HOUR in WPS on Windows: Introduction

WPS HOUR is a date and time function in Spreadsheets for extracting the hour from a time value on Windows; this guide covers 1 core task, with 1 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.

At a Glance

Metric	Value	Notes
Core tasks	1	Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index
Available without membership	1	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

The HOUR function is a built-in function in WPS Spreadsheets on Windows. It returns the hour portion from a time value or a date-time value. When you type the formula, the formula bar can show syntax guidance to help you complete the entry.

Core capabilities in WPS Spreadsheets include:

Extract the hour value from a time or date-time entry and return a number from 0 to 23.
Show formula syntax guidance when you type HOUR(.
Recalculate results automatically when referenced cell values change.

This function is useful for attendance records, time-field splitting, and report cleanup. It helps you separate hour values from raw time data and continue analysis with other spreadsheet formulas.

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
Other	You need to open a WPS Spreadsheet file and have permission to edit cells

Download & Installation

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Check after installation	Open WPS Office, create or open a spreadsheet, type `=HOUR(` in any cell, and confirm that formula guidance appears

Source: WPS download page

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	In WPS Spreadsheets, you can type `HOUR(` in a cell to extract the hour from a time value and continue spreadsheet analysis in the same worksheet.	Microsoft documents the `Hour(time)` function and states that it returns a whole number from 0 to 23, but the official page found here is for Access.	The official Google Docs product page focuses on online document creation, collaboration, templates, and smart building blocks rather than a spreadsheet hour-extraction formula in Docs.	Notion documents `hour()` in its formula reference and shows that it returns the hour of a date from 0 to 23.	Adobe Acrobat documents calculation fields for PDF forms, which support calculated outputs in forms rather than spreadsheet-style cell formulas.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: WPS keeps hour extraction in a familiar spreadsheet cell workflow, with formula entry and syntax guidance in the editing area.	Compared with WPS: the official Microsoft page retrieved here describes an Access function page instead of the same spreadsheet editing context.	Compared with WPS: the official Google Docs page emphasizes document collaboration features, not a direct equivalent to spreadsheet formula entry for HOUR in Docs.	Compared with WPS: Notion uses database formulas and properties, so the workflow is more database-oriented than a traditional spreadsheet cell grid.	Compared with WPS: Acrobat calculations are designed for PDF form fields, which is a different workflow from spreadsheet-based time analysis.
Official Source	—	Hour Function	Google Docs product page	Formula syntax and functions	Configure form field calculations in Acrobat

Overall Conclusion

If your main task is extracting hour values inside a spreadsheet and continuing calculations in nearby cells, WPS provides a direct worksheet-based workflow. Notion also supports hour extraction, but in database formulas, while the official Google Docs and Adobe Acrobat pages describe document or PDF-form scenarios rather than the same spreadsheet formula experience.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable for	Main pain point	How WPS helps
1	Attendance time splitting	HR and admin teams	Need to separate the hour from check-in times	Use HOUR in a target cell to return the hour directly
2	Sales time-slot analysis	Operations and sales analysts	Raw data includes full date-time values that are hard to group by hour	Extract the hour first, then summarize by hour
3	Log cleanup	Data processing staff	Time fields are mixed into larger date-time values	Create a separate hour column with HOUR
4	Reusable report templates	Office users	Need a fixed template that shows hour results automatically	Add HOUR to template cells and reuse the sheet
5	Combined formulas	Advanced spreadsheet users	Need to use the hour result in later logic	Combine HOUR with formulas such as IF

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Capability	Free	WPS Premium
Basic use of the HOUR function	Available	Available
Basic PDF features	Available	Available
Cloud storage	1 GB	20 GB
Template downloads	Limited	More advanced template access
AI tools	Limited	Includes AI features with a daily usage limit

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Scenario	Recommended plan	Why
Everyday spreadsheet editing and hour extraction	Free	The HOUR function itself is available for regular spreadsheet work
Need more cloud storage, templates, or broader office features	WPS Premium	Better suited to users who also need expanded office resources

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