Date difference

How to calculate the days between two dates

A date difference answers a simple question: how far apart are these two calendar dates? Use it to check the length of a holiday, measure a project window, or find how many days have passed since an event. The result describes the distance between dates, rather than a list of every date touched by your plans.

1. Choose your start date

   Enter the date the period begins. For a trip, this might be your departure or check-in date.

2. Choose your end date

   Enter the date you want to compare it with. Both dates use the calendar date you select, without a time of day.

3. Read the result

   Select Calculate to see the day count, followed by complete seven-day weeks and the remaining days.

A worked example: a Friday-to-Monday trip

From Friday 10 April 2026 to Monday 13 April 2026 there are three calendar days. Friday to Saturday is one day, Saturday to Sunday is another, and Sunday to Monday is the third. This is also how a three-night hotel stay is usually described. Counting Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday as separate dates produces four dates, which answers a different question.

Does the calculation include the end date?

The end date is excluded. If you need an inclusive count of dates in a forward interval, add one to the displayed day count. First check the wording of the document or schedule: “within ten days”, “ten nights”, and “ten dates including today” do not necessarily mean the same thing. The calculator cannot determine a contract’s counting rules for you.

Calendar days, working days, and elapsed hours

Calendar days include Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. For a Monday-to-Friday count, use the business days calculator. A calendar-day difference also differs from elapsed hours: local clocks may move forward or backward during daylight saving, while consecutive calendar dates still remain one day apart.

Month lengths and leap days are handled automatically. For example, 28 February to 1 March spans two days in 2028 but only one in 2026. Dates are interpreted using the Gregorian calendar. For a longer explanation of counting conventions, read days between two dates.

Checking your inputs

Confirm the year as well as the month and day before using a result. If you enter the dates in reverse order, the calculator shows the positive distance and notes that the end is before the start. It does not turn that result into a signed balance. When you already know the number of days and need a destination date, use add or subtract days.