FILTER in WPS on Windows: Introduction

FILTER in WPS Spreadsheet on Windows is a spreadsheet function for returning data that matches conditions; this guide covers 4 core tasks, with 4 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	4	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	4	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index
Version limit	None	Available in WPS Spreadsheet across supported versions

About This Feature

Overview

FILTER is a built-in function in WPS Spreadsheet on Windows for data calculation and analysis. It helps you return records that meet specific conditions, supports flexible parameters, cross-worksheet references, nested calculations, and automatic recalculation when source data changes.

It is useful for filtering sales records, preparing data for conditional analysis, pulling matching records from other worksheets, and keeping result areas updated as source data changes.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	A Windows device that can run WPS Office normally
App version	It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office; FILTER is available in WPS Spreadsheet across supported versions
Network	No mandatory internet connection is required for local formula calculation
Other	You need to open and edit spreadsheet files and enter formulas in cells

Download & Installation

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Check after installation	Open WPS Office → open Spreadsheet → select a cell and enter FILTER from the Formula tab or formula bar

Source: WPS Download Center

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	In WPS Spreadsheet, you can enter the FILTER function to return data by condition, with syntax prompts, cross-worksheet references, nested calculations, and automatic recalculation.	Excel FILTER filters an array based on Boolean criteria and can return spilled array results.	Google Sheets FILTER returns rows or columns that meet conditions and supports multiple conditions, but it filters rows or columns one at a time.	Notion provides formulas and list filter logic for database properties rather than a traditional cell-based spreadsheet function workflow.	Adobe Acrobat focuses on calculated form fields and calculation order in PDF forms rather than a spreadsheet FILTER function.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: enter FILTER directly in the formula bar with syntax prompts; Distinct: supports cross-worksheet references, nested calculations, and real-time result updates in a spreadsheet workflow.	Compared with WPS: it also supports condition-based filtering, with stronger emphasis on dynamic arrays and spill behavior.	Compared with WPS: it supports condition-based filtering, but its official notes state that row and column conditions cannot be mixed in one FILTER call.	Compared with WPS: it is better suited to database property formulas than cell-level spreadsheet filtering.	Compared with WPS: it is designed for PDF form calculations, not spreadsheet data filtering and analysis.
Official Source	—	FILTER function	FILTER function	Formula syntax and functions	Configure form field calculations in Acrobat

Overall Conclusion: If your main task is condition-based filtering and formula work in spreadsheets, FILTER in WPS fits common spreadsheet analysis workflows well. Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets provide comparable function support, while Notion and Adobe focus on database formulas or PDF form calculations.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable for	Main challenge	How FILTER helps
1	Sales record filtering	Sales teams, operations teams	Large datasets are slow to review manually	Use FILTER to return only matching records
2	Conditional analysis reports	Finance teams, analysts	A report needs a subset of records from a larger table	Enter a FILTER formula to generate a result range
3	Cross-sheet data retrieval	Users managing multiple worksheets	Data is spread across worksheets and is harder to reference	Combine FILTER with cross-worksheet references
4	Dynamic result display	Users maintaining recurring reports	Results need to stay aligned with changing source data	Use automatic recalculation to keep results updated

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Capability	Free	WPS Premium
FILTER function usage	Yes	Yes
Basic spreadsheet editing	Yes	Yes
Advanced PDF and extended benefits	Available within the free offering shown on the pricing page	Includes more advanced features and extended benefits
Cloud storage	1 GB	20 GB, or more depending on the selected plan

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Scenario	Recommended plan	Why
Use FILTER for everyday filtering and calculation	Free	FILTER itself has no membership restriction
Need more cloud storage or broader office benefits	WPS Premium	Suitable for users who need expanded office benefits

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