COUNTIF vs COUNTIFS

COUNTIF counts cells that meet a single condition. COUNTIFS counts cells that meet multiple conditions. If you ever plan to add more criteria, start with COUNTIFS.

Function A

COUNTIF

COUNTIF counts cells that match a condition. Give it a range and a criterion (like '>100' or 'East') and it tells you how many cells pass the test.

Function B

COUNTIFS

Counts cells that meet all of the specified conditions.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Aspect	COUNTIF	COUNTIFS
Number of criteria	One criterion	Multiple criteria
Syntax	COUNTIF(range, criteria)	COUNTIFS(criteria_range1, criteria1, ...)
Logic	Single condition	AND logic across all conditions
Availability	All Excel versions	Excel 2007+

When to Use Each

Use COUNTIF

Use COUNTIF when you have a simple, single condition and no plans to add more criteria.

Use COUNTIFS

Use COUNTIFS when you have two or more conditions, or when you want a formula that can easily grow.

Verdict

COUNTIFS is the better choice for any new counting work, especially if multiple criteria are possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can COUNTIF count blank cells?

Yes, use "" as the criteria.

What is the maximum criteria for COUNTIFS?

Excel supports up to 127 range/criteria pairs.