The Difference Between Two Dates in Months in Excel (4 Examples)

Let’s first introduce our dataset. It contains the launch and closing dates of some random projects. We aim to calculate the difference between two dates in months in Excel.

4 Effective Ways to Get Difference Between Two Dates in Months in Excel

Method 1 – Using the DATEDIF Function

Steps:

Enter the following formula in cell D5:

=DATEDIF(B5,C5,"M")

Here, B5 stands for the launch date, C5 stands for the closing date, and M stands for the month.

Using DATEDIF Function to Find Difference Between Two Dates in Months in Excel

Press ENTER and Fill Handle the rest of the required cells.

Using DATEDIF Function to Find Difference Between Two Dates in Months in Excel

Here is the result.

Using DATEDIF Function to Find Difference Between Two Dates in Months in Excel

Note: The DATEDIF function doesn’t count the running month.

Method 2 – Using YEARFRAC along with INT or ROUNDUP Functions

Steps:

Enter the following formula in cell D5:

=INT(YEARFRAC(B5,C5)*12)

The YEARFRAC function calculates the number of years in decimals between two dates. Then, we use the INT function to convert a decimal to a whole number after multiplying by 12.

Using YEARFRAC along with INT or ROUNDUP Functions

Press ENTER. Drag the Fill Handle icon to the rest of the cells.

Using YEARFRAC along with INT or ROUNDUP Functions

Here is the result.

Note: We can use the ROUNDUP function instead of the INT function. The INT function only rounds off the decimal, even if it is closest to a whole number. On the other hand, the ROUNDUP function returns the nearest whole number to a fixed decimal number according to round-off rules.

Method 3 – Combining YEAR and MONTH Functions

Steps:

Enter the following formula into cell D5:

=(YEAR(C5)-YEAR(B5))*12+MONTH(C5)-MONTH(B5)

Here, at first, the YEAR function returns the difference between two dates in years. Then, after multiplying by 12, it is converted into months. Finally, it is added to the difference between two dates in months, resulting in the the MONTH function.

Combining YEAR & MONTH Functions