Problem solved by Diff Anything
Numbers can't compare two spreadsheets. Diff Anything shows the sheet with every changed cell highlighted, the old value crossed out and the new one next to it.
See it in the app
No accounts, cloud comparison service, analytics, or telemetry.
The problem
Someone sends back a Numbers spreadsheet you both work on, such as a guest list, a budget, or a team schedule. Numbers has no command to compare two versions of a spreadsheet, so you check names and numbers one row at a time and hope nothing slipped past.
The solution
Diff Anything opens both Numbers files on your Mac and shows the table itself, with every changed cell highlighted: the old value crossed out and the new one right next to it. The list on the right names each change by its cell; click one to jump to it, and mark each change as reviewed as you go.
01 / Numbers spreadsheets
Diff Anything shows the spreadsheet itself, not a list of lines. Each changed cell is highlighted, with the old value crossed out and the new value next to it, so a guest who changed from Pending to Yes or a total that went up stands out at once.
Added cells, such as a new row at the bottom, are highlighted too. The summary above the table counts the changes.
02 / Numbers spreadsheets
The list on the right names every change by its table and cell, such as 'Table 1'!C6, with the old and the new value. Click a change and the table scrolls to that cell and selects it.
Mark a change as reviewed when you have checked it; the counter at the top shows how many you have done.
03 / Numbers spreadsheets
Diff Anything compares the values stored in the cells. Formulas, formatting, charts, and layout are not compared.
Cells are compared by their position, so a row inserted in the middle makes the rows below it show as changed. Rows added at the end show as added.
04 / Numbers spreadsheets
Diff Anything also compares Excel (XLS, XLSX, XLSM, XLSB) and OpenDocument (ODS) spreadsheets, and one format with another. Sheets are matched by name, and a Numbers file shows each table under its own name, “Table 1” unless you renamed it. Before you compare a Numbers file with an Excel or ODS copy, give the table in Numbers the same name as the other file's sheet; otherwise its rows show as removed and added.
05 / Numbers spreadsheets
Both files are read and compared on your Mac. Diff Anything has no account, cloud comparison service, analytics, or telemetry, and no AI is involved.
Clear answers
No. Numbers has no built-in command to compare two versions of a spreadsheet; Diff Anything shows the changed cells side by side with the old and new values.
No. The comparison uses the values stored in the cells. Formulas, formatting, charts, and layout are not compared.
Yes. Sheets are matched by name, and a Numbers file shows each table under its own name, “Table 1” unless you renamed it. Before you compare a Numbers file with an Excel or ODS copy, give the table in Numbers the same name as the other file's sheet; otherwise its rows show as removed and added.
No. Both files are read and compared on your Mac.
Three short steps
Open the older spreadsheet on the left and the newer one on the right.
Go through the highlighted cells, or click a change in the list to jump to it.
Mark each change as reviewed as you check it.
Available for macOS and Windows