DATEDIF in WPS on Windows: Introduction

WPS DATEDIF is a date difference function in WPS Sheets for Windows that calculates the number of years, months, or days between two dates; this guide covers 3 core tasks, with 3 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	3	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	3	Matches the number of Free rows in the index
Membership-related items	0	Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index

About This Feature

Overview

DATEDIF is a built-in function in WPS Sheets on Windows for calculating the complete number of years, months, or days between two dates. If you need a date difference formula in a spreadsheet, it can help you calculate age, contract duration, and project timelines in WPS Office.

Core capabilities include:

Enter the DATEDIF function and calculate date differences for age, service length, or project duration.
View syntax prompts and fill in arguments in the correct order while editing formulas.
Keep results updated automatically after referenced date values change.

Common use cases include age calculation, contract period tracking, and project duration analysis. It helps reduce manual date calculations and keeps results synchronized when worksheet data changes. Distinct: You can enter the formula directly in a worksheet cell, and it supports cross-sheet references and nested calculations.

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
Network	No mandatory internet connection is required for local formula calculation
Other	You need to be able to open WPS Sheets and edit cell formulas

Download & Installation

Item	Details
Official Download	WPS Office Free Download
Post-install Check	Launch WPS Office, open WPS Sheets, and type `=DATEDIF(` in a cell to check whether the function prompt appears

Source: WPS download page

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	WPS provides the DATEDIF function in WPS Sheets to calculate year, month, and day differences between two dates, with support for cross-sheet references and nested calculations.	Microsoft Excel provides `DATEDIF(start_date,end_date,unit)` to calculate the number of days, months, or years between two dates, and its documentation notes known limitations for some units.	Google Sheets provides `DATEDIF(start_date, end_date, unit)` and supports units such as Y, M, D, MD, YM, and YD.	Notion does not provide a function named DATEDIF, but its formula system includes `dateBetween()` for calculating differences between date properties in databases.	Adobe Acrobat focuses on PDF workflows and form scripting rather than spreadsheet date functions such as DATEDIF.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: You can enter DATEDIF directly in a worksheet cell and use syntax prompts while building the formula; it fits spreadsheet-based date tracking and recalculates when referenced data changes.	Compared with WPS: Excel also provides DATEDIF, but Microsoft notes known limitations for the `MD` argument.	Compared with WPS: Google Sheets also supports DATEDIF and works well for browser-based spreadsheets, while its documentation places more emphasis on cell formatting when results appear unexpected.	Compared with WPS: Notion requires a different formula approach such as `dateBetween()` inside database properties instead of spreadsheet-style function entry.	Compared with WPS: Acrobat is better aligned with PDF forms and document workflows, not worksheet date-difference formulas.
Official Source	—	DATEDIF function	DATEDIF	Formula syntax and functions	Create a custom dynamic stamp using Acrobat

Overall Conclusion
If your main goal is to calculate the difference between two dates in a spreadsheet, WPS DATEDIF provides a direct worksheet-based workflow for input, calculation, and ongoing updates. Notion is more suitable for database property formulas, while Adobe focuses on PDF-related tasks rather than spreadsheet date functions.

Use Cases

#	Scenario	Target Users	Core Pain Point	Solution
1	Calculate age	HR teams, administrative staff	They need to quickly calculate complete years from a birth date to the current date	Use DATEDIF to return years
2	Track contract periods	Finance teams, legal teams	They need to measure contract duration by month or by day	Use DATEDIF to return months or days
3	Monitor project duration	Project managers, operations teams	Timeline results need to update when project dates change	Reference date cells and let DATEDIF recalculate automatically
4	Analyze service length	Business managers, HR teams	They need to calculate employee tenure in batches	Fill DATEDIF down a date-based column
5	Build date analysis reports	Data analysts	They need to combine multiple date formulas in one worksheet	Use DATEDIF together with other functions

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Feature	Free User	WPS Premium
Use DATEDIF for basic date calculations	✅	✅
Standard spreadsheet editing and formula entry	✅	✅
Additional premium office features	Depends on the account plan	Available based on the subscribed plan

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Use Case	Recommended Plan	Reason
Everyday date calculations and basic spreadsheet work	Free	DATEDIF itself is available without membership for regular calculations
Long-term work that also needs more premium office features	WPS Premium	Suitable if you also need broader premium capabilities in WPS Office

Subscribe here: Get WPS Premium