> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mention-me.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Understanding Comparisons > Tell whether a number is good by comparing it to something. A number on its own doesn't tell you much. Revenue of £120,000 is good or bad depending on whether last quarter was £90,000 or £200,000. A 4.2% Share Rate is impressive against an industry average of 2.8%, and underwhelming against 6.5%. Comparisons give the context. Pair every number with a comparison before showing it outside the team. Without context, the first question is always "is that good?". ## Five Compare Modes Metric, chart (line or bar), and table tiles all support a **Compare to** setting: * **Previous period**. Compare against the same length of time immediately before the current one. * **Last week**. Compare against the equivalent 7-day block a week ago. * **Last month**. Compare against the equivalent month-long block a month ago. * **Last year**. Compare against the same period a year earlier. * **Industry benchmark**. Compare against the industry average for your category. Only shown when eligible (see below). ## How Comparison Renders On a **metric** tile, a small delta badge appears next to the value: `+12.3%` in green if the metric is up, `-4.1%` in red if it's down. The comparison value sits beneath the main number. Metric tile with a comparison delta On a **line or bar chart** tile, comparison renders as a dashed line or set of faded bars alongside the main series. Line chart with a dashed compare line On a **table** tile, comparison adds a delta column per metric. ## Constraints * **Share, funnel, and stacked bar charts don't support comparison.** Switch the chart type to line or bar if you need it. * **Comparison and breakdown are mutually exclusive.** Clear the breakdown to turn comparison on, or vice versa. * On tables, setting a breakdown disables the compare column automatically. ## Industry Benchmark The **Industry benchmark** compare mode shows your tile's metric alongside the industry benchmark for your category. When you hover a comparison point on a chart the tooltip reads "industry avg." for that value. Industry benchmark option in the compare picker ### Eligibility Industry benchmark is available only when: 1. Your brand is in a category that has benchmark data available. 2. The metric supports benchmark comparison. Eight metrics are benchmark-eligible: * Enrolment Rate * Share Rate * Purchase Rate * Impressions per Order * Shares per Sharer * Responses per Share * Incented Friends per Share Response * Purchases per Incented Friend If your category has no benchmark data, the Industry benchmark option does not appear in the compare picker, even for eligible metrics. For a ready-made view that uses benchmark comparison, pick the [Industry Benchmarking template](/knowledge-app/referral/reporting/reference/templates-catalogue). ## Next See which chart types accept comparisons. See which metrics are benchmark-eligible.