diff --git a/doc/changes/devel/12699.apichange.rst b/doc/changes/devel/12699.apichange.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..37f489afeb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/changes/devel/12699.apichange.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Documented that :func:`~mne.match_channel_orders` can also work on Epochs, and Evoked objects. Reflecting this, deprecated the ``raws`` parameter in favor of an ``insts`` parameter, by `Stefan Appelhoff`_.
diff --git a/mne/io/base.py b/mne/io/base.py
index d419bcb548f..a1485e6caf6 100644
--- a/mne/io/base.py
+++ b/mne/io/base.py
@@ -3083,25 +3083,44 @@ def concatenate_raws(
 
 
 @fill_doc
-def match_channel_orders(raws, copy=True):
-    """Ensure consistent channel order across raws.
+def match_channel_orders(insts=None, copy=True, *, raws=None):
+    """Ensure consistent channel order across instances (Raw, Epochs, or Evoked).
 
     Parameters
     ----------
-    raws : list
-        List of :class:`~mne.io.Raw` instances to order.
+    insts : list
+        List of :class:`~mne.io.Raw`, :class:`~mne.Epochs`,
+        or :class:`~mne.Evoked` instances to order.
     %(copy_df)s
+    raws : list
+        This parameter is deprecated and will be removed in mne version 1.9.
+        Please use ``insts`` instead.
 
     Returns
     -------
-    list of Raw
-        List of Raws with matched channel orders.
+    list of Raw | list of Epochs | list of Evoked
+        List of instances (Raw, Epochs, or Evoked) with channel orders matched
+        according to the order they had in the first item in the ``insts`` list.
     """
-    raws = deepcopy(raws) if copy else raws
-    ch_order = raws[0].ch_names
-    for raw in raws[1:]:
-        raw.reorder_channels(ch_order)
-    return raws
+    # XXX: remove "raws" parameter and logic below with MNE version 1.9
+    #      and remove default parameter value of insts
+    if raws is not None:
+        warn(
+            "The ``raws`` parameter is deprecated and will be removed in version "
+            "1.9. Use the ``insts`` parameter to suppress this warning.",
+            DeprecationWarning,
+        )
+        insts = raws
+    elif insts is None:
+        # both insts and raws is None
+        raise ValueError(
+            "You need to pass a list of Raw, Epochs, or Evoked to ``insts``."
+        )
+    insts = deepcopy(insts) if copy else insts
+    ch_order = insts[0].ch_names
+    for inst in insts[1:]:
+        inst.reorder_channels(ch_order)
+    return insts
 
 
 def _check_maxshield(allow_maxshield):
diff --git a/mne/io/fiff/tests/test_raw_fiff.py b/mne/io/fiff/tests/test_raw_fiff.py
index b6abb73b926..3b5949539dd 100644
--- a/mne/io/fiff/tests/test_raw_fiff.py
+++ b/mne/io/fiff/tests/test_raw_fiff.py
@@ -475,11 +475,19 @@ def test_concatenate_raws_order():
 
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Channel order must match."):
         # still fails, because raws is copied and not changed in place
-        match_channel_orders(raws, copy=True)
+        match_channel_orders(insts=raws, copy=True)
         raw_concat = concatenate_raws(raws)
 
+    # XXX: remove in version 1.9
+    with pytest.warns(DeprecationWarning, match="``raws`` parameter is deprecated"):
+        match_channel_orders(raws=raws)
+
+    # XXX: remove in version 1.9
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="need to pass a list"):
+        match_channel_orders()
+
     # Now passes because all raws have the same order
-    match_channel_orders(raws, copy=False)
+    match_channel_orders(insts=raws, copy=False)
     raw_concat = concatenate_raws(raws)
     ch0 = raw_concat.get_data(picks=["0"])
     assert np.all(ch0 == 0)