SMALL in WPS on Windows: Introduction

SMALL in WPS is a spreadsheet function that returns the nth smallest value in a data range; 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

The SMALL function in WPS Spreadsheet returns the nth smallest value from a selected range. It is useful for ranking, data analysis, and extracting lower-position values without manually sorting the full dataset.

Core capabilities include:

Return the nth smallest numeric value from a selected range.
Use a cell range and rank parameter directly in a worksheet formula.
Reuse the formula in other cells as part of a larger spreadsheet workflow.

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 spreadsheet calculation; internet access is needed for download and account services
Other	An editable WPS Spreadsheet file or a new worksheet

Download & Installation

Item	Details
Official download	WPS Office Free Download
Check after installation	Open WPS Office, open a spreadsheet, and type `=SMALL(` in a cell to confirm that the function is available

Source: WPS Download Center

Compare with Alternatives

Dimension	WPS	Microsoft	Google	Notion	Adobe
Capability Summary	WPS Spreadsheet supports `SMALL` directly in worksheet cells to return the nth smallest value from a range and use the result in later calculations.	Excel provides `SMALL(array, k)` to return the k-th smallest value in a data set.	Google Sheets provides `SMALL(data, n)` to return the nth smallest element in a data set.	Notion formulas support general numeric functions such as `min()`, but the official help page does not describe a spreadsheet-style `SMALL` cell function.	Acrobat supports calculations for PDF form fields, but its official guidance focuses on form-field calculations rather than spreadsheet functions.
WPS Advantages	Advantage: You can enter and reuse `SMALL` directly in a worksheet cell in a spreadsheet workflow. Distinct: It fits naturally with common spreadsheet formulas for ranking and analysis.	Compared with WPS: Excel also provides the same function name and a similar syntax.	Compared with WPS: Google Sheets also provides the same function name and a similar syntax.	Compared with WPS: Notion is centered on database property formulas rather than worksheet cell formulas.	Compared with WPS: Acrobat focuses on PDF form-field calculations, so it is less aligned with spreadsheet analysis workflows.
Official Source	—	SMALL function in Excel	SMALL in Google Sheets	Notion formula syntax and functions	Configure form field calculations in Acrobat

Overall Conclusion

If your main task is finding the nth smallest value in spreadsheet data, WPS, Excel, and Google Sheets all provide direct function support. Notion and Adobe Acrobat serve different formula environments, so they are not direct spreadsheet equivalents for this use case.

Use Cases

No.	Scenario	Suitable for	Main need	How SMALL helps
1	Score ranking	Teachers and trainers	Find the 2nd, 3rd, or other ranked scores quickly	Use `SMALL(range, rank)` to return a target ranked value
2	Sales analysis	Operations and sales analysts	Identify lower-range sales values in a dataset	Enter a SMALL formula in a summary area
3	Budget review	Finance and admin teams	Find the smallest or second-smallest expense values	Combine a cell range with a rank parameter
4	Template reuse	Office users	Reuse the same ranking formula across sheets	Copy the SMALL formula and adjust references
5	Combined analysis	Advanced spreadsheet users	Extend analysis beyond a single formula	Use SMALL together with other formulas

Membership & Benefits

Free vs WPS Premium

Capability	Free	WPS Premium
Basic SMALL function usage	✅ Available	✅ Available
Basic spreadsheet editing	✅ Available	✅ Available
Some advanced features and extended benefits	Available within the free scope shown on the pricing page	Includes more advanced features and extended benefits
Cloud storage	1 GB	20 GB, depending on the plan shown on the pricing page

Source: WPS Office pricing page

Recommendations

Scenario	Recommended plan	Why
Everyday study and basic spreadsheet work	Free	Basic SMALL usage and standard spreadsheet editing are enough for many entry-level needs
Frequent office work with broader feature needs	WPS Premium	Suitable when you need more advanced benefits, more cloud storage, or longer-term office support

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