Compact mode

SUBSTITUTE vs FIND vs SEARCH

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

SUBSTITUTE

Text

SUBSTITUTE belongs to the Text category. Excel functions for manipulating and analyzing text data Click to see all.

FIND

Mathematical

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

SEARCH

Text

SEARCH belongs to the Text category. Excel functions for manipulating and analyzing text data Click to see all.
Operation Type 🔧

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

For all*

Manipulation

Functions that modify and transform data in different ways

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

SUBSTITUTE

Administrative Staff

SUBSTITUTE is designed for Administrative Staff. Excel functions useful for administrative tasks and data management Click to see all.

FIND

Business Managers

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

SEARCH

Administrative Staff

SEARCH is designed for Administrative Staff. Excel functions useful for administrative tasks and data management Click to see all.
Purpose 📝

Primary purposes and use cases of the Excel function

For all*

Text Manipulation

Excel functions that modify and format text content

Basic Information Comparison

Known For ⭐

Distinctive characteristic or primary strength of the Excel function

SUBSTITUTE

Replace Specific Text

SUBSTITUTE is known for Replace Specific Text.

FIND

Text Search And Position Finding

FIND is known for Text Search And Position Finding.

SEARCH

Case-Insensitive Search

SEARCH is known for Case-Insensitive Search.

History Comparison

Creation Date 📅

Original release date of the Excel function

SUBSTITUTE

Excel 97

SUBSTITUTE was created in Excel 97. Functions first available in Excel 97 version Click to see all.

FIND

Excel 2.0

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

SEARCH

Excel 3.0

SEARCH was created in Excel 3.0. Functions that originated in Excel 3.0 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

SUBSTITUTE

Originally designed for mail merge operations

FIND

Can search from left to right and right to left

SEARCH

Was inspired by word processing software
Sarcastic Fact 🤣

Humorous or ironic observation about the Excel function

SUBSTITUTE

Find and replace's overachieving cousin

FIND

Sometimes finds things you wish stayed hidden

SEARCH

Sometimes finds things you wish it hadn't

Usage Information Comparison

Formula Complexity Level 📖

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

SUBSTITUTE

Intermediate

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

FIND

Simple

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

SEARCH

Simple

SEARCH 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*

Text

Excel functions specifically designed for text manipulation

FIND

Number

FIND accepts Number as input data. Excel functions specifically designed for numerical calculations 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
Excel 2013

Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2013 version
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
Required Arguments Count 🔢

Number of mandatory arguments needed for the function to work properly

SUBSTITUTE

3

SUBSTITUTE needs 3 required arguments Click to see all.

FIND

2

FIND needs 2 required arguments Click to see all.

SEARCH

2

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

The data types accepted as valid input arguments for the function

For all*

Text

Excel functions specialized in text string manipulation and processing
Text

Excel functions specialized in text string manipulation and processing

SUBSTITUTE

Number

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

FIND

Number

FIND 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

SUBSTITUTE

Multiple Replacements

Case Sensitive

Precise

FIND

Easy To Use For Basic Text Searches

Case-Sensitive Search Capability

SEARCH

Case Insensitive

Flexible Search Options

Returns Position
Cons ❌

Limitations and potential drawbacks of the Excel function

SUBSTITUTE

Requires Exact Match

Complex Syntax

FIND

Limited To Text Strings Only

Returns Error If Text Not Found

Functions that produce errors when searched text is not present Click to see all.

SEARCH

Cannot Handle Complex Patterns

Functions that struggle with sophisticated or irregular data patterns may limit analysis capabilities Click to see all.

Limited Functionality

Functions with restricted capabilities, reducing problem-solving options Click to see all.

Ratings Comparison

Ease of Use Score 📊

User-rated score for function's ease of use

SUBSTITUTE

8

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.

FIND

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.

SEARCH

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

SUBSTITUTE

8.5

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.

FIND

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.

SEARCH

6.5

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

SUBSTITUTE

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.

FIND

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.

SEARCH

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

SUBSTITUTE

9.5

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.

FIND

9.5

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.

SEARCH

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

SUBSTITUTE

8.8

The overall score for SUBSTITUTE is 8.8. Click to see all.

FIND

8.5

The overall score for FIND is 8.5. Click to see all.

SEARCH

7.9

The overall score for SEARCH is 7.9. Click to see all.

Alternatives to SUBSTITUTE

Known for Conditional Average Calculations

Known for Text Extraction

📊 is easier to use than FIND

⭐ is rated higher than FIND

Known for Extract Rightmost Characters

📊 is easier to use than FIND

⚙ performs better than FIND

⭐ is rated higher than FIND

Known for Counting Numeric Cells

📊 is easier to use than FIND

📈 is more versatile than FIND

⭐ is rated higher than FIND

Known for Extracting Text Segments

🔢 needs fewer arguments than FIND

Known for Multiplying Numbers Together

📊 is easier to use than FIND

⭐ is rated higher than FIND

Known for Round Numbers

📊 is easier to use than FIND

📈 is more versatile than FIND

⚙ performs better than FIND

⭐ is rated higher than FIND

Known for Conditional Statements

🔢 needs fewer arguments than FIND

📈 is more versatile than FIND

⭐ is rated higher than FIND

Known for Character Count Calculation

📊 is easier to use than FIND

⚙ performs better than FIND

Known for Upper Rounding