| Developer | Florencesoft |
| Website | www.florencesoft.com |
| First Release | 2011 |
| Latest Version | 3.12 |
| Single License | USD 80.00 |
Strongest Points…
- Good range of filter and option setting to improve match accuracy
- Easy to understand interfaces
- Guides the user very well through the process
- Adjustable accuracy level for identifying differences
- Identifies essential difference types correctly
Weakest Points…
- Comparison results are quite challenging to understand
- Even though differences are correctly identified it is very challenging to apply these results to update differences
- Multiple Excel windows are produced and shown that makes navigation between these files difficult
- A wide range of differences could not be identified
- Some match results are not sufficiently accurate and it is risky to apply updates for an entire workbook or spreadsheet
Working
with this Solution…
The below rating is based on our evaluation sheet that gives points for more than 40 different questions. From look and feel, convenience to functionalities… We think we have it all pretty much covered and summarized.
Getting started…
Evaluates how easy it is to get started with the solution and to do the basic setting to compare workbooks, spreadsheets and databases.
Summary: Guides the user very well through the process. Some steps are a bit difficult to understand.
| Rating | 3.1 / 5 |
User Experience…
Measures the user experience and the convenience to work with the solution as well as how easy help can be accessed and how helpful the help topics are.
Summary: Good user experience for the setup and comparison process. User interfaces are basic but quite clearly understandable.
| Rating | 3.1 / 5 |
Speed and Capacity…
Measures how fast the solution works with small, medium and large files as well as the capacity to identify multiple tasks, such as inserted columns, databases, etc.
Summary: For standard workbooks it has a good speed, but struggles with large files which takes a bit time.
| Rating | 3.3 / 5 |
Features, Options and Customization…
Evaluates filter options, customization features, identified difference types and the capability to handle databases.
Summary: Identifies the basic difference types correctly but misses some that are as important. Misses settings to handle databases correctly.
| Rating | 1.9 / 5 |
Result Display…
Measures how well the results are displayed as well as how easy it is to understand them and to navigate through these results.
Summary: Difficult to understand results and slightly scattered with multiple files being open.
| Rating | 2.6 / 5 |
Use and apply Results…
Measures how the results can be updated/edited and if the solution supports automatic updating of individual differences and entire groups of differences.
Summary: Applying results is a pretty big challenge. The hyperlinks are good, but do not help a lot when it comes to updating.
| Rating | 1 / 5 |
Solution Features
and Options…
This breakdown of capabilities shows you at a glance, where each of the solutions delivers and hopefully helps to see, which solutions will meet your needs best.
| What general Features does the Solution have? | |
| Compares Spreadsheets | |
| Supports and compares Databases | |
| Allows a 1-to-1 Comparison | |
| Command Line Options | |
| VBA | |
| Compares very large Files | |
| Multiple Filter Options | |
| Option setting per worksheet |
| What makes working convenient? | |
| Directly embedded as Add-In in Excel | |
| Parallel scrolling within two worksheets | |
| Highlight and un-highlight Differences | |
| Multiple Filter Options | |
| Use of multiple Comparison Options | |
| Save repeating Tasks as Projects | |
| Creation of Comparison Templates | |
| Show and hide Difference Types | |
| Command Line Options | |
| VBA | |
| Creation of Difference Reports | |
| Creation of hyperlinked Difference Reports | |
| Seamless Workflow with one Interface | |
| Selection of Ranges to be compared | |
| Setting of Value Tolerance for Comparison | |
| Compares multiple Spreadsheets in once | |
| Comprehensive User Manual | |
| Settings/Options for each Worksheet | |
| Automatic updating of differences |
| What can be customized? | |
| Color Coding for Difference Types | |
| Interface Layout | |
| Comparison Templates | |
| Filters and Options | |
| Repeating Projects | |
| Comparison Tolerance |
| Which Differences can be found? | |
| Entered Values | |
| Calculated Values | |
| Formulas | |
| Added and deleted Rows | |
| Added and deleted Columns | |
| Added and deleted Spreadsheets | |
| Spreadsheet Names | |
| Redundant Records | |
| Excel Names | |
| Cell Color Backgrounds | |
| Data Connections | |
| VBA Codes | |
| Number Formats | |
| Cell Alignments | |
| Font Names | |
| Font Styles | |
| Font Sizes | |
| Font Colors | |
| Font Underlines | |
| Font Strikes | |
| Font Super- and Subscripts | |
| Cell Borders | |
| Cell Interiors | |
| Cell Protections | |
| Cell Comments | |
| Font In-String Differences |
| Which Differences can be automatically updated? | |
| Updating of single Differences | |
| Updating of entire Difference Groups | |
| Entered Values | |
| Calculated Values | |
| Formulas | |
| Added and deleted Rows | |
| Added and deleted Columns | |
| Redundant Records | |
| Excel Names | |
| Cell Color Backgrounds | |
| Number Formats | |
| Cell Alignments | |
| Font Names | |
| Font Styles | |
| Font Sizes | |
| Font Colors | |
| Font Underlines | |
| Font Strikes | |
| Font Super- and Subscripts | |
| Cell Borders | |
| Cell Interiors | |
| Cell Comments | |
| Font In-String Differences |
The solution at a glance…
| A | DiffEngine X is a standalone solution, that allows to compare all worksheets within a workbook. Multiple filter and option settings make sure, that a good number of difference types are identified. |
| B | Automatic updating of individual differences and entire difference groups is not possible in DiffEngineX. |
| C | Basic but easy to understand interfaces that guide the user through the comparison process. |
| D | Display of results and applying these results can be challenging. |
| E | DiffEngineX faces challenges when comparing databases. |
| Our Overall |
| Rating |  |
Solution
Ranking…
| 1. | Synkronizer |
| 2. | xlCompare |
| 3. | Microsoft |
| 4. | Sourceforge |
| 5. | DiffEngineX |
| 6. | Compare Spreadsheets |
| 7. | Formula Soft |
| 8. | 4TOPS |
Look & Feel – Screenshots
Basic interface to select workbooks for comparison.
DiffEngineX provides a couple of options to customize the comparison task on a basic level.
Color coding of some difference types can be customized.
An interesting feature of DiffEngineX is the option to compare folders and to show differences within these folders.
This interface allows to select individual spreadsheets to be compared or to compare the entire workbook in one run.
Rows need to be selected in order to start the comparison process. It would be way better, if an example per row is show.
Interface once the comparison task is completed.
A quick summary over a comparison task that gives an initial idea about the amount of differences.
Difference overview with hyperlinks per spreadsheet.
Color coded differences in the spreadsheets. However, in our opinion, it is quite challenging to get a clear idea about the differences in a spreadsheet. Automatic updating is with DiffEngineX not possible.
