To compare two Excel workbooks on a Mac, first decide whether matching records stay on the same rows or need to be matched by an ID. For a quick visual review, arrange the open workbooks side by side. For a repeatable value check, copy both data sets into a comparison workbook and use a formula to match records by a unique key. Excel for Mac does not include Microsoft’s Inquire and Spreadsheet Compare tools; those are Windows-only features, so the steps below use documented Mac controls and worksheet formulas.

Choose a comparison method that fits the data

When two sheets have the same columns in the same order, with each record still on the same row, comparing corresponding cells can be enough. The side-by-side view makes differences easy to inspect, but it does not automatically flag them.

If rows may have been sorted, added, or removed, compare by a stable unique identifier such as an invoice number or product ID. Matching by row number in this case can label unchanged records as different simply because they moved. A key-based lookup can locate each record in the other workbook before comparing its values. Microsoft describes XLOOKUP as a function that searches a range for a value and returns a value from the corresponding row; it is available in Microsoft 365 for Mac, Excel 2024 for Mac, and Excel 2021 for Mac. XLOOKUP function

Arrange two open workbooks side by side on your Mac

Open both workbooks in Excel. On the View tab, in the Window group, select Arrange All, then choose a layout such as Vertical or Tiled. Excel arranges the open workbook windows so you can inspect the relevant sheets together. Select each workbook and click the worksheet tab you want to review. Microsoft documents these window arrangement options for Excel for Mac. View multiple panes, sheets, or workbooks

This view is useful when there are only a few rows, when you need to check formatting or formulas by eye, or when you are unsure how the records correspond. It is a visual aid: Excel does not automatically report which values differ just because the windows are adjacent. For a longer list, a formula-based check is more systematic.

Compare records by ID with XLOOKUP

A practical workflow is to make a separate comparison workbook, then place a copy of each data set on its own sheet. This keeps the formula references within one workbook and leaves the original files as they were. Name the sheets Current and Earlier, for example. Keep the column headers, identify the unique ID column in both sheets, and note the field you want to compare. If the IDs are in column A and the values are in column B, with headers in row 1, add a result column to Current.

In Current!C2, enter this formula, then fill it down through the rows you want to check:

=IFNA(IF(B2=XLOOKUP(A2,Earlier!$A$2:$A$1000,Earlier!$B$2:$B$1000),"Same","Different"),"Missing ID")

Here, A2 is the current row’s ID, Earlier!$A$2:$A$1000 is the range where Excel searches for that ID, and Earlier!$B$2:$B$1000 is the corresponding earlier value. The formula returns Same when the values match, Different when the ID is found but the value differs, and Missing ID when XLOOKUP cannot find that ID. XLOOKUP uses exact matching by default, and the supplied ranges should cover the data on your sheets. Extend the ending row if your lists are longer. XLOOKUP function

For instance, if ID P-104 has a current value of 18 and an earlier value of 18, the result is Same. If the earlier value is 16, it is Different. If P-104 does not appear in the Earlier ID range, the result is Missing ID. These labels help separate changed values from records that have no match; they do not explain why a record changed or disappeared.

To compare another field, use another result column and change both value references to that field’s columns, keeping the ID lookup range the same. For example, if the current quantity is in D and the earlier quantity is in C, compare D2 with a lookup over Earlier!$C$2:$C$1000. Give each result column a clear heading such as Price check or Quantity check.

Check IDs in both directions and watch for duplicates

The formula above checks each ID in Current against Earlier. To identify IDs that exist only in Earlier, create a corresponding check on the Earlier sheet, looking up each earlier ID in Current. Checking both directions matters when one list contains added records and the other contains removed records.

The comparison depends on the ID identifying one record uniquely in each list. If an ID appears more than once, XLOOKUP returns the first match it finds, which can conceal later rows with that ID. Before relying on the results, check for repeated IDs in each key column. On Excel for Mac, select the ID range and choose Home > Conditional Formatting > Highlight Cells Rules > Duplicate Values to highlight duplicates. This rule identifies repeated values within the selected range; it does not match records between workbooks. Highlight patterns and trends with conditional formatting in Excel for Mac

If the true key is a combination, such as customer ID plus invoice date, a single-column lookup can match the wrong record. Create a helper key in each sheet by combining the relevant fields consistently, and use that helper column as the lookup range and lookup value. Check that the combination is unique before interpreting the results.

Understand what counts as a difference

Excel compares stored values, not what a person considers equivalent. Text with an extra space, numbers stored as text, and differently represented dates may need cleanup or a deliberate normalization step before comparison. Blank cells also deserve attention: decide whether a blank should match another blank or be treated as missing information. A formula result of Same means the compared values matched under Excel’s comparison; it does not verify that the source data is correct.

If the fields contain calculated results, first decide whether you want to compare the displayed results or the formulas that produced them. The example checks cell values. It does not tell you whether two formulas differ while returning the same value. A visual inspection of the formula bar can help with a small number of cells, but Excel for Mac’s documented side-by-side view is not a cell-by-cell change report.

Why Spreadsheet Compare instructions may not apply on Mac

Microsoft’s Spreadsheet Inquire and Spreadsheet Compare documentation describes a cell-by-cell workbook comparison, but Microsoft states that Inquire is available only in Excel for Windows for qualifying Microsoft 365 enterprise plans. Spreadsheet Compare is also listed as Windows-only. If a guide tells you to open an Inquire tab or select Compare Files, those steps are not documented as Mac controls. Turn on the Inquire add-in

A formula-based comparison is a useful alternative when your goal is to compare selected values by ID. Since this workflow copies data into a comparison workbook, it works on the copies you place there; it is not a live synchronization process. If instead you build formulas that link one workbook to another, moving or renaming a source file can break the link. Excel for Mac provides a Data > Workbook Links area for managing broken workbook links, and Microsoft cautions that breaking a link converts formulas to their current values. Fix broken workbook links to data in Excel for Mac

For the practical sequence, use side-by-side windows to orient yourself, then use key-based formulas when row order is unreliable or the list is too large for manual inspection. Wallo can organize existing open Mac windows and to-dos by goal, with keyboard focusing; it does not perform the workbook comparison. The comparison itself remains in Excel, where a unique key and clearly labeled results make each match or mismatch easier to review.

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