Inkwell Data / Compare two files
Compare two files
Drop last month’s export and this month’s. Match rows on an ID or email and see what was added, what disappeared and which cells changed, old value next to new.
How it works
Add the original file and the updated file. They can be different formats, for example a CSV export against an Excel copy. Columns are lined up by name, so order doesn’t matter.
Tick the column that identifies each record, like Customer ID, SKU or Email. Rows with the same key are compared cell by cell and reported as changed; keys only in the new file are added, and keys only in the original are removed. With no key ticked, whole rows are compared.
Download the full report as Excel or CSV. It has a change column (added, removed or changed) and a what_changed column that spells out each edit, such as “Status: open → closed”.
Questions
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. Both files are read and compared by your own browser. Nothing is sent to a server.
Do the columns need to be in the same order?
No. Columns are matched by name, ignoring upper/lower case. Columns that exist in only one file are listed so you know about them.
What if there is no ID column?
Leave every key unticked and whole rows are compared. You will see added and removed rows, but an edited row shows as one removed and one added.
Will formatting differences count as changes?
Not by default. Differences in upper/lower case, extra spaces, and numbers written differently (5 versus 5.00) are ignored. Untick those options to see every difference.
Can I compare a CSV to an Excel file?
Yes. Each file can be CSV, TSV, Excel, JSON or Parquet, and for workbooks you can pick the sheet.