How to Use the DELTA Function in Google Sheets

The DELTA function in Google Sheets falls under the Engineering function category. In this post, you’ll find its purpose, syntax, and both array and non-array formula examples. It’s a simple yet effective tool in Google Sheets.

Personally, if I want to compare two numerical values in Google Sheets row-wise (e.g., between two columns), I often prefer this function. But I’ll also share a few equivalent formulas toward the end of this post.

Let’s start with the purpose of the DELTA function in Google Sheets.

Table of Contents

Purpose

The purpose of the DELTA function is straightforward: it compares two numeric values and returns 1 if they are equal, or 0 if they are not.

Syntax

DELTA(number1, [number2])

This function accepts two arguments — both must be numeric. The second argument is optional. If omitted, the function compares the first number to 0.

You can use this function to compare two numbers, dates, timestamps, or time values. However, DELTA only works with numeric types, so dates and times are treated as numbers in the background.

Note: To compare values of other types (like text or mixed data), use the EQ function in Google Sheets instead. It returns TRUE or FALSE, unlike DELTA which returns 1 or 0.

For more on EQ and other comparison operators, check this guide:
Comparison Operators in Google Sheets and Equivalent Functions

Formula Examples Using the DELTA Function in Google Sheets

1. Compare Two Numbers

=DELTA(100, 100)

Result: 1

=DELTA(22, 25)

Result: 0

2. Compare Two Dates

=DELTA(DATE(2019,10,29), TODAY())

This formula compares 29-Oct-2019 with today’s date. If they match, it returns 1, otherwise 0.

Important: DELTA treats blank cells as 0, which can affect results if blanks are unintended.

Examples of DELTA Function in Google Sheets

Array Use of DELTA in Google Sheets

Here’s a real-world example of using the DELTA function in Google Sheets.

Imagine you have price quotations from two vendors for 10 different products:

You can use DELTA with SUMPRODUCT to compare two numerical values in Google Sheets and count how many prices match.

=SUMPRODUCT(DELTA(B3:B12, C3:C12))

This formula compares prices in columns B and C, row by row, and counts how many match.

Equivalent Formulas

You can achieve the same result using other formulas:

Formula 1:

=SUMPRODUCT(EQ(B3:B12, C3:C12))

Formula 2:

=SUMPRODUCT(B3:B12 = C3:C12)

These are helpful alternatives when comparing numbers, dates, or times across columns.

You can use similar formulas to check if order dates and dispatch dates are the same — a typical use case for comparing two date columns.

DELTA vs EQ vs Equal Sign (=)

You might wonder — when should I use DELTA, EQ, or just the = operator?

Function	Output	Works With	Best For
`DELTA`	`1` or `0`	Numbers (including dates)	Numeric comparisons inside functions like `SUMPRODUCT`
`EQ`	`TRUE`/`FALSE`	Any value type (text, number)	Logical tests, conditional formatting
`=`	`TRUE`/`FALSE`	Any value type	Simple comparisons (e.g., `A1=B1`)

✅ Use DELTA when you want numeric results (1/0) for math-based formulas.
✅ Use EQ or = when you need Boolean results (TRUE/FALSE) for logical evaluations.

Conclusion

The DELTA function in Google Sheets is a compact, no-frills way to compare two numerical values in Google Sheets and get clean, numeric results. Whether you’re comparing numbers, dates, or time values, it can simplify many types of row-wise comparisons.

For other flexible comparison options, check out the EQ function or even use the = operator based on your needs.