| Developer | Spreadsheet Tools |
| Website | www.xlcompare.com |
| First Release | n/a |
| Latest Version | 5.3.3 |
| Single License | USD 99.99 |
Strongest Points…
- Convenient, simple and easy to understand navigation
- Multiple setting and filter options to improve accuracy
- Handles large worksheets and databases
- Easy to understand display of comparison results and basic updating
- Provides options for merging, updating, deduplication and comparison
Weakest Points…
- Only the most essential difference types are correctly recognized.
- Inserted columns cannot be correctly recognized or updated.
- Duplicated records and inserted rows or columns can mess-up the whole difference report. So updating is no longer possible.
- Automatic updating on a case by case basis is only possible for some differences.
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 clean and clear interfaces that make the solution quite easy to understand and to work with.
| Rating | 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: Easy, intuitive navigation that compares multiple worksheets and databases in one run.
| Rating | 4 / 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 powerful speed. Settings, filters and options do not reduce performance at all.
| Rating | 4.8 / 5 |
Features, Options and Customization…
Evaluates filter options, customization features, identified difference types and the capability to handle databases.
Summary: The simple navigation compromises a bit on filters, settings and options. To properly compare databases it would need more specific setings.
| Rating | 2.1 / 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: Good overview of all differences, difference types for each individual spreadsheet and linked navigation.
| Rating | 4.2 / 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: Basically good and convenient updating but with limitations on what differences are recognized and updatable.
| Rating | 3.4 / 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 | xlCompare is a powerful standalone solution which delivers instant results even for very large files. Even though there is room for improvement regarding updating, it takes a good approach to spreadsheet comparison. |
| B | Good user interfaces that make navigation very convenient. Even though navigation is simple and easy, xlCompare is still a powerful solution for comparing Excel worksheets and databases. |
| C | It is the only software that provides options to compare, merge or deduplicate records within spreadsheets and databases. |
| D | Correctly identified differences can, with some limitations, be automatically updated. In some cases only entire rows can be updated. |
| E | The difference report and the linked navigation makes updating of differences very easy and simple. |
| 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
Starting interface that provides multiple comparison options which is a unique feature of xlCompare.
A very good set of filter and option settings allow to customize comparison tasks.
xlCompare is capable of handling databases on a basic scope and allows to select the keys and priorities.
The result interface consists of the two workbooks and, as a layover, the basic navigation. Identified cell differences can be updated with a single click on either the left or the right workbook, while entered values can only be updated for entire rows.
Updating entered values is only possible by adding the entire row to the left or to the right worksheet. In our opinion, that makes the whole automatic updating quite tricky since it is not possible to update individual cell differences on a case by case basis.
Summary of differences for each spreadsheet. The option of just ticking a box for which cell to update is quite unique and convenient.
The top navigation bar provides quite a good range of options and features, especially the function to find duplicates and to merge tables.
Additional options and features how to use the results of a comparison task.
The difference report can be saved. However, its look and feel is, in our opinion, a bit basic and not too much of help.
