Two options.
One set of rows.
A comparison works when the reader’s eye travels along a row rather than between two pictures. Give it the options and the criteria; it builds the table, keeps the labels readable and leaves the gaps honest.
Make a comparisonComparison
Generating a sheet vs building one by hand
| Criterion | Generated | By hand |
|---|---|---|
| Time to first draft | About a minute | 2–4 hours |
| Layout decisions | Made for you | All yours |
| Chart chosen from the data | Yes | No |
| Editing by asking | Yes | No |
| Full manual control of every pixel | No | Yes |
| Cost of the first one | Free | Your afternoon |
Illustrative · row five is the one where the other column wins, and it stays on the sheet
A comparison is only persuasive if it is fair
Readers arrive at a comparison already suspicious, because most of the ones they have seen were built backwards from a conclusion. These five rules are how you earn the benefit of the doubt.
- 01
Every row must apply to every column
A row where one option simply has no equivalent reads as a zero to the eye, whatever the label says. Either find the equivalent or drop the row.
- 02
Pick the rows before you know the winner
The comparison that convinces is the one where you would have been happy with either answer. Choosing the rows after choosing the outcome is how you get a sheet nobody believes.
- 03
Include a row where the other side wins
One honest concession does more for your credibility than four more ticks. Readers are looking for the catch — show them where it is.
- 04
Compare like for like
Monthly against monthly, per-seat against per-seat, list price against list price. A comparison that quietly switches units is the oldest trick on the internet, and readers spot it.
- 05
Date it
Whatever you are comparing will change. A dated sheet ages into a snapshot; an undated one ages into a false claim.
Four ways to lay a comparison out
Two columns
Us and them, before and after, plan A and plan B. The clearest form, and the one to default to.
Three columns
Good, better, best — or three vendors. The practical maximum on a portrait sheet.
Before and after
The same measures at two moments, with the delta drawn between them. Strongest when the change is the point.
Paired bars
When every row is a number rather than a tick, drawn bars beat a table of digits.
Questions
How many options can I compare?
Two or three columns work on a sheet. Four is possible on the wide shape but the labels start losing their room; beyond that a table in a document is a better format than an infographic.
Can I compare my product with a competitor?
Yes, and it is one of the most common uses. Keep it factual, compare like for like, date the sheet, and only state things you could evidence — a comparison you cannot back up is a legal problem as well as a credibility one.
Does it use ticks and crosses?
Where a row is genuinely binary, yes. Where it is a number or a phrase, the value is shown instead — a tick that stands for “sort of, with conditions” is a lie told with an icon.
Can I do a before and after?
Yes. Give it both sets of figures and it draws them paired, with the change between them shown as a delta.
Where do the column names go?
In a legend above the table when the columns are narrow. A header cell on a portrait sheet is often under twenty pixels wide, which is not enough for a word like “Freelancer”.
Can I match my brand?
Yes — one accent from your brand kit carries the highlighted column, and the rest of the sheet stays neutral so the comparison does not look pre-decided by colour alone.