Compact mode

NOW vs DAYS vs NETWORKDAYS

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

For all*

Date & Time

Excel functions for working with dates and time calculations
Operation Type 🔧

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

NOW

Information

NOW performs Information operations. Functions that focus on retrieving and displaying data in various formats Click to see all.

DAYS

Calculation

DAYS performs Calculation operations. Excel functions for performing various calculations Click to see all.

NETWORKDAYS

Calculation

NETWORKDAYS performs Calculation operations. Excel functions for performing various calculations Click to see all.

Usage Context Comparison

For whom 👥

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

For all*

Business Managers

Excel functions helpful for business management and decision making

NOW

Administrative Staff

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

DAYS

Project Managers

DAYS is designed for Project Managers. Excel functions helpful for project planning and tracking Click to see all.

NETWORKDAYS

Project Managers

NETWORKDAYS is designed for Project Managers. Excel functions helpful for project planning and tracking Click to see all.
Purpose 📝

Primary purposes and use cases of the Excel function

For all*

Date Calculations

Functions for working with dates and time calculations

Basic Information Comparison

Known For ⭐

Distinctive characteristic or primary strength of the Excel function

NOW

Current Date And Time Retrieval

NOW is known for Current Date And Time Retrieval.

DAYS

Calculate Days Between Dates

DAYS is known for Calculate Days Between Dates.

NETWORKDAYS

Calculate Working Days

NETWORKDAYS is known for Calculate Working Days.

History Comparison

Creation Date 📅

Original release date of the Excel function

NOW

Excel 2.0

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

DAYS

Excel 2013

DAYS was created in Excel 2013. Functions added in the Excel 2013 release Click to see all.

NETWORKDAYS

Excel 2000

NETWORKDAYS was created in Excel 2000. Functions first released with Excel 2000 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

NOW

Updates approximately 86400 times per day

DAYS

Replaced the older DATEDIF for simple calculations

NETWORKDAYS

Created after numerous complaints about weekend inclusion
Sarcastic Fact 🤣

Humorous or ironic observation about the Excel function

NOW

The function that never lets you forget you're late

DAYS

Counts days better than a calendar-obsessed squirrel

NETWORKDAYS

The function that knows you don't work weekends

Usage Information Comparison

Formula Complexity Level 📖

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

NOW

Simple

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

DAYS

Simple

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

NETWORKDAYS

Intermediate

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

Technical Details Comparison

Input Data Type 📝

Types of data that the Excel function accepts as input parameters

For all*

Date

Excel functions for working with dates and time values
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

NOW

~
DAYS

2

DAYS needs 2 required arguments Click to see all.

NETWORKDAYS

2

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

The data types accepted as valid input arguments for the function

For all*

Date

Excel functions specialized in processing date and time calculations

Evaluation Comparison

Pros ✅

Key advantages and strengths of the Excel function

NOW

No Arguments Needed

Excel functions that work without arguments provide quick results with minimal setup Click to see all.

Updates Automatically

DAYS

Simple To Use

Accurate Calculations

Intuitive

NETWORKDAYS

Excludes Weekends

Holiday Aware

Accurate

Excludes Weekends Automatically

Considers Holidays
Cons ❌

Limitations and potential drawbacks of the Excel function

NOW

Updates With Every Calculation

Can Slow Spreadsheets

DAYS

Only Works With Dates

Limited Functionality

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

NETWORKDAYS

Requires Date Format

Functions that only work with properly formatted date values Click to see all.

Complex Holiday Handling

Limited Holiday Input Format

Regional Limitations

Ratings Comparison

Alternatives to NOW

Known for Current Date Return

⚙ performs better than NOW

Known for Day Of Week Determination

🔢 needs fewer arguments than NOW

📈 is more versatile than NOW

⚙ performs better than NOW

Known for Month Extraction

🔢 needs fewer arguments than NOW

⚙ performs better than NOW

🛠 is more reliable than NOW

Known for Week Number Calculation

🔢 needs fewer arguments than NOW

⚙ performs better than NOW

Known for Year Extraction

🔢 needs fewer arguments than NOW

⚙ performs better than NOW

🛠 is more reliable than NOW

Known for Day Extraction

🔢 needs fewer arguments than NOW

⚙ performs better than NOW

🛠 is more reliable than NOW

Known for Column Number Retrieval

⚙ performs better than NOW

🛠 is more reliable than NOW

⭐ is rated higher than NOW

Known for Row Number Retrieval

⚙ performs better than NOW

🛠 is more reliable than NOW

⭐ is rated higher than NOW

Known for Text Extraction

🔢 needs fewer arguments than NOW

⚙ performs better than NOW

Known for Division Remainder Calculations

🔢 needs fewer arguments than NOW

⚙ performs better than NOW