An efficient HPLC-DAD-CAD method was developed and compared for simultaneous quantification of four flavonoids and four diarylheptanoids in Alpinia officinarum Hance (A. officinarum) using individual and substitute reference compound. All calibration curves for investigated analytes showed good linear regression (R> 0.9991). The LODs of investigated compounds for DAD and CAD were 0.15–7.92 ng (0.03–1.58 μg/mL) and 2.91–3.95 ng (0.58–0.79 μg/mL), respectively, whereas the LOQs were 0.52–26.39 ng (0.10–5.28 μg/mL) for DAD, and 9.70–13.18 ng (1.94–2.64 μg/mL) for CAD. Recoveries of all analytes, which ranged from 96.58% to 100.06% for DAD, and from 96.29% to 99.61% for CAD, were acceptable. According to the quantitative results, the eight compounds in A. officinarum can be accurately quantified with individual calibration curves by two detectors. In addition, to overcome the bottleneck of shortage of reference standards, diphenylheptane A and galangin, respectively, were selected for direct or calibrated quantitative determination of other diarylheptanoids and flavonoids in A. officinarum. The results showed the contents of eight components in A. officinarum determined by these methods were similar, which suggested that substitute reference compound was suitable for quantification of its analogues.