HOUR in WPS on Windows: Introduction

WPS HOUR helps you extract the hour from a date or time value in spreadsheets on Windows; 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	This feature has no membership restriction
Version scope	No version restriction	Available across WPS Spreadsheet versions

About This Feature

Overview

The HOUR function in WPS Spreadsheet returns the hour portion of a date or time value as an integer. It is useful for attendance analysis, time splitting, cross-sheet calculations, and nested spreadsheet formulas on Windows.

Core capabilities include:

Extracting the hour from a cell value for later analysis and grouping.
Entering the function directly in the formula bar.
Supporting cross-sheet references and nested calculations.
Updating results automatically when source data changes.

System Requirements

Item	Requirement
Operating system	A Windows device that can run WPS Office normally
App version	The latest version of WPS Office is recommended
Network	No mandatory internet connection is required for local formula calculation; downloading, installation, and account services require internet access
Other	You need to open WPS Spreadsheet files and have permission to edit cells

Download & Installation

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Post-install check	Open WPS Spreadsheet, create or open a worksheet, and type `=HOUR(` in a cell to confirm that function hints appear

Source: WPS download page

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	WPS Spreadsheet supports the `HOUR` function to extract the hour from a time value, with support for cross-sheet references, nested formulas, and automatic recalculation.	Excel provides `HOUR(serial_number)` and returns the hour of a time value as an integer from 0 to 23.	Google Sheets provides `HOUR(time)` and extracts the hour from a date-time value, a function result, or a number.	Notion formulas support `hour()` and return the hour of a date from 0 to 23 for database property calculations.	Acrobat Desktop Help focuses on PDF creation, editing, and management, and does not document a spreadsheet-style built-in HOUR function.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: You can enter `HOUR` directly in spreadsheet cells and combine it with cross-sheet references and nested formulas in a familiar worksheet workflow.	Compared with WPS: Excel offers a directly comparable hour-extraction function and uses a serial-number-based syntax description.	Compared with WPS: Google Sheets also supports hour extraction and explicitly notes numeric-format requirements for literal time inputs.	Compared with WPS: Notion handles hour extraction in database formulas, but its usage is centered on property logic rather than traditional worksheet analysis.	Compared with WPS: Acrobat is centered on PDF workflows and does not provide a directly comparable spreadsheet function entry point.
Official Source	—	HOUR function	HOUR	Formula syntax and functions	Acrobat Desktop Help

Overall Conclusion

If your work centers on spreadsheet-based time extraction and calculation, WPS, Excel, and Google Sheets all provide direct hour-extraction functions. WPS fits users who want to work in a familiar spreadsheet interface with formula entry, references, and automatic recalculation, while Notion is more database-oriented and Adobe Acrobat is focused on PDF tasks.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Intended Users	Main Need	How HOUR Helps
1	Attendance time splitting	HR and admin teams	Extract hour ranges from check-in times quickly	Use `HOUR` to pull the hour before grouping or counting
2	Order peak-hour analysis	Operations and sales teams	Identify the busiest order hours	Pass order timestamps into `HOUR` and summarize the results
3	Cross-sheet time references	Finance and data users	Calculate time fields across multiple worksheets	Reference cells from other sheets and wrap them with `HOUR`
4	Nested formula logic	Advanced spreadsheet users	Build more complete logic than a single function allows	Combine `HOUR` with other formulas in one expression
5	Dynamic report updates	Everyday office users	Keep results aligned with changing source times	Let recalculation refresh the extracted hour automatically

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Capability	Free	WPS Premium
HOUR function usage	✅ Available	✅ Available
Basic spreadsheet editing	✅ Available	✅ Available
Cloud storage	1 GB	20 GB
Template downloads	Limited	More available
PDF and advanced tools	Basic access	More tools available

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Scenario	Recommended Plan	Why
Daily hour extraction and basic spreadsheet work	Free	The HOUR function itself has no membership restriction
More cloud storage and broader office tools	WPS Premium	Suitable if you also need more document, PDF, and template features

WPS membership center: Subscribe now