were removed.
Why a key column is required for this comparison
Without a stable identifier (an ID, an email, any column that uniquely identifies a row), there's no reliable way to know that row 5 in version A corresponds to row 5 in version B — rows may have been reordered, inserted, or deleted, and the key column is what lets the comparison match the right rows to each other.
What makes a good key column?
Anything that uniquely and consistently identifies a row across both versions — an ID, a username, an email address — not something that might itself have changed, like a name field.
What if a row's key exists in version B but not version A?
It's reported as "Added" — a genuinely new row that wasn't present in the older version.
Comparing plain text instead of spreadsheet data?
Use Version Compare instead for line-by-line text file diffing.