Compact mode

IF vs CONCATENATE vs TEXTJOIN

Table of content

Basic Classification Comparison
Usage Context Comparison
Basic Information Comparison
History Comparison
Facts Comparison

Usage Information Comparison
Technical Details Comparison
Evaluation Comparison
Ratings Comparison

Basic Classification Comparison

Function Category 📊

Primary classification of the Excel function based on its main purpose and usage domain, helps users quickly identify function types

IF

Logical

IF belongs to the Logical category. Excel functions for performing logical operations and decision making Click to see all.

CONCATENATE

Text

CONCATENATE belongs to the Text category. Excel functions for manipulating and analyzing text data

TEXTJOIN

Text

TEXTJOIN belongs to the Text category. Excel functions for manipulating and analyzing text data
Operation Type 🔧

Fundamental type of operation or action that the Excel function performs on its inputs

IF

Comparison

IF performs Comparison operations. Excel functions for comparing values and data Click to see all.

CONCATENATE

Manipulation

CONCATENATE performs Manipulation operations. Functions that modify and transform data in different ways

TEXTJOIN

Manipulation

TEXTJOIN performs Manipulation operations. Functions that modify and transform data in different ways

Usage Context Comparison

For whom 👥

Target user groups who would benefit most from using this Excel function

For all*

Data Analysts

Excel functions specifically designed for data analysis and interpretation

Administrative Staff

Excel functions useful for administrative tasks and data management

IF

Business Managers

IF is designed for Business Managers. Excel functions helpful for business management and decision making Click to see all.
Purpose 📝

Primary purposes and use cases of the Excel function

IF

Conditional Logic

IF is used for Conditional Logic. Functions used for conditional calculations and logic operations Click to see all.

CONCATENATE

Text Manipulation

CONCATENATE is used for Text Manipulation. Excel functions that modify and format text content Click to see all.

TEXTJOIN

Text Manipulation

TEXTJOIN is used for Text Manipulation. Excel functions that modify and format text content Click to see all.

Basic Information Comparison

Known For ⭐

Distinctive characteristic or primary strength of the Excel function

IF

Conditional Statements

IF is known for Conditional Statements.

CONCATENATE

Text Joining

CONCATENATE is known for Text Joining.

TEXTJOIN

Advanced Text Combining

TEXTJOIN is known for Advanced Text Combining.

History Comparison

Creation Date 📅

Original release date of the Excel function

IF

Excel 2.0

IF was created in Excel 2.0. Functions introduced in the Excel 2.0 version release Click to see all.

CONCATENATE

Excel 95

CONCATENATE was created in Excel 95. Functions that came with Excel 95 release Click to see all.

TEXTJOIN

Excel 2016

TEXTJOIN was created in Excel 2016. Functions that came with Excel 2016 version Click to see all.
Created By 👤

Organization or team responsible for developing the function

For all*

Microsoft Excel Team

Functions officially created by the Microsoft Excel development team

Facts Comparison

Interesting Fact 💡

Unique or lesser-known information about the Excel function

IF

Most nested function

CONCATENATE

Predecessor to &

TEXTJOIN

First delimiter-based text joiner
Sarcastic Fact 🤣

Humorous or ironic observation about the Excel function

IF

Making simple decisions complicated

CONCATENATE

Making text joining unnecessarily formal

TEXTJOIN

The party planner of text functions

Usage Information Comparison

Formula Complexity Level 📖

Indicates the difficulty level and complexity of using the Excel function effectively

IF

Simple

IF has a Simple complexity level. Basic Excel functions for common calculations and tasks Click to see all.

CONCATENATE

Simple

CONCATENATE has a Simple complexity level. Basic Excel functions for common calculations and tasks Click to see all.

TEXTJOIN

Intermediate

TEXTJOIN has a Intermediate complexity level. Excel functions with moderate complexity for various tasks Click to see all.

Technical Details Comparison

Input Data Type 📝

Types of data that the Excel function accepts as input parameters

IF

Boolean

IF accepts Boolean as input data. Excel functions that work with TRUE/FALSE logical values

CONCATENATE

Text

CONCATENATE accepts Text as input data. Excel functions specifically designed for text manipulation Click to see all.

TEXTJOIN

Text

TEXTJOIN accepts Text as input data. Excel functions specifically designed for text manipulation Click to see all.
Version Compatibility 💻

Indicates which Excel versions and platforms the function is compatible with < including Office 365< Excel 2019< 2016< etc.

For all*

Excel 2016

Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2016 version

Microsoft 365

Excel functions optimized for the latest Microsoft 365 platform

IF

Excel 2019

IF is compatible with Excel 2019 Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2019 version

Excel 2013

IF is compatible with Excel 2013 Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2013 version

Excel Online

IF is compatible with Excel Online Excel functions optimized for use in the web-based Excel Online platform

CONCATENATE

Excel 2019

CONCATENATE is compatible with Excel 2019 Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2019 version

Excel 2013

CONCATENATE is compatible with Excel 2013 Excel functions that work specifically in Excel 2013 version

Excel Online

CONCATENATE is compatible with Excel Online Excel functions optimized for use in the web-based Excel Online platform
Operating System 💾

Specifies the operating systems where the function can be used < including Windows< macOS< and web platforms

For all*

Windows

Excel functions optimized for Windows operating system

MacOS

Excel functions optimized for MacOS users

IF

Web Excel

IF runs on Web Excel Excel functions available in web-based versions

CONCATENATE

Web Excel

CONCATENATE runs on Web Excel Excel functions available in web-based versions

TEXTJOIN

Excel Online

TEXTJOIN runs on Excel Online Excel functions available in the online version of Excel
Required Arguments Count 🔢

Number of mandatory arguments needed for the function to work properly

IF

3

IF needs 3 required arguments Click to see all.

CONCATENATE

2

CONCATENATE needs 2 required arguments Click to see all.

TEXTJOIN

3

TEXTJOIN needs 3 required arguments Click to see all.
Required Arguments Type 📊

The data types accepted as valid input arguments for the function

For all*

Text

Excel functions specialized in text string manipulation and processing

IF

Boolean

IF accepts Boolean as input types Excel functions that work with true/false logical inputs for decision-making

Number

IF accepts Number as input types Excel functions that perform calculations specifically with numerical inputs

TEXTJOIN

Array

TEXTJOIN accepts Array as input types Excel functions that specifically work with array inputs for calculations

Boolean

TEXTJOIN accepts Boolean as input types Excel functions that work with true/false logical inputs for decision-making

Evaluation Comparison

Pros ✅

Key advantages and strengths of the Excel function

IF

Simple Logic Implementation

Versatile

Flexible

Easy To Understand

Functions with clear and intuitive syntax that are simple to learn

CONCATENATE

Simple Text Combining

Clear Syntax

Simple To Use

Flexible Text Combination

TEXTJOIN

Flexible Delimiter

Ignore Empty Cells

Array Support
Cons ❌

Limitations and potential drawbacks of the Excel function

IF

Nested IFs Can Be Complex

Functions where multiple IF statements become difficult to manage and understand Click to see all.

Limited Conditions

Nested IFs Get Complex

CONCATENATE

No Automatic Formatting

Functions that don't automatically adjust the format of their output Click to see all.

Limited To Text

Limited To Text Only

Functions that exclusively work with text data and cannot process numbers or dates Click to see all.

No Delimiter Options

TEXTJOIN

Version Compatibility

Complex For Basic Users