Compact mode

COUNTA vs SUMPRODUCT vs SMALL

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

COUNTA

Statistical

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

SUMPRODUCT

Mathematical

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

SMALL

Statistical

SMALL 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

For whom 👥

Target user groups who would benefit most from using this Excel function

For all*

Data Analysts

Excel functions specifically designed for data analysis and interpretation

COUNTA

Business Managers

COUNTA is designed for Business Managers. Excel functions helpful for business management and decision making Click to see all.

SUMPRODUCT

Financial Professionals

SUMPRODUCT is designed for Financial Professionals. Excel functions essential for financial analysis and planning Click to see all.

SMALL

Statisticians

SMALL is designed for Statisticians. Excel functions designed for statistical analysis and probability calculations Click to see all.
Purpose 📝

Primary purposes and use cases of the Excel function

COUNTA

Data Analysis

COUNTA is used for Data Analysis. Functions specifically designed for analyzing data Click to see all.

SUMPRODUCT

Data Analysis

SUMPRODUCT is used for Data Analysis. Functions specifically designed for analyzing data Click to see all.

SMALL

Statistical Analysis

SMALL is used for Statistical Analysis. Excel functions designed for statistical calculations and data analysis Click to see all.

Basic Information Comparison

Known For ⭐

Distinctive characteristic or primary strength of the Excel function

COUNTA

Count Non-Empty Cells

COUNTA is known for Count Non-Empty Cells.

SUMPRODUCT

Matrix Multiplication Calculations

SUMPRODUCT is known for Matrix Multiplication Calculations.

SMALL

Finding Nth Smallest Value

SMALL is known for Finding Nth Smallest Value.

History Comparison

Creation Date 📅

Original release date of the Excel function

COUNTA

Excel 2.0

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

SUMPRODUCT

Excel 95

SUMPRODUCT was created in Excel 95. Functions that came with Excel 95 release Click to see all.

SMALL

Excel 97

SMALL 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

COUNTA

Originally designed for counting attendance in spreadsheets

SUMPRODUCT

Can multiply and sum arrays simultaneously

SMALL

Commonly used in grade calculations
Sarcastic Fact 🤣

Humorous or ironic observation about the Excel function

COUNTA

Makes counting feel like a thrilling adventure in cell exploration

SUMPRODUCT

The function that makes accountants feel like they're doing linear algebra

SMALL

The underachiever of the statistical functions

Usage Information Comparison

Formula Complexity Level 📖

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

COUNTA

Simple

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

SUMPRODUCT

Intermediate

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

SMALL

Simple

SMALL has a Simple complexity level. Basic Excel functions for common calculations and tasks 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
Array

Excel functions designed to work with arrays and ranges of data

COUNTA

Text

COUNTA accepts Text as input data. Excel functions specifically designed for text manipulation Click to see all.
Version Compatibility 💻

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

For all*

Excel 2019

Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2019 version
Excel 2016

Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2016 version

COUNTA

Excel 2013

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

SMALL

Excel 2013

SMALL 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

COUNTA

Web Excel

COUNTA runs on Web Excel Excel functions available in web-based versions Click to see all.
Required Arguments Count 🔢

Number of mandatory arguments needed for the function to work properly

COUNTA

1

COUNTA needs 1 required arguments Click to see all.

SUMPRODUCT

2

SUMPRODUCT needs 2 required arguments Click to see all.

SMALL

2

SMALL needs 2 required arguments Click to see all.
Required Arguments Type 📊

The data types accepted as valid input arguments for the function

For all*

Range

Excel functions that operate on cell ranges for calculations

COUNTA

Array

COUNTA accepts Array as input types Excel functions that specifically work with array inputs for calculations Click to see all.

SUMPRODUCT

Array

SUMPRODUCT accepts Array as input types Excel functions that specifically work with array inputs for calculations Click to see all.

SMALL

Number

SMALL accepts Number as input types Excel functions that perform calculations specifically with numerical inputs Click to see all.

Evaluation Comparison

Pros ✅

Key advantages and strengths of the Excel function

COUNTA

Easy To Use

Fast

Non-Zero Values Only

Versatile

SUMPRODUCT

Powerful For Array Calculations

Excel functions optimized for array calculations handle multiple values simultaneously for efficient processing Click to see all.

Handles Multiple Arrays

Powerful Array Handling

Flexible

SMALL

Easy To Understand

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

Reliable Results
Cons ❌

Limitations and potential drawbacks of the Excel function

COUNTA

Counts Text As Valid

Includes Errors

Functions that consider error values in their computations, affecting results Click to see all.

Format Sensitive

SUMPRODUCT

Complex Syntax For Beginners

Limited To Numeric Data

Complex Syntax

Performance Intensive

SMALL

Array Size Limitations

Static Ranking

Ratings Comparison

Ease of Use Score 📊

User-rated score for function's ease of use

COUNTA

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.

SUMPRODUCT

8.5

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.

SMALL

8.5

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

COUNTA

8

Rating for function's adaptability to different scenarios (25%) Functions with higher versatility scores can be used in more diverse scenarios and applications. Click to see all.

SUMPRODUCT

9

Rating for function's adaptability to different scenarios (25%) Functions with higher versatility scores can be used in more diverse scenarios and applications. Click to see all.

SMALL

7

Rating for function's adaptability to different scenarios (25%) Functions with higher versatility scores can be used in more diverse scenarios and applications. Click to see all.
Performance Score ⚙

Rating for function's execution speed and efficiency

COUNTA

9.5

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.

SUMPRODUCT

9.5

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.

SMALL

8.5

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

COUNTA

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.

SUMPRODUCT

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.

SMALL

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.
Score ⭐

Overall rating combining all scoring attributes

COUNTA

9.2

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

SUMPRODUCT

9.2

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

SMALL

8.3

The overall score for SMALL is 8.3. Click to see all.

Alternatives to COUNTA

Known for Basic Arithmetic Calculations

📈 is more versatile than COUNTA

Known for Counting Numeric Cells

Known for Converting Row Data To Columns

Known for Basic Statistical Calculation

Known for Multiple Criteria Counting

🔢 needs fewer arguments than COUNTA

📈 is more versatile than COUNTA

Known for Finding Highest Value

Known for Empty Cell Detection

⚙ performs better than COUNTA

🛠 is more reliable than COUNTA

Known for Finding Lowest Value

Known for Simple Vertical And Horizontal Lookups

🔢 needs fewer arguments than COUNTA

Known for Round Numbers

🔢 needs fewer arguments than COUNTA