Compare two Apple Numbers files on a Mac
Select the tables you need and compare their records, even if the rows have moved.
You can compare two Numbers files in Spreadsheet Comparison by loading each file and selecting a table. The comparison reviews the imported cell values. It does not review the visual layout of the Numbers document or compare every table at once.
Select the same kind of table on both sides
A Numbers document can contain several tables. Before importing, identify the table that holds your records. A summary table with monthly totals is not an equivalent source for a table containing individual orders, even when some headings match.
For example, imagine two synthetic stock tables named Stock September and Stock October. Both contain SKU, Location and Units. Select those tables rather than a chart’s supporting totals. Keep the original documents so you can return to the source if an imported value looks unexpected.
Use a key that identifies each record
If a product is stocked in several locations, select SKU and Location together as the key. This lets the same product at the same location match even after sorting. Compare Units as a value; putting it in the key would make a quantity change look like a different record.
- Choose the first Numbers file, then select its data table.
- Choose the second file and its corresponding table.
- Review the header mappings and select the key fields.
- Run the comparison, filter changed records and open a complete row.
- Check the one-file-only results for products added to or absent from either export.
When an export is easier to review
If the document layout or file cannot be imported as intended, create a separate export containing the table you need. Apple documents exporting Numbers spreadsheets to formats including Excel and CSV in its Numbers guide. Inspect the exported headers and record count before comparing it. Renaming a .numbers extension to .csv does not convert the contents.
What this comparison does not tell you
A value comparison cannot prove that two formula expressions are equivalent, that charts look the same or that the documents have identical formatting. Check those in the source application when they matter. Recalculate and save formula-driven data before making an export.
The app runs locally on macOS 14 or later. You can also compare a Numbers table with a supported workbook sheet or CSV. See how to compare CSV with spreadsheet data for the cross-format checks.