How to compare two columns in Excel and Google Sheets

Topic:Duplicates & uniqueness

Excel & Google Sheets

=IF(A2=B2, "Match", "Different")

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Sample data — click any cell to edit

Cell row 1 column 1	Cell row 1 column 2
Cell row 2 column 1	Cell row 2 column 2
Cell row 3 column 1	Cell row 3 column 2
Cell row 4 column 1	Cell row 4 column 2

Formula

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Step by step

1For a row-by-row check, use =IF(A2=B2, "Match", "Different").
2To find values in A that are missing from B, use =IF(COUNTIF(B:B, A2)=0, "Missing", "").
3Copy the formula down to flag every row.

Tips

Text comparisons ignore case but not stray spaces — wrap cells in TRIM if matches fail unexpectedly.
Conditional formatting can highlight differences visually instead of with a label.

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Describe your columns in plain English and get the precise formula for your sheet, with the right Excel or Sheets syntax.

Frequently asked

How do I find items in one list that are not in another?

Use =IF(COUNTIF(B:B, A2)=0, "Missing", "") — it flags every value in column A that does not appear in column B.

More on Duplicates & uniqueness

How to remove duplicates

Remove duplicate values with one formula using UNIQUE, or strip them in place with the built-in tool. Works in Excel 365 and Google Sheets.

How to get a sorted list of unique values

Extract a sorted, deduplicated list from a column using SORT+UNIQUE in modern Excel and Google Sheets, or array formulas in older versions.

UNIQUE function vs Remove Duplicates in Excel and Sheets

Learn when to use the UNIQUE formula versus the Remove Duplicates tool in Excel and Google Sheets to eliminate or surface distinct values.

How to flag duplicate values

Use COUNTIF to flag duplicate values in a list with a simple formula that marks any entry appearing more than once.

How to find duplicate values

Identify which values appear more than once in a list using COUNTIF to add a Duplicate/Unique label to each row.

How to compare two lists for differences

Find values that exist in one list but not the other using COUNTIF to label each item as Matched or Unmatched.

Formulas used

IF COUNTIF TRIM

Written and reviewed by FormulaCraft Team. Each formula on this page is run through our verification engine before publishing.

Last reviewed: May 28, 2026