How to use the Compare Lists
- Paste list A on the left and list B on the right.
- Choose case and trimming options.
- Read the four result boxes: only A, only B, both, and all items.
- Copy any result box.
Example
| Input | A: apple, banana, cherry · B: banana, date |
|---|---|
| Result | Only A: apple, cherry · Only B: date · Both: banana |
What you get
Paste two lists and click Compare lists. The tool splits them into four groups, each in its own box with a Copy button:
- Only in A: items that are in the first list but not the second.
- Only in B: items that are in the second list but not the first.
- In both: items that appear in both lists (the intersection).
- All unique items: everything from both lists with duplicates removed (the union).
A line above the boxes shows how many items each list has and how many of them are unique.
Options
- Items separated by: new line, comma, semicolon, tab or space. Line breaks always separate items as well.
- Ignore case (on by default): “Ben@example.com” matches “ben@example.com”.
- Trim spaces (on by default): ignores spaces around each item.
Results keep the spelling of the first time an item appears, and the order of the lists.
Practical uses
- Finding new and lost subscribers by comparing two email lists.
- Checking which keywords or URLs are already in your list before adding new ones.
- Comparing inventory or SKU lists from two systems.
- Spotting which students, attendees or users appear in one list but not the other.
Tips
Clean each list first with the Remove Duplicate Lines if you need counts of repeated entries, since this tool treats repeats as one item. Use Swap to reverse A and B. To sort the result, copy it into the Sort Lines Alphabetically, and to compare two texts rather than two lists, use the Text Compare.
Frequently asked questions
Can I compare lists separated by commas?
Yes. Choose “Comma” as the separator. You can also use semicolons, tabs or spaces.
Are duplicates counted?
Each result lists unique items only. Duplicate counts for each list are shown above the results.
What if my lists are separated by commas?
Choose Comma in “Items separated by”. Items on separate lines are still treated as separate items.
Are repeated items counted?
Repeats are treated as one item in the results. The summary line shows how many items each list has and how many of them are unique, so you can tell when a list contained repeats.