Compact mode

SUM vs AVERAGEIFS vs FORECAST

Table of content

Basic Classification Comparison
Usage Context Comparison
Basic Information Comparison
History Comparison
Facts Comparison

Usage Information Comparison
Technical Details Comparison
Evaluation Comparison
Ratings Comparison

Basic Classification Comparison

Function Category 📊

Primary classification of the Excel function based on its main purpose and usage domain, helps users quickly identify function types

SUM

Mathematical

SUM belongs to the Mathematical category. Excel functions for performing mathematical calculations Click to see all.

AVERAGEIFS

Statistical

AVERAGEIFS belongs to the Statistical category. Excel functions for statistical analysis and calculations Click to see all.

FORECAST

Statistical

FORECAST belongs to the Statistical category. Excel functions for statistical analysis and calculations Click to see all.
Operation Type 🔧

Fundamental type of operation or action that the Excel function performs on its inputs

For all*

Calculation

Excel functions for performing various calculations

Usage Context Comparison

Basic Information Comparison

Known For ⭐

Distinctive characteristic or primary strength of the Excel function

SUM

Basic Arithmetic Calculations

SUM is known for Basic Arithmetic Calculations.

AVERAGEIFS

Multiple Criteria Based Average

AVERAGEIFS is known for Multiple Criteria Based Average.

FORECAST

Linear Trend Prediction

FORECAST is known for Linear Trend Prediction.

History Comparison

Creation Date 📅

Original release date of the Excel function

SUM

Excel 2.0

SUM was created in Excel 2.0. Functions introduced in the Excel 2.0 version release Click to see all.

AVERAGEIFS

Excel 2007

AVERAGEIFS was created in Excel 2007. Functions first introduced in Excel 2007 release Click to see all.

FORECAST

Excel 97

FORECAST was created in Excel 97. Functions first available in Excel 97 version Click to see all.
Created By 👤

Organization or team responsible for developing the function

For all*

Microsoft Excel Team

Functions officially created by the Microsoft Excel development team

Facts Comparison

Interesting Fact 💡

Unique or lesser-known information about the Excel function

SUM

Most commonly used function in Excel

AVERAGEIFS

Can Handle Up To 127 Criteria Pairs

FORECAST

Based on least squares regression method
Sarcastic Fact 🤣

Humorous or ironic observation about the Excel function

SUM

Making adding numbers look complicated since 1985

AVERAGEIFS

Makes Simple Averages Feel Inadequate

FORECAST

The crystal ball of Excel functions

Usage Information Comparison

Formula Complexity Level 📖

Indicates the difficulty level and complexity of using the Excel function effectively

SUM

Simple

SUM has a Simple complexity level. Basic Excel functions for common calculations and tasks Click to see all.

AVERAGEIFS

Intermediate

AVERAGEIFS has a Intermediate complexity level. Excel functions with moderate complexity for various tasks Click to see all.

FORECAST

Advanced

FORECAST has a Advanced complexity level. Complex Excel functions for sophisticated calculations and operations Click to see all.

Technical Details Comparison

Input Data Type 📝

Types of data that the Excel function accepts as input parameters

For all*

Number

Excel functions specifically designed for numerical calculations

AVERAGEIFS

Array

AVERAGEIFS accepts Array as input data. Excel functions designed to work with arrays and ranges of data Click to see all.

Range

AVERAGEIFS accepts Range as input data. Excel functions that operate on cell ranges and data sets Click to see all.
Version Compatibility 💻

Indicates which Excel versions and platforms the function is compatible with < including Office 365< Excel 2019< 2016< etc.

SUM

Excel 2019

SUM is compatible with Excel 2019 Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2019 version Click to see all.

Excel 2016

SUM is compatible with Excel 2016 Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2016 version Click to see all.

Excel 2013

SUM is compatible with Excel 2013 Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2013 version Click to see all.

Microsoft 365

SUM is compatible with Microsoft 365 Excel functions optimized for the latest Microsoft 365 platform Click to see all.

Excel Online

SUM is compatible with Excel Online Excel functions optimized for use in the web-based Excel Online platform Click to see all.

AVERAGEIFS

Excel 2007

AVERAGEIFS is compatible with Excel 2007 Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2007 version Click to see all.

FORECAST

Excel 2019

FORECAST is compatible with Excel 2019 Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2019 version Click to see all.

Excel 2016

FORECAST is compatible with Excel 2016 Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2016 version Click to see all.

Excel 2013

FORECAST is compatible with Excel 2013 Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2013 version Click to see all.
Operating System 💾

Specifies the operating systems where the function can be used < including Windows< macOS< and web platforms

For all*

Windows

Excel functions optimized for Windows operating system
MacOS

Excel functions optimized for MacOS users
Web Excel

Excel functions available in web-based versions

AVERAGEIFS

Excel Online

AVERAGEIFS runs on Excel Online Excel functions available in the online version of Excel Click to see all.
Required Arguments Count 🔢

Number of mandatory arguments needed for the function to work properly

SUM

1

SUM needs 1 required arguments Click to see all.

AVERAGEIFS

2

AVERAGEIFS needs 2 required arguments Click to see all.

FORECAST

3

FORECAST needs 3 required arguments Click to see all.
Required Arguments Type 📊

The data types accepted as valid input arguments for the function

For all*

Number

Excel functions that perform calculations specifically with numerical inputs
Array

Excel functions that specifically work with array inputs for calculations

SUM

Range

SUM accepts Range as input types Excel functions that operate on cell ranges for calculations Click to see all.

AVERAGEIFS

Range

AVERAGEIFS accepts Range as input types Excel functions that operate on cell ranges for calculations Click to see all.

Evaluation Comparison

Pros ✅

Key advantages and strengths of the Excel function

SUM

Easy To Use

Widely Recognized

Versatile

Fast Calculation

AVERAGEIFS

Flexible Criteria Selection

Multiple Condition Support

Easy To Understand

Functions with clear and intuitive syntax that are simple to learn Click to see all.

Multiple Conditions Support

Excel functions handling multiple conditions enable complex logical operations and flexible data filtering Click to see all.

Flexible Range Selection

Functions that enable selecting dynamic ranges and cell references flexibly Click to see all.

Easy To Use With Multiple Criteria

Functions that handle multiple conditions efficiently Click to see all.

Versatile For Complex Analysis

FORECAST

Statistical Accuracy

Excel functions with high statistical accuracy ensure precise mathematical and analytical results Click to see all.

Trend Analysis

Professional

Scientific Prediction

Based On Historical Data

Functions that analyze and process historical time-series data Click to see all.
Cons ❌

Limitations and potential drawbacks of the Excel function

SUM

Limited To Numbers Only

Cannot Handle Text

No Text Handling

AVERAGEIFS

Complex Syntax

Limited Data Type Support

Functions that work with only specific data types, restricting versatility Click to see all.

Can Be Slow With Large Datasets

Functions that process large amounts of data may significantly impact spreadsheet performance Click to see all.

Limited To Numeric Values Only

Limited To Numerical Data Only

Requires Careful Range Selection

FORECAST

Assumes Linear Relationship

Complex Setup

Sensitive To Outliers

Ratings Comparison

Ease of Use Score 📊

User-rated score for function's ease of use

SUM

9.5

User-rated score for function's ease of use (25%) Having high ease of use score means the function is more intuitive and user-friendly. Click to see all.

AVERAGEIFS

7.5

User-rated score for function's ease of use (25%) Having high ease of use score means the function is more intuitive and user-friendly. Click to see all.

FORECAST

7.5

User-rated score for function's ease of use (25%) Having high ease of use score means the function is more intuitive and user-friendly. Click to see all.
Versatility Score 📈

Rating for function's adaptability to different scenarios

For all*

8.5
Performance Score ⚙

Rating for function's execution speed and efficiency

SUM

9

Rating for function's execution speed and efficiency (25%) Functions with higher performance scores execute faster and use system resources more efficiently. Click to see all.

AVERAGEIFS

8

Rating for function's execution speed and efficiency (25%) Functions with higher performance scores execute faster and use system resources more efficiently. Click to see all.

FORECAST

8

Rating for function's execution speed and efficiency (25%) Functions with higher performance scores execute faster and use system resources more efficiently. Click to see all.
Reliability Score 🛠

Rating for function's consistency and error handling

SUM

9.8

Rating for function's consistency and error handling (25%) Functions with higher reliability scores produce more consistent results and handle edge cases better. Click to see all.

AVERAGEIFS

9

Rating for function's consistency and error handling (25%) Functions with higher reliability scores produce more consistent results and handle edge cases better. Click to see all.

FORECAST

8.5

Rating for function's consistency and error handling (25%) Functions with higher reliability scores produce more consistent results and handle edge cases better. Click to see all.
Score ⭐

Overall rating combining all scoring attributes

SUM

9.2

The overall score for SUM is 9.2. Click to see all.

AVERAGEIFS

8.2

The overall score for AVERAGEIFS is 8.2. Click to see all.

FORECAST

8.1

The overall score for FORECAST is 8.1. Click to see all.

Alternatives to SUM

Known for Multiple Condition Sum

🔢 needs fewer arguments than AVERAGEIFS

Known for Multiple Criteria Counting

📊 is easier to use than AVERAGEIFS

📈 is more versatile than AVERAGEIFS

⚙ performs better than AVERAGEIFS

⭐ is rated higher than AVERAGEIFS

Known for Position Finding

🔢 needs fewer arguments than AVERAGEIFS

Known for Multiple Criteria Max

🔢 needs fewer arguments than AVERAGEIFS

📊 is easier to use than AVERAGEIFS

⚙ performs better than AVERAGEIFS

⭐ is rated higher than AVERAGEIFS

Known for Conditional Average Calculations

📊 is easier to use than AVERAGEIFS

⚙ performs better than AVERAGEIFS

🛠 is more reliable than AVERAGEIFS

⭐ is rated higher than AVERAGEIFS

Known for Conditional Sum Calculations

📊 is easier to use than AVERAGEIFS

Known for Finding Most Frequent Value

📊 is easier to use than AVERAGEIFS

⚙ performs better than AVERAGEIFS

⭐ is rated higher than AVERAGEIFS

Known for Matrix Multiplication Calculations

📊 is easier to use than AVERAGEIFS

📈 is more versatile than AVERAGEIFS

⚙ performs better than AVERAGEIFS

🛠 is more reliable than AVERAGEIFS

⭐ is rated higher than AVERAGEIFS

Known for Finding Nth Smallest Value

📊 is easier to use than AVERAGEIFS

⚙ performs better than AVERAGEIFS

⭐ is rated higher than AVERAGEIFS

Known for Counting Numeric Cells

📊 is easier to use than AVERAGEIFS

⚙ performs better than AVERAGEIFS

🛠 is more reliable than AVERAGEIFS

⭐ is rated higher than AVERAGEIFS