Using the MIN Function in Google Sheets vs. SMALL Function

We typically use the MIN function to return the minimum value between two values, but you can apply it to a range or multiple ranges.

Other functions in Google Sheets that can help you find minimum values include QUERY, SORTN, SMALL, DMIN, MINIFS, and MINA.

The closest ones to MIN are MINA and SMALL, so I’ll also explain how they differ from the MIN function.

Table of Contents

MIN Function: Syntax, Arguments, and Examples

Syntax:

MIN(value1, [value2, …])

value1 – The first value or range, e.g., 50, A1, or A1:A100.
value2, ... – Additional values or ranges, e.g., 100, B1, or B1:B100.

When using ranges in value1 or value2, or both, the dimensions do not need to be the same.

Examples of the MIN Function:

=MIN(A1, B1) – Returns 50 if either A1 or B1 contains 50 and the other contains 100.
=MIN(A1:A100) – Returns the smallest value in the range A1:A100.
=MIN(A1:A100, B10:B50) – Returns the smallest value in the combined ranges A1:A100 and B10:B50.

Additional Tips: Differences Between MIN, MINA, and SMALL

The MIN function will exclude text values from the calculation. Use the MINA function to include text values and assign them a value of 0.

When you use a range with MIN, such as =MIN(A1:A100), you can replace it with the following SMALL formula:

=SMALL(A1:A100, 1)

This formula returns the nth smallest value in the range, where 1 specifies the smallest value. The advantage of using SMALL is that you can specify the position (n) of the smallest value you want to retrieve.

Can the MIN Function Return the First N Smallest Values?

Nope! As mentioned, the MIN function is typically used to find the minimum value between two values or within a column or row.

To return the first N smallest values, you can use functions such as SORTN, QUERY, or FILTER combined with SMALL.

I recommend using SORTN because it can remove duplicate values while finding the smallest n values.

The following formula returns the 5 smallest values in column A:

=SORTN(A:A, 5, 0, 1, 1)

The following formula returns the 5 smallest values in column A, excluding duplicates:

=SORTN(A:A, 5, 2, 1, 1)

With these additional tips, we conclude this tutorial on the MIN function. Have a look at the resources below.