How business days are counted
- Count every calendar day from the start date to the end date.
- Remove the weekend. By default that is Saturday and Sunday.
- Remove holidays that fall on a working day. A holiday that lands on a weekend is not taken off twice.
- What is left is the number of business days.
For example, from Monday 5 October to Friday 9 October 2026 there are 5 business days when both ends are counted, and 4 if the start date is left out. From Monday 5 October to Sunday 11 October there are 7 calendar days, 2 weekend days and 5 business days.
Adding business days to a date
To find a deadline, start from a date and move forward one working day at a time, skipping weekends and holidays. The start date itself is not counted, so 1 business day after a Friday is the following Monday. Use a negative number to go backwards, for example to find the date a notice must be sent by.
Why the answer can differ between tools
Three choices change the result: whether the start and end dates are counted, which days are the weekend, and which holidays are skipped. Spreadsheet functions such as NETWORKDAYS count both ends, while contracts often count from the day after an event. This calculator shows each choice so you can match the rule you need. For anything with legal or financial effect, check how the document defines a business day.
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Questions people ask
How do you count business days between two dates?
Count every day from the start date to the end date, then remove weekend days and any holidays that fall on working days. The calculator does this for you and shows the calendar days, weekend days and holidays it took out.
Does it count the start and end dates?
By default both are counted, like the NETWORKDAYS function in spreadsheets. Untick the boxes to leave either one out. Leaving out the start date is common for deadlines such as 'within 10 business days of receipt'.
Which holidays does it use?
None unless you enter them. Public holidays differ by country, region and company, and they change, so the tool does not guess. Type the dates you want skipped, one per line or separated by commas, in the form YYYY-MM-DD.
Can I use a different weekend?
Yes. Choose Saturday and Sunday, Friday and Saturday (used in some countries in the Middle East), Sunday only, or no weekend at all.
Are my dates sent anywhere?
No. The calculation runs in your browser. A share link carries your dates in the part after the # in the address, which browsers never send to a server.