Compare two Google Sheets and see exactly what changed
Match rows by an ID, email or SKU, and get a colour-coded report of every row that was added, modified or deleted. No formulas, no scrolling, no eyeballing two tabs side by side.
$19 one-time · no subscription · works in the sheet you already have open
| Change | ID | Name | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modified | 102 | Bob Jones | Super Admin | Active |
| Modified | 104 | Dana White | Admin | Suspended |
| Added | 106 | Frank Reynolds | Viewer | Active |
| Deleted | 103 | Charlie Day | Viewer | Inactive |
Scroll the table sideways to see the rest →
Built for reconciliation, not for admiring
Most people comparing two sheets are checking one source of truth against another and need to know what disagrees. That is the job this does.
- Inventory against a supplier export — which SKUs moved, which stopped being stocked.
- CRM against billing — accounts on one system and not the other.
- Payroll against timesheets — hours that changed between two runs.
- This month's export against last month's — what actually moved, without a pivot table.
Three steps
Pick two sheets
Both sides start on the file you are already in, so comparing two tabs needs no setup at all. Comparing against another spreadsheet is one click through the Google file picker.
Choose the key column
The column that identifies a row — Order ID, Email, SKU. Rows are matched on it rather than on position, so a sort or an inserted row changes nothing. If no single column is unique, add a second — SKU plus Warehouse — and rows match only when both agree.
Read the report
A new sheet, colour-coded by what happened, with the changed cells picked out inside each modified row. Your two original sheets are never written to.
Why this one
The established option is a 40-tool suite. If you need forty tools, buy it — this isn't trying to replace it. If you need this one, you shouldn't have to.
| Compare Two Sheets | Ablebits Combine Sheets | Ablebits Power Tools | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $19 once | $19.99/yr or $47.92 lifetime | $29.95/yr or ~$70 lifetime |
| Subscription | Never | Optional | Optional |
| Scope | One job | One job | 40+ tools |
| Team pricing | $49 for 5 seats | Per seat | Per seat |
Scroll the table sideways to see both Ablebits columns →
Competitor prices checked August 2026 and liable to change — worth confirming before you decide.
Pricing
One payment. The licence key arrives by email; you paste it into the add-on once.
One-time purchase, no subscription. Includes all 1.x updates; major versions may be a paid upgrade. Prices exclude VAT, which is added at checkout where it applies. Payment and invoicing are handled by Polar as merchant of record.
Questions
How do I compare two Google Sheets for differences?
Install the add-on, then open Extensions ▸ Compare Two Sheets — Lambda Tools ▸ New Comparison… in any spreadsheet. Pick the two sheets, pick the column that identifies a row, and start the comparison. A new sheet appears showing every row that was added, modified or deleted.
Can I compare sheets in two different spreadsheets?
Yes. Both sides default to the file you are in, so comparing two tabs takes no setup. Click Change on either side to pick a different spreadsheet through the standard Google file picker.
Does it change my original data?
No. Neither sheet is written to. Results go into a separate report sheet, which is reused rather than duplicated when you run the same comparison again.
What if my key column has duplicate values?
The comparison still runs. Repeated keys are normal in exported data — several line items per order, one SKU across two warehouses — so you get the report plus a warning naming the repeated keys, rather than a refusal to start. The warning is written onto the report itself, so it survives being shared or exported. If the repeats mean the column doesn't really identify a row on its own, match on two columns instead.
Can I match rows on more than one column?
Yes. Click + Add another column and pick a second — SKU plus Warehouse, Order ID plus Line, first name plus surname. Rows then match only when every key column agrees, which is what you need when no single column is unique on its own. Matching on one column stays the default and takes no extra clicks.
How large a sheet can it handle?
What limits you is the size of the report, not the size of your sheets. The report holds only the differences, so two 100,000-row sheets that agree on most rows produce a short report and finish quickly. Reports of a few tens of thousands of rows are fine; past roughly 40,000 rows of differences you can run into Google's six-minute cap on how long an add-on may run, because writing cells is by far the slowest part of the job.
Sheets too large to read in one go are read in batches instead, so the input size is rarely what stops you. The usual way to end up with an enormous report is to pick a key column the two sheets don't actually share — every row then counts as added or deleted, and the report comes out larger than both inputs put together. The add-on checks for that and tells you, rather than spending six minutes building a report of nothing.
Why does it ask for access to my spreadsheets?
To open the two sheets you choose and to write the report. Google's consent screen words this as access to your spreadsheets because that is the permission tier the Sheets API requires — there is no narrower one that can open a file you select. The add-on has no server and no database: nothing about your data leaves your Google account. See the privacy policy.
Is it a subscription?
No. $19 for a single user or $49 for five seats, paid once. It includes all 1.x updates; major versions may be a paid upgrade.
What happens if I change computers or Google accounts?
The licence key is the licence — paste it in again. It is not tied to a Google identity, which is deliberate: in a browser signed into several accounts, identity checks routinely pick the wrong one and lock out people who have paid.
Compare two sheets in about a minute
Install it, open a spreadsheet, and see what changed.