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SUMIF vs SUMIFS: when to use each in Excel and Sheets
Topic:SUMIF & SUMIFSExcel & Google Sheets
=SUMIF(A2:A4,"Sales",B2:B4)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Dept | Amount |
| Sales | 1200 |
| HR | 800 |
| Sales | 950 |
=SUMIF(A2:A4,"Sales",B2:B4)→2150
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Step by step
- 1Use SUMIF when you have one condition: =SUMIF(range,criteria,sum_range) — e.g., =SUMIF(A2:A100,"Sales",B2:B100) sums B where A equals 'Sales'.
- 2Use SUMIFS when you need multiple conditions: =SUMIFS(sum_range,criteria_range1,criteria1,criteria_range2,criteria2) — note the sum_range comes FIRST in SUMIFS.
- 3Add more condition pairs to SUMIFS as needed — you can have up to 127 condition pairs in Excel.
- 4Both functions support wildcards: use * for any characters and ? for one character in text criteria.
Tips
- The key gotcha: in SUMIF the sum_range is the LAST argument, but in SUMIFS it is the FIRST argument — mixing these up is the most common source of errors.
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Frequently asked
Can I always use SUMIFS instead of SUMIF?
Yes — SUMIFS with one condition pair works exactly like SUMIF and is slightly more consistent. Many users prefer SUMIFS for everything to avoid remembering the argument order difference.
How do I use SUMIF with a date range condition?
Use SUMIFS for date ranges: =SUMIFS(C2:C100,A2:A100,">="&DATE(2024,1,1),A2:A100,"<="&DATE(2024,12,31)) to sum between two dates.
More on SUMIF & SUMIFS
See all →Reference
SUMIF
Add up the cells in a range that meet a single condition.
How-toHow to use SUMIF with a date range
Use SUMIF with a date comparison criterion to sum values only for dates on or after (or before) a specific date in your data range.
Error fixFix 0
SUMIF returns 0 instead of the expected total in Excel and Google Sheets — fix number-as-text, criteria mismatch, range size errors, and data-type issues.
ReferenceSUMIFS
Sum values that meet multiple conditions at once.
How-toHow to use SUMIFS between two dates
Use SUMIFS with two date criteria on the same date column to sum values that fall within a specific start and end date range.
Error fixFix SUMIF
SUMIF not working in Excel and Google Sheets — diagnose formula errors, criteria syntax problems, range mismatches, and wildcard issues.