Excel Online filters for comparing downloaded price lists side by side

Setting Up Your Price List Data for Side-by-Side Comparison

The comparison itself is usually the easy part. Most mistakes happen because the two price lists aren’t prepared properly beforehand. Spending a few minutes organizing the data first can save you a lot of time later, especially if you’re working with hundreds or thousands of products.

A simple way to keep everything organized is to place both price lists in the same Excel Online workbook. Start by opening a new workbook and uploading the first file. When you add the second price list, insert it as a separate worksheet instead of opening it in another browser tab or a different workbook. Having both lists together makes it much easier to switch between them, copy information, and build comparison formulas without constantly searching for the right file.

Before moving on, take a careful look at how each worksheet is laid out. One file might list Item Number before Description, while another places Unit Price in a completely different column. That’s perfectly normal, but you should know where the important information is before you begin. Take a moment to identify the product code, SKU, or item number column, along with the column that contains the prices. If the headers use different names, don’t worry too much about that. What matters is knowing which columns contain matching information so you don’t accidentally compare the wrong data later.

It’s also worth checking whether both price lists use the same product codes and the same currency or number format. Something as small as an extra space in a product code or prices stored as text instead of numbers can cause formulas to return unexpected results. Catching those issues now is much easier than trying to figure out later why certain products aren’t matching.

Using the View Side by Side Feature for Direct Comparison

Before writing any formulas, many people like to do a quick visual review of the two price lists. Excel Online makes this easier by letting you open another window of the same workbook. From the View tab, select New Window, then choose View Side by Side. This places two copies of the workbook on your screen, allowing you to display a different worksheet in each window.

This layout is especially helpful when both price lists follow roughly the same order. You can move down the sheets together and quickly notice products whose prices look different without constantly switching tabs. It’s a convenient way to get a general sense of how similar the two lists are before performing a more detailed comparison.

Of course, not every supplier organizes their data in exactly the same way. One list may contain additional products, while another might arrange items alphabetically, by category, or by product code. Once the rows stop lining up, synchronized scrolling becomes much less useful because matching products no longer appear on the same line.

Instead of struggling to keep both windows aligned, use Arrange All to display them in a layout that lets each window scroll independently. This gives you the freedom to move through each worksheet at its own pace and line up matching products manually whenever necessary. Although it takes a little more attention, it’s often the easiest way to compare lists that aren’t structured the same way.

Creating a Comparison Column with a Simple Formula

Looking at two worksheets side by side works well for spotting obvious differences, but it’s not a reliable method when you’re dealing with a large amount of data. After a while, it’s easy to overlook a price change simply because your eyes become tired. That’s why using a lookup formula is usually a better approach.

Add a new column next to the prices in your first worksheet, then use XLOOKUP to retrieve the corresponding price from the second sheet. For example, if both worksheets use Item Number in column A and the prices are stored in column C, you could enter:

=XLOOKUP(A2,'Sheet2'!A:A,'Sheet2'!C:C)

The formula searches for the matching item number in the second worksheet and returns the price automatically. Once those values have been filled in, create another column to calculate the difference between the two prices. A simple formula such as =C2-D2 is enough to show whether the first list is more expensive or less expensive than the second.

Before trusting the results, it’s worth checking a few rows manually. Make sure the product codes really match between the two worksheets and confirm that both price columns use the same currency and decimal format. A small inconsistency, such as an extra character in an item number or prices stored as text, can prevent a correct match and produce results that don’t accurately reflect the data. Taking a few extra minutes to verify everything at this stage can save a great deal of troubleshooting later.

Highlighting Price Differences with Conditional Formatting

Use conditional formatting on the difference column so the cells paint visible signals. Go to “Home”, click “Conditional Formatting”, select “Highlight Cells Rules”, then “Greater Than” to catch rising costs. Red marks values higher than the other list. Use “Less Than” and a green fill for notable discounts. Small ten-cent rounding can clutter the table with marked blocks if left at default. Dial one value, such as 0.05 or even less, to avoid false positives captured from tail rounding, leaving lights on numbers that mattered in the comparison.

This handle prevents missed rows from blinding scanning rounds on minor cents amounts. Place the difference column as the subject for every detection cell inside the range selected based on calculation setting before hitting. The conditional configuration by column coverage ensures number highlighting applies as long as it qualifies, and base cell references are correctly included across the destination mapping.

FAQ

Question: What if my price lists have different column headers or item codes?
Answer: Standardize the column order and item codes before comparing. Rename headers to match, and use a lookup formula only when both lists share an exact identifier such as SKU or part number. No common identifier exists, so sort both lists alphabetically by description and compare manually using the side-by-side view.

Question: Can I compare more than two price lists at once in Excel Online?
Answer: Yes, but the side-by-side view only compares two sheets at a time. For three or more lists, open additional windows and arrange them using the “Arrange All” option. Alternatively, combine all lists into one sheet with separate price columns and use conditional formatting to highlight differences across all columns.

Question: Will the lookup formula update automatically if I change prices in the source sheet?
Answer: Yes, XLOOKUP and VLOOKUP formulas recalculate when the source data changes, as long as both sheets are in the same workbook. Copy both into one workbook first if the price lists are in separate workbooks so the formulas stay linked and update correctly.