Compact mode

SUBSTITUTE vs TEXT vs VLOOKUP

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.

TEXT

Text

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

VLOOKUP

Lookup & Reference

VLOOKUP belongs to the Lookup & Reference category. Excel functions for searching and referencing data across spreadsheets Click to see all.
Operation Type 🔧

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

SUBSTITUTE

Manipulation

SUBSTITUTE performs Manipulation operations. Functions that modify and transform data in different ways Click to see all.

TEXT

Conversion

TEXT performs Conversion operations. Excel functions for converting between different data types Click to see all.

VLOOKUP

Retrieval

VLOOKUP performs Retrieval operations. Functions specialized in fetching data from various sources 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
Administrative Staff

Excel functions useful for administrative tasks and data management

VLOOKUP

Business Managers

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

Primary purposes and use cases of the Excel function

SUBSTITUTE

Text Manipulation

SUBSTITUTE is used for Text Manipulation. Excel functions that modify and format text content Click to see all.

TEXT

Text Manipulation

TEXT is used for Text Manipulation. Excel functions that modify and format text content Click to see all.

VLOOKUP

Data Lookup

VLOOKUP is used for Data Lookup. Functions for finding and retrieving specific data Click to see all.

Data Analysis

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

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.

TEXT

Number Formatting

TEXT is known for Number Formatting.

VLOOKUP

Vertical Data Search

VLOOKUP is known for Vertical Data 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.

TEXT

Excel 3.0

TEXT was created in Excel 3.0. Functions that originated in Excel 3.0 version Click to see all.

VLOOKUP

Excel 3.0

VLOOKUP 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

TEXT

Can handle dates and numbers uniformly

VLOOKUP

Often confused with HLOOKUP
Sarcastic Fact 🤣

Humorous or ironic observation about the Excel function

SUBSTITUTE

Find and replace's overachieving cousin

TEXT

Makes numbers look pretty but lose calculation ability

VLOOKUP

The function everyone pretends to understand

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

SUBSTITUTE

Text

SUBSTITUTE accepts Text as input data. Excel functions specifically designed for text manipulation Click to see all.

TEXT

Number

TEXT accepts Number as input data. Excel functions specifically designed for numerical calculations Click to see all.

Date

TEXT accepts Date as input data. Excel functions for working with dates and time values Click to see all.

VLOOKUP

Text

VLOOKUP accepts Text as input data. Excel functions specifically designed for text manipulation Click to see all.

Number

VLOOKUP 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

TEXT

Microsoft 365

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

VLOOKUP

Microsoft 365

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

Excel Online

VLOOKUP is compatible with Excel Online Excel functions optimized for use in the web-based Excel Online platform 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

SUBSTITUTE

Web Excel

SUBSTITUTE runs on Web Excel Excel functions available in web-based versions Click to see all.

VLOOKUP

Web Excel

VLOOKUP 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

SUBSTITUTE

3

SUBSTITUTE needs 3 required arguments Click to see all.

TEXT

2

TEXT needs 2 required arguments Click to see all.

VLOOKUP

4

VLOOKUP needs 4 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
Number

Excel functions that perform calculations specifically with numerical inputs

VLOOKUP

Range

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

Boolean

VLOOKUP accepts Boolean as input types Excel functions that work with true/false logical inputs for decision-making Click to see all.

Evaluation Comparison

Pros ✅

Key advantages and strengths of the Excel function

SUBSTITUTE

Multiple Replacements

Case Sensitive

Precise

TEXT

Flexible Formatting Options

Widely Compatible

Excel functions that work consistently across different Excel versions and platforms Click to see all.

VLOOKUP

Powerful Search Capability

Flexible Matching

Powerful Search

Common In Business
Cons ❌

Limitations and potential drawbacks of the Excel function

SUBSTITUTE

Requires Exact Match

Complex Syntax

TEXT

Format String Complexity

Learning Curve

VLOOKUP

Left To Right Only

Can Be Slow With Large Datasets

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

Right-Only Search

Functions that can only search from right to left in text Click to see all.

Can Be Slow

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.

TEXT

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.

VLOOKUP

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

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.

TEXT

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.

VLOOKUP

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.
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.

TEXT

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.

VLOOKUP

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

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.

TEXT

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.

VLOOKUP

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.

TEXT

8.7

The overall score for TEXT is 8.7. Click to see all.

VLOOKUP

8

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

Alternatives to SUBSTITUTE

Known for Text Extraction

📊 is easier to use than TEXT

Known for Text Search And Position Finding

Known for Extract Rightmost Characters

📊 is easier to use than TEXT

⚙ performs better than TEXT

⭐ is rated higher than TEXT

Known for Extracting Text Segments

🔢 needs fewer arguments than TEXT

Known for Advanced Text Combining

🔢 needs fewer arguments than TEXT

Known for Conditional Statements

🔢 needs fewer arguments than TEXT

📈 is more versatile than TEXT

⭐ is rated higher than TEXT

Known for Case-Insensitive Search

Known for Text Joining

📊 is easier to use than TEXT

⚙ performs better than TEXT

Known for Calculate Loan Payments

🔢 needs fewer arguments than TEXT

⚙ performs better than TEXT

Known for Round Numbers

📊 is easier to use than TEXT

⚙ performs better than TEXT

⭐ is rated higher than TEXT