NETWORKDAYS vs NETWORKDAYS.INTL: Custom Weekends

The difference between NETWORKDAYS vs NETWORKDAYS.INTL is the weekend. NETWORKDAYS counts working days between two dates and always skips Saturday and Sunday. NETWORKDAYS.INTL does the same count, but you choose which days are the weekend: Friday and Saturday, Sunday only, or any pattern you need. This guide is for anyone planning projects, shifts or deadlines across teams that don't all work Monday to Friday.

NETWORKDAYS vs NETWORKDAYS.INTL at a glance#

NETWORKDAYS.INTL can do everything NETWORKDAYS does, plus custom weekends. The cost is one extra argument, which pushes holidays to fourth place.

How NETWORKDAYS works#

NETWORKDAYS counts every Monday to Friday between two dates, including both ends, and leaves out any holidays you list:

=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])

The examples below use one project. B2 holds the start date, Monday 2 November 2026. C2 holds the end date, Friday 27 November 2026. E2 holds a holiday, Thursday 26 November 2026.

=NETWORKDAYS(B2,C2)

The result is 20: four full Monday-to-Friday weeks. Add the holiday as the third argument and the result is 19:

=NETWORKDAYS(B2,C2,E2)

For a longer holiday list, put the dates in a range such as $E$2:$E$10 and lock it with $. The NETWORKDAYS function guide covers each argument, and our guide to counting working days with NETWORKDAYS and WORKDAY has more examples.

How NETWORKDAYS.INTL works#

NETWORKDAYS.INTL adds a weekend argument between the end date and the holidays:

=NETWORKDAYS.INTL(start_date, end_date, [weekend], [holidays])

You can write the weekend in two ways.

A weekend number. Codes 1 to 7 are two-day weekends and codes 11 to 17 are one-day weekends:

A weekend string. Seven characters in quotes, one for each day from Monday to Sunday. A 1 means a day off and a 0 means a working day. So "0000011" is the normal Saturday-Sunday weekend, and "0000110" is Friday and Saturday. Strings can describe any pattern, including ones the codes can't, such as three days off.

If you leave the weekend argument out, NETWORKDAYS.INTL uses code 1, so =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(B2,C2) gives the same 20 as NETWORKDAYS.

The same project, side by side#

Here is the 2 to 27 November project counted with different weekends. B2 is the start, C2 the end and E2 the holiday.

Two results are worth a closer look:

• Friday-Saturday weekend gives 19, not 20. The project ends on a Friday, which is now a day off. It also starts on a Monday, so the Sunday before it isn't in the range to make up for it.
• The holiday still counts. 26 November is a Thursday, a working day for both teams, so it removes one day in both cases.

If you can't use NETWORKDAYS.INTL, you can count a Friday-Saturday week with plain functions. In Microsoft 365 or Excel 2021, this lists every date in the range and counts those whose WEEKDAY number is under 6 (Sunday = 1 to Thursday = 5):

=SUMPRODUCT(--(WEEKDAY(SEQUENCE(C2-B2+1,1,B2))<6))

It returns 19, the same as code 7. It is a good way to check that you understand how weekday numbers work, and the WEEKDAY function guide explains the numbering.

When to use NETWORKDAYS#

Use NETWORKDAYS when the team works Monday to Friday, which covers most offices. It fits when:

• Your weekend is Saturday and Sunday and always will be.
• You want the shortest formula that others can read at a glance.
• A job test names it. Many Excel tests ask "how many working days?" and expect NETWORKDAYS.
• You compare it with WORKDAY. NETWORKDAYS counts days between dates, while WORKDAY finds a date that is a number of working days away. See NETWORKDAYS vs WORKDAY for that choice, and the WORKDAY function guide for its syntax.

When to use NETWORKDAYS.INTL#

Use NETWORKDAYS.INTL whenever the days off are not Saturday and Sunday. It is the right choice when:

• Your team or country has a different weekend, such as Friday and Saturday.
• People work six days, so only Sunday (code 11) or only Friday (code 16) is off.
• Staff work part-time patterns, such as Monday to Thursday, which needs a string like "0000111".
• One sheet covers several teams. Put each team's weekend code or string in a column and point the formula at it: =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(B2,C2,F2,$E$2:$E$10).

Here is how that multi-team layout looks for the same project dates, with each team's weekend in column F:

One formula, filled down, gives each team its own answer. When a team's working week changes, you edit one cell instead of rewriting a formula. A weekend string such as "0000111" can go in the cell too. Type an apostrophe first ('0000111) so Excel keeps it as text with its leading zeros.

Its partner WORKDAY.INTL takes the same weekend codes, so =WORKDAY.INTL(B2,10,7) finds the date 10 Sunday-to-Thursday working days after B2.

Common mistakes#

These slips cause most wrong working-day counts:

1. Putting holidays third in NETWORKDAYS.INTL. =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(B2,C2,E2) treats the holiday date as a weekend code and returns an error. Write =NETWORKDAYS.INTL(B2,C2,1,E2).
2. Starting the string on Sunday. The string always starts on Monday. "1000001" means Monday and Sunday off, not Sunday and Saturday.
3. Using a number instead of a string. Write "0000110" in quotes. Without quotes, Excel reads it as the number 110 and returns an error.
4. Forgetting both ends are counted. From Monday to the next Monday is 6 working days, not 5.
5. Dates stored as text. A date typed as text gives #VALUE!. Use real dates or the DATE function.
6. Not locking the holiday range. Use $E$2:$E$10 before filling down, or the range slides down the sheet.

To show weekends in the data itself, try highlighting weekends with conditional formatting. To count all calendar days rather than working days, see how to calculate days between dates.

Our recommendation#

Use NETWORKDAYS when your week is Monday to Friday. It is shorter, easier to read and expected in most job tests. Switch to NETWORKDAYS.INTL as soon as any team has a different weekend or part-time pattern, and keep the weekend code or string in a cell so it is easy to see and change.

If you build sheets for international teams, consider using NETWORKDAYS.INTL everywhere with an explicit weekend argument, even code 1. It costs one extra argument and makes the weekend rule visible to everyone who reads the formula.

In short: NETWORKDAYS for a standard week, NETWORKDAYS.INTL for any other.

Practise it#

Try the exercise on this page: you count a Friday-Saturday working week from plain dates, which shows exactly what the weekend codes do. Then practise NETWORKDAYS and WORKDAY in a live spreadsheet, where you type each formula and it checks it instantly.