Business Days Calculator
Count the working days between two dates, or add and subtract business days from a start date — weekends are excluded automatically.
How it works
The calculator steps through the calendar one day at a time, skipping every Saturday and Sunday. It does not account for public holidays, so subtract any regional holidays separately if your workweek observes them.
Quick answer
Business days are weekdays from Monday to Friday, excluding Saturday and Sunday. This tool has two modes: count the number of business days between two dates, or add or subtract a number of business days from a start date to find the resulting working day. It steps through the calendar day by day, skipping weekends.
Formula & method
To count workdays, the tool iterates from the start date to the end date and tallies every day that is not a Saturday or Sunday. To add business days, it advances one calendar day at a time, only decrementing the remaining count on weekdays, until the requested number of business days has been reached. Subtraction works the same way in reverse. Public holidays vary by country and are not removed automatically.
Examples
- Input
- Count from 2025-01-01 (Wed) to 2025-01-31 (Fri)
- Result
- 23 business days
- Why
- January 2025 has 31 days; removing the eight weekend days (four Saturdays and four Sundays) leaves 23 weekdays.
- Input
- Add 5 business days to Mon 2025-06-02
- Result
- Mon 2025-06-09
- Why
- Counting Tue–Fri (4 days) then skipping the weekend lands the fifth business day on the following Monday.
- Input
- Subtract 3 business days from Mon 2025-06-09
- Result
- Wed 2025-06-04
- Why
- Going back Fri, Thu, Wed skips the weekend to reach the third earlier working day.
When to use this tool
- Estimating delivery or shipping dates that move in working days.
- Working out project or invoice due dates that skip weekends.
- Counting the number of working days in a period for payroll or planning.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting public holidays — this tool excludes weekends but not country-specific holidays, which you may need to subtract manually.
- Being unsure whether both endpoints are included; confirm the mode, as counting between dates and adding days handle the start day differently.
- Assuming every region's weekend is Saturday–Sunday; some countries use different rest days.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as a business day?
A business day is any weekday from Monday to Friday. Saturdays and Sundays are excluded. This tool does not remove public holidays, since those differ by country and region.
Does it include public holidays?
No. It only excludes weekends. If your country's holidays fall within the range, subtract them yourself, because holiday calendars vary widely between places.
Can I add or subtract working days?
Yes. One mode counts the working days between two dates; the other adds or subtracts a number of business days from a start date to give the resulting weekday.
Are the start and end dates counted?
In counting mode the tool tallies qualifying weekdays in the range you select. Check the displayed result, and adjust by one day if your situation needs a different inclusive or exclusive rule.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. The calculation runs in your browser, so your dates are never uploaded.
Why might my answer differ from a payroll system?
Payroll and HR systems often subtract company-specific holidays and may use different inclusive-date rules, so they can differ from a plain weekday count.
Sources & references
External references open in a new tab. We are independent and not affiliated with these organizations.
- ✓ Free to use
- ✓ No sign-up required
- ✓ Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
- ✓ Formula and method shown above
Provided “as is” for general information only — results may be inaccurate, so verify before you rely on them. No warranty; use at your own risk.
Built and reviewed by HIFreeTools against the formula shown above and any authoritative references cited on this page. See our methodology and editorial standards.
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