How to compare two columns and highlight the unmatched data in Excel?
As below screenshot shown, for comparing two columns of adjacent cells and highlighting the unmatched data, you can try the methods in the article.
Compare two columns and highlight the unmatched data with VBA code
Compare two columns and highlight the unmatched data with Kutools for Excel
Compare two columns and highlight the unmatched data with VBA code
As the above screenshot, you are comparing the data in Column A and Column B. Please run the following VBA code to highlight the unmatched data.
1. Press Alt + F11 keys simultaneously to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.
2. In the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window, click Insert > Module. Then copy and paste the following code into the Code window.
VBA code: Compare two columns and highlight the unmatched data
Sub Dyeware()
Dim xRg1 As Range
Dim xRg2 As Range
Dim xTxt As String
Dim xCell1 As Range
Dim xCell2 As Range
Dim I As Long
Dim J As Integer
Dim xLen As Integer
Dim xDiffs As Boolean
On Error Resume Next
If ActiveWindow.RangeSelection.Count > 1 Then
xTxt = ActiveWindow.RangeSelection.AddressLocal
Else
xTxt = ActiveSheet.UsedRange.AddressLocal
End If
lOne:
Set xRg1 = Application.InputBox("Range A:", "Kutools for Excel", xTxt, , , , , 8)
If xRg1 Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
If xRg1.Columns.Count > 1 Or xRg1.Areas.Count > 1 Then
MsgBox " Multiple ranges or columns have been selected ", vbInformation, "Kutools for Excel"
GoTo lOne
End If
lTwo:
Set xRg2 = Application.InputBox("Range B:", "Kutools for Excel", "", , , , , 8)
If xRg2 Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
If xRg2.Columns.Count > 1 Or xRg2.Areas.Count > 1 Then
MsgBox "Multiple ranges or columns have been selected", vbInformation, "Kutools for Excel"
GoTo lTwo
End If
If xRg1.CountLarge <> xRg2.CountLarge Then
MsgBox "Two ranges must have the same numbers of cells ", vbInformation, "Kutools for Excel"
GoTo lTwo
End If
xDiffs = (MsgBox("Click Yes to highlight matched data, click No to highlight unmatched data ", vbYesNo + vbQuestion, "Kutools for Excel") = vbNo)
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
xRg2.Interior.ColorIndex = xlNo
xRg1.Interior.ColorIndex = xlNo
For I = 1 To xRg1.Count
Set xCell1 = xRg1.Cells(I)
Set xCell2 = xRg2.Cells(I)
If xCell1.Value = xCell2.Value Then
If Not xDiffs Then
xCell1.Interior.Color = vbRed
xCell2.Interior.Color = vbRed
End If
Else
If xDiffs Then
xCell1.Interior.Color = vbRed
xCell2.Interior.Color = vbRed
End If
End If
Next
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
3. Press the F5 key to run the code. In the popping up Kutools for Excel dialog box, select the first column you need to compare, then click the OK button. See screenshot.
4. Then select the second compared column in the next popping up Kutools for Excel dialog box.
5. In the dialog box as below screenshot shown, for highlighting the unmatched data, please click the No button.
Then all unmatched data between two columns are highlighted immediately. See screenshot:
Compare two columns and highlight the unmatched data with Kutools for Excel
If you just want to find out and highlight if the cell values in a column exist in another column or not, for example as below screenshot shown, number 2 in column A does not exist in column B. you can try the Compare Ranges utility of Kutools for Excel.
1. Click Kutools > Insert > Select Same & Different Cells. See screenshot:
2. In the Select Same & Different Cells dialog box, you need to configure as follows:
3. Then a dialog box pops up to tell you how many cells which only in column A but not in column B, click the OK button, and all matched cells are selected in column A.
If you want to have a free trial (30-day) of this utility, please click to download it, and then go to apply the operation according above steps.
Related articles:
- How to compare two strings for similarity or highlight differences in Excel?
- How to exactly compare two strings (case sensitive) in Excel?
The Best Office Productivity Tools
Kutools for Excel Solves Most of Your Problems, and Increases Your Productivity by 80%
- Reuse: Quickly insert complex formulas, charts and anything that you have used before; Encrypt Cells with password; Create Mailing List and send emails...
- Super Formula Bar (easily edit multiple lines of text and formula); Reading Layout (easily read and edit large numbers of cells); Paste to Filtered Range...
- Merge Cells/Rows/Columns without losing Data; Split Cells Content; Combine Duplicate Rows/Columns... Prevent Duplicate Cells; Compare Ranges...
- Select Duplicate or Unique Rows; Select Blank Rows (all cells are empty); Super Find and Fuzzy Find in Many Workbooks; Random Select...
- Exact Copy Multiple Cells without changing formula reference; Auto Create References to Multiple Sheets; Insert Bullets, Check Boxes and more...
- Extract Text, Add Text, Remove by Position, Remove Space; Create and Print Paging Subtotals; Convert Between Cells Content and Comments...
- Super Filter (save and apply filter schemes to other sheets); Advanced Sort by month/week/day, frequency and more; Special Filter by bold, italic...
- Combine Workbooks and WorkSheets; Merge Tables based on key columns; Split Data into Multiple Sheets; Batch Convert xls, xlsx and PDF...
- More than 300 powerful features. Supports Office / Excel 2007-2021 and 365. Supports all languages. Easy deploying in your enterprise or organization. Full features 30-day free trial. 60-day money back guarantee.

Office Tab Brings Tabbed interface to Office, and Make Your Work Much Easier
- Enable tabbed editing and reading in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, Visio and Project.
- Open and create multiple documents in new tabs of the same window, rather than in new windows.
- Increases your productivity by 50%, and reduces hundreds of mouse clicks for you every day!





