Compact mode

SUBTOTAL vs MAXIFS vs SUMIF

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*

Mathematical

Excel functions for performing mathematical calculations
Operation Type 🔧

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

SUBTOTAL

Aggregation

SUBTOTAL performs Aggregation operations. Excel functions for combining and summarizing data Click to see all.

MAXIFS

Calculation

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

SUMIF

Calculation

SUMIF 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*

Data Analysts

Excel functions specifically designed for data analysis and interpretation

SUBTOTAL

Accountants

SUBTOTAL is designed for Accountants. Excel functions commonly used by accountants for financial tracking and reporting Click to see all.

MAXIFS

Financial Professionals

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

SUMIF

Financial Professionals

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

Primary purposes and use cases of the Excel function

For all*

Data Analysis

Functions specifically designed for analyzing data

SUBTOTAL

Data Aggregation

SUBTOTAL is used for Data Aggregation. Functions for combining and summarizing data Click to see all.

SUMIF

Conditional Logic

SUMIF is used for Conditional Logic. Functions used for conditional calculations and logic operations Click to see all.

Basic Information Comparison

Known For ⭐

Distinctive characteristic or primary strength of the Excel function

SUBTOTAL

Filtered Data Calculations

SUBTOTAL is known for Filtered Data Calculations.

MAXIFS

Multiple Criteria Max

MAXIFS is known for Multiple Criteria Max.

SUMIF

Conditional Sum Calculations

SUMIF is known for Conditional Sum Calculations.

History Comparison

Creation Date 📅

Original release date of the Excel function

SUBTOTAL

Excel 97

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

MAXIFS

Excel 2016

MAXIFS was created in Excel 2016. Functions that came with Excel 2016 version Click to see all.

SUMIF

Excel 95

SUMIF was created in Excel 95. Functions that came with Excel 95 release 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

SUBTOTAL

Can Perform 11 Different Operations

MAXIFS

Can handle up to 127 criteria pairs

SUMIF

Originally created for financial reporting
Sarcastic Fact 🤣

Humorous or ironic observation about the Excel function

SUBTOTAL

The Swiss Army Knife of Excel Functions

MAXIFS

Like finding the tallest person who likes both pizza and sushi

SUMIF

Makes counting look complicated when simple math would do

Usage Information Comparison

Formula Complexity Level 📖

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

For all*

Intermediate

Excel functions with moderate complexity for various tasks

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
Version Compatibility 💻

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

For all*

Excel 2016

Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2016 version

SUBTOTAL

Excel 2019

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

MAXIFS

Microsoft 365

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

SUMIF

Excel 2019

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

Excel 2013

SUMIF 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
Required Arguments Count 🔢

Number of mandatory arguments needed for the function to work properly

SUBTOTAL

2

SUBTOTAL needs 2 required arguments Click to see all.

MAXIFS

3

MAXIFS needs 3 required arguments Click to see all.

SUMIF

2

SUMIF needs 2 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

SUBTOTAL

Array

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

MAXIFS

Range

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

Text

MAXIFS accepts Text as input types Excel functions specialized in text string manipulation and processing Click to see all.

SUMIF

Range

SUMIF 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

SUBTOTAL

Ignores Hidden Rows

Multiple Functions

MAXIFS

Multiple Condition Support

Array Handling

Functions that efficiently process arrays and ranges of data Click to see all.

Efficient Processing

SUMIF

Easy To Use

Versatile For Filtering Sums

Excel functions that excel at calculating sums with various filtering options Click to see all.

Clear Syntax
Cons ❌

Limitations and potential drawbacks of the Excel function

SUBTOTAL

Function Code Memorization

Limited Operations

MAXIFS

Requires Sorted Data

Limited To Numbers

Functions that can only process numerical values and cannot handle text or dates Click to see all.

SUMIF

Limited To Single Condition

Can Be Slow With Large Datasets

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

Ratings Comparison

Ease of Use Score 📊

User-rated score for function's ease of use

SUBTOTAL

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.

MAXIFS

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.

SUMIF

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

SUBTOTAL

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.

MAXIFS

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.

SUMIF

7.5

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

SUBTOTAL

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.

MAXIFS

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.

SUMIF

7

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

For all*

9
Score ⭐

Overall rating combining all scoring attributes

SUBTOTAL

8.6

The overall score for SUBTOTAL is 8.6. Click to see all.

MAXIFS

8.5

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

SUMIF

8

The overall score for SUMIF is 8. Click to see all.

Alternatives to SUBTOTAL

Known for Multiple Condition Sum

🔢 needs fewer arguments than SUBTOTAL

Known for Multiple Criteria Counting

📈 is more versatile than SUBTOTAL

⭐ is rated higher than SUBTOTAL

Known for Counting With Conditions

Known for Matrix Multiplication Calculations

📊 is easier to use than SUBTOTAL

⚙ performs better than SUBTOTAL

🛠 is more reliable than SUBTOTAL

⭐ is rated higher than SUBTOTAL

Known for Finding Nth Smallest Value

📊 is easier to use than SUBTOTAL

Known for Finding Nth Largest Value

📊 is easier to use than SUBTOTAL

Known for Calculate Loan Payments

🔢 needs fewer arguments than SUBTOTAL

⚙ performs better than SUBTOTAL

🛠 is more reliable than SUBTOTAL

Known for Basic Arithmetic Calculations

📊 is easier to use than SUBTOTAL

⚙ performs better than SUBTOTAL

🛠 is more reliable than SUBTOTAL

⭐ is rated higher than SUBTOTAL

Known for Finding Most Frequent Value

📊 is easier to use than SUBTOTAL

⚙ performs better than SUBTOTAL

Known for Database Sum Operations

🔢 needs fewer arguments than SUBTOTAL