| Developer | Microsoft |
| Website | www.microsoft.com |
| First Release | 2012 |
| Latest Version | n/a |
| Single License | Free with Office Professional |
Strongest Points
- Very convenient and easy to understand interfaces
- Features to analyze workbooks and worksheets
- Identifies a good set of difference types and can highlight and un-highlight difference types
- Results are hyperlinked and are shown in one interface that supports parallel scrolling
- Embedded help that can be accessed directly within the solution
Weakest Points
- Only available with Office Professional
- Does not support automatic updating
- Does not support database features
- Lacks filter and setting options
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: Very easy to get started. The option to analyze files and the visualization of relations is a great plus.
| Rating | 3.4 / 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: Very good user interfaces that make navigation very convenient and easy to understand.
| Rating | 4.3 / 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: Very good speed but does not support settings for databases and different spreadsheet names.
| Rating | 3.5 / 5 |
Features, Options and Customization…
Evaluates filter options, customization features, identified difference types and the capability to handle databases.
Summary: In terms of spreadsheet comparison almost no customization is possible and the available options are very limited.
| 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: Result display is excellent but not all difference types can be found. Highlight and un-highlight function is a great plus.
| Rating | 3.9 / 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: Differences can only be seen but no further support to manage or update these differences.
| 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 | Spreadsheet Inquire is an Excel Add-In that is free with Office Professional. It analyzes and compares Excel spreadsheets and shows links between workbooks and worksheets. |
| B | Very good interfaces, hyperlinks and parallel scrolling make it quite easy and convenient to navigate and to explore differences. |
| C | Spreadsheet Inquire has a strong capability in visualizing differences and relationships between cells, spreadsheets and workbooks. |
| D | It is capable to identify a wide range of difference types, including VBA and command lines. Difference types can be highlighted or un-highlighted with just a click. |
| E | The solution is only built to analyze and compare Excel spreadsheets. It does not allow to automatically update single differences or difference groups. |
| 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 from which workbooks and spreadsheets can be either analyzed or compared. Important is, that the first workbook needs to be active already in order to start Inquire.
Clicking on “Compare Files” opens the pop-up to define which files to compare. Important is to define, which file should be the master.
The Workbook Analysis comes quite handy and gives a very detailed overview of the entire workbook.
Visualizes the relationships within a workbook, spreadsheet or cells. This feature is unique for Inquire only.
Main interface that shows the results of a comparison task. Results can be easily exported. In our opinion, we really like the way to have all relevant elements in a single interface that is quite easy to understand.
Options whether to process contents for inserted or deleted rows and columns. Passwords for protected worksheets or workbooks can be entered to process them.
Parallel scrolling and jumping within worksheets makes the navigation and difference viewing very convenient.
Color coded difference types that can be highlighted or un-highlighted with a single click. Un-checking a box, will instantly change the color coded cells in the active spreadsheet.
Hyperlinked difference report with descriptions for each difference. Also this, in our opinion, is very simple and easy to understand.
The difference report can be exported into Excel for further editing or viewing. Unfortunately Inquire has no feature to update differences. The workflow ends by viewing differences only.
