{"id":375381,"date":"2021-12-02T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/functions-vs-formulas-in-microsoft-excel-whats-the-difference\/"},"modified":"2021-12-02T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-12-02T12:00:00","slug":"functions-vs-formulas-in-microsoft-excel-whats-the-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/functions-vs-formulas-in-microsoft-excel-whats-the-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"#Functions vs. Formulas in Microsoft Excel: What\u2019s the Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2da99634ed5\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2da99634ed5\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/functions-vs-formulas-in-microsoft-excel-whats-the-difference\/#What_Is_a_Function_in_Excel\" >What Is a Function in Excel?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/functions-vs-formulas-in-microsoft-excel-whats-the-difference\/#What_Is_a_Formula_in_Excel\" >What Is a Formula in Excel?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/functions-vs-formulas-in-microsoft-excel-whats-the-difference\/#Formulas_With_Functions\" >Formulas With Functions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/functions-vs-formulas-in-microsoft-excel-whats-the-difference\/#Formulas_Without_Functions\" >Formulas Without Functions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/functions-vs-formulas-in-microsoft-excel-whats-the-difference\/#Remembering_the_Difference_Between_Functions_and_Formulas\" >Remembering the Difference Between Functions and Formulas<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#Functions vs. Formulas in Microsoft Excel: What\u2019s the Difference?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage alignnone size-full wp-image-757715\" data-pagespeed-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/microsoft_excel_hero_1200x675.jpg?width=398&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 400w, https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/microsoft_excel_hero_1200x675.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/microsoft_excel_hero_1200x675.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Microsoft Excel logo on a green background\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>We often talk about \u201cfunctions\u201d and \u201cformulas\u201d when discussing Microsoft Excel. In fact, some people use them interchangeably. However, there are differences between the two. To help you understand and use what you need, we\u2019ll explain how they\u2019re different.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_a_Function_in_Excel\"><\/span>What Is a Function in Excel?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A function in Microsoft Excel is a predefined formula. Built behind the scenes of the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lication, functions allow you to make calculations, formatting, and similar tasks without needing to know operators or programming languages.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Use Logical Functions in Excel: IF, AND, OR, XOR, NOT<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You can use a function to do things like add numbers, count cells, and trim white space. Examples of common functions in Excel include:<\/p>\n<p>Functions appear in all uppercase letters, are available for you to select and use, and can be inserted into formulas that you create.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-767864\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/SumFunction-ExcelFunctionsFormulas.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Select the SUM function\" width=\"449\" height=\"250\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Each function in Excel requires a specific syntax, or composition. You can see this syntax when you insert a function to help you create the formula. As an example, if you click the Insert Function icon (fx) to the left of the formula bar, you can search for a function to insert.<\/p>\n<p>Near the bottom of the window that appears, you\u2019ll see the syntax required for each function you select in the list.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-767866\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/CountSyntax-ExcelFunctionsFormulas.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"COUNT function syntax\" width=\"629\" height=\"437\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>You might see in the syntax some arguments, like \u201cvalue\u201d or \u201cnumber,\u201d which basically tell the function how to behave. While some functions can be used without arguments, others cannot. For instance, you can\u2019t simply use the SUM function on its own. It must be inserted into a formula that contains arguments within parentheses.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-767868\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/SumArguments-ExcelFunctionsFormulas.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"SUM function arguments\" width=\"242\" height=\"226\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p>In some cases, functions can be used without arguments. For instance, to enter the current date and time in a cell you could use <code>NOW()<\/code> which is a basic function. As you can see, there are no arguments, but the parentheses accompany the function as part of the syntax.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-767869\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/NowFunction-ExcelFunctionsFormulas.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"NOW function\" width=\"400\" height=\"105\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>12 Basic Excel Functions Everybody Should Know<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_a_Formula_in_Excel\"><\/span>What Is a Formula in Excel?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A formula in Excel is an expression, such as an equation, that you create inside a cell. You can insert a function into your formula or create an equation without one.<\/p>\n<p>Formulas must start with an equal sign when inserted into a cell and are the final expressions used to perform the calculations or tasks you set up. Once you add a formula to a cell, you\u2019ll see it display in the Formula Bar at the top of your sheet.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-767871\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/FormulaBar-ExcelFunctionsFormulas.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Formula bar in Excel\" width=\"650\" height=\"125\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Formulas_With_Functions\"><\/span>Formulas With Functions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you select a function you want to use, you add it to the formula and then include the arguments which can include cell references, numbers, or text values. Examples of simple formulas using functions in Excel include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0<code>=SUM(A1:A10)<\/code><\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<code>=COUNT(A1:A10)<\/code><\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<code>=AVERAGE(A1:A10)<\/code><\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<code>=TRUNC(7.5,1)<\/code><\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<code>=TRIM(A1)<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As you can see, each formula begins with a function. The parts of the formula in parentheses are the arguments. For instance, if you insert the <code>SUM<\/code> \u00a0function into your formula, you must include what you want to add such as a range of cells containing values.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-767873\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Sum-ExcelFunctionsFormulas.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"SUM function\" width=\"555\" height=\"269\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Formulas_Without_Functions\"><\/span>Formulas Without Functions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Formulas can be used on their own, without functions. So you can perform tasks like adding numbers and multiplying values in cells. Examples of basic formulas without functions in Excel include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\u00a0<code>=A1+A2<\/code><\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<code>=C1-C2<\/code><\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<code>=2*4<\/code><\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<code>=B1\/B2<\/code><\/li>\n<li>\u00a0<code>=D1*D2<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-767872\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Formula-ExcelFunctionsFormulas.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Formula without function in Excel\" width=\"440\" height=\"180\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Add or Multiply Values with Paste Special in Microsoft Excel<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Remembering_the_Difference_Between_Functions_and_Formulas\"><\/span>Remembering the Difference Between Functions and Formulas<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Even though a function is technically a formula, it\u2019s a predefined formula, not one that you create. So, the easiest way to distinguish the difference between a function and a formula in Excel is that you can <em>insert<\/em> a function into a formula that <em>you<\/em> create.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Function<\/strong>: Predefined by Excel and can be inserted into a formula.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Formula<\/strong>: Defined by you and can be used with or without a function.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For additional help, take a look at a few lessons in the How-to Geek School starting with why you need formulas and functions in Excel.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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In fact, some people use them interchangeably. However, there are differences between the two. To help you understand and use what you need, we\u2019ll explain how they\u2019re different. What Is a Function in Excel? A&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":375382,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/microsoft_excel_hero_1200x675.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-375381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=375381"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375381\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/375382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=375381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=375381"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=375381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}