DAYS
Returns the number of days between two dates.
DAYS(end_date, start_date)Arguments
end_dateThe end date.start_dateThe start date.
=DAYS("12/31/2026","1/1/2026")Returns the number of days between the two dates.
=DAYS(A2,A1)Calculates the difference between two cells containing dates.
=DAYS(TODAY(),A1)Returns the number of days from A1 until today.
- •The order matters: end_date minus start_date.
- •If end_date is earlier than start_date, the result is negative.
- •Both arguments must be valid Excel dates.
- •Equivalent to (end_date - start_date).
- •Confusing the argument order - DAYS(end_date,start_date) subtracts start from end, the opposite order from a simple end-start subtraction some people expect
- •Using DAYS with text dates instead of real date values, which can cause a #VALUE! error or an unexpected result depending on how the text is formatted
- •Reaching for DAYS when a simple subtraction (end_date - start_date) would do the exact same thing more simply - DAYS mainly adds clarity, not extra capability
NETWORKDAYSCounts only business days between two dates, rather than all calendar days like DAYS.DATEDIFCalculates the difference in years, months, or days with more unit options than DAYS provides.TODAYOften used as one of the two date arguments in a DAYS calculation.What's the difference between DAYS and just subtracting two dates?
Functionally nothing - DAYS(end,start) gives the same result as end-start. DAYS just makes the intent clearer in a formula.
Why did I get a negative number from DAYS?
The end_date and start_date arguments are probably swapped - DAYS subtracts the second argument from the first, so putting the earlier date first gives a negative result.
Does DAYS work with text dates?
It's safer with real date values. Text that looks like a date may or may not be interpreted correctly depending on format, so convert with DATEVALUE first if you're not sure.
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