TextCompareLab
Guide: Compare CSV
How to compare two CSV files or exports
Two exports of the same table - a price list, a user dump, a bank export - can differ in a handful of rows out of thousands. Comparing them directly shows which rows were added, removed or edited, without loading both into a spreadsheet first.
Steps
- Paste the older export in the original box and the newer one in the changed box, or upload both CSV files with the Upload file buttons.
- Make sure both exports use the same column order and quoting style, ideally from the same export tool and settings. Different quoting makes identical rows look changed.
- If row order is not guaranteed, sort both files by a stable key (such as an ID column) before comparing. The comparison is by line, and one row is one line: reordered rows show as removed and added.
- Run the comparison, then use "Changed lines only" to see just the edited rows with a few rows of context.
Example
1024,Ada Lovelace,active
1024,Ada Lovelace,inactive
The changed cell is highlighted inside the row, so you can see that only the status field changed for this record.
Tips
- Leave "Ignore case" off for data: "ABC" and "abc" are different values in most exports.
- Watch for dates and numbers formatted differently between exports (for example 10/25/2026 vs 2026-10-25); those show as changes even when the value is the same.
- For very large exports, compare the relevant column range or row range - the result is quicker to read.
- TextCompareLab does not parse CSV columns or match rows by key. It compares the text line by line; a row that moved position counts as removed and added, not as unchanged.
Privacy
The comparison runs in your browser and the text is not uploaded. Even so, do not paste real credentials or personal data. The Copy and Download buttons give you the result as plain text, with lines starting with - from the original and + from the changed text.