Three ways to read the same gap
The headline gives the exact number of days. Underneath you will see the same gap as weeks and days, and as years, months and days on the calendar, which is useful for contracts, notice periods and anniversaries.
The weekday count is handy for estimating working time, delivery windows and project schedules.
Counting rules that cause confusion
Different fields count differently. Legal deadlines often exclude the first day and include the last. Hotels count nights, which is the number of days without the end date. Project plans commonly count both ends.
If you are unsure, check the rule that applies to your case, and use the end-date option to match it.
Everyday uses
Counting down to a holiday, working out how long a loan or subscription has run, planning a pregnancy or treatment schedule with your doctor, measuring how long you have been in a job, or finding the length of a trip.
A worked example
From 1 January to 31 December 2026 is 364 days, or 365 if you count the final day as well. In that year 261 of the days are weekdays, so a plan that runs only Monday to Friday has about 261 working days before public holidays are taken off. Counting from a start date to today works the same way: leave the end date empty and the calculator uses today’s date.
Questions people ask
How are the days between two dates counted?
By subtracting one calendar date from the other. From 1 January to 31 January is 30 days. Choose “Count the end date too” if you want both the first and last day included, which gives 31.
Should I include the end date?
It depends on the question. For how long until an event, do not include it. For how many days an event or a booking covers, such as a hotel stay counted by days or a project that runs through a final day, include it.
How are weekdays counted?
Monday to Friday are counted and Saturday and Sunday are not. Public holidays are not removed, because they differ by country and year. Subtract them yourself if you need working days.
Does it handle leap years?
Yes. All counting uses real calendar dates, so 29 February is included when it falls in the range.
Can I count back from a later date to an earlier one?
Yes. If the end date is before the start date the calculator measures the same gap and tells you the dates are in reverse order.