Compare Two Lists: Common & Missing Items
Find items only in the first list, only in the second, or shared by both, regardless of line order.
Add one item per line to each list. Choose how spaces and case are treated.
Membership comparison
Run the task to review a counted result here.
Load the example to try the complete workflow.Limits and next steps
Membership comparison is exact after your chosen normalization. It does not compare record fields or resolve fuzzy names. Use CSV comparison for structured exports. Copy a result group, or clean your source list and run again.
Instructions and examples
From input to output
- Put one item per line in List A and List B, or load TXT files.
- Choose whether to trim spaces, ignore case and ignore blank lines.
- Select Compare lists. Review the three groups, then choose which group to copy or download.
Settings and result behavior
- Results represent unique membership. Repeated occurrences are counted separately, not paired.
- Ignore case uses Unicode lowercase, without fuzzy names, aliases or accent matching. Shared items retain list A spelling.
- One list can be empty; both cannot be empty.
A worked example
- Input
List A: Ada Lin Sam List B: Sam Ada Jo
- Settings
- Trim spaces on; Ignore case off; Ignore blank lines on.
- Expected result
Only in A: Lin. Only in B: Jo. Shared: Ada and Sam, in list A order.
Supported input and limits
Type or paste text, or use the TXT import control for a UTF-8 text file. PDF and Word documents cannot be imported into this text workspace. Results download as TXT, either one group or all groups with headings.
Exact membership, not fuzzy identity matching. One item per line, up to 1 MB and 20,000 lines per list. Normalization may combine distinct entries.
If the result is unexpected
- If apparently identical items differ, inspect spaces and case, then deliberately choose normalization.
- If you need changed fields for records with IDs, use Compare two CSV exports instead.
Check before using the result
Check that normalization has not combined distinct items. Confirm the chosen output group before sharing a guest list or import list.
Report a problem with this tool. Include a nonsensitive example and your browser details.
Questions about this tool
Can the tool recognize similar names or misspellings?
No. It compares exact list membership after the case and whitespace options you select. Normalization may combine distinct entries, so review the result before treating it as an identity match.