Google Sheets EQ Function: Syntax, Examples & Tips

What Is EQ?

EQ is the function form of the = comparison operator in Google Sheets. It takes two values and returns TRUE if the first value equals the second, and FALSE otherwise. Writing =EQ(A2, B2) gives exactly the same result as writing =A2=B2.

Most people reach for the operator because it is shorter, but the function form has its place. It reads clearly when you are nesting logic, it can be easier to explain to colleagues who are not comfortable with symbols, and it is what Sheets itself uses internally when it describes the operator in help tooltips and error messages.

How EQ Relates to the = Operator

Google Sheets maps each comparison operator to a named function:

There is no difference in behaviour between EQ and =: same type rules, same blank handling, same results. Pick whichever makes the formula easier to read.

Basic Examples

Check whether two cells match

=EQ(A2, B2)

Returns TRUE if A2 and B2 hold the same value.

Compare against a fixed value

=EQ(C2, "Paid")

Returns TRUE when C2 contains "Paid", "paid" or "PAID", because text comparison ignores case.

Reconcile two totals

=EQ(SUM(B2:B50), D1)

Confirms that a column total agrees with a control figure.

How Sheets Compares Different Kinds of Values

The comparison functions follow exactly the same rules as their operators, so it helps to know them:

• Numbers are compared numerically. Dates and times are stored as serial numbers, so they compare chronologically.
• Text is compared alphabetically and without regard to case — "apple" and "APPLE" are treated as equal.
• Mixed types do not raise an error. Google's documentation doesn't spell out how text ranks against numbers, so a number stored as text (for example "100" typed with a leading apostrophe or imported from a CSV) can produce a surprising answer.
• Blank cells behave like 0 in a numeric comparison and like an empty string "" in a text comparison.
• Errors propagate: if either argument is an error such as #N/A, the result is that error.

Common Use Cases

• Reconciliation: Confirm that an export total matches a ledger total.
• Data validation checks: Flag rows where a status field equals a specific value.
• Duplicate detection: Compare each row with the row above after sorting (=EQ(A3, A2)).
• Quiz and form grading: Check a submitted answer against the answer key.

Using EQ with Arrays

Like the operator, EQ works element by element when wrapped in ARRAYFORMULA, which is handy for producing a whole column of TRUE/FALSE flags at once:

=ARRAYFORMULA(EQ(B2:B100, C2:C100))

The result can feed straight into FILTER, COUNTIF-style logic via SUMPRODUCT, or conditional formatting.

Common Errors

• Unexpected FALSE with numbers that look identical: Floating-point arithmetic can leave tiny differences (e.g. 0.1+0.2 vs 0.3). Wrap both sides in ROUND before comparing: =EQ(ROUND(A2,2), ROUND(B2,2)).
• Number vs number-as-text: =EQ(100, "100") returns FALSE because one is text. Convert with VALUE or TO_PURE_NUMBER first.
• Hidden spaces: Imported text often carries trailing spaces. Use TRIM on both values.
• Wrong argument count: EQ takes exactly two arguments; passing three returns an error.

Tips and Best Practices

• Text comparison is case-insensitive. For a case-sensitive test use =EXACT(A2, B2) instead.
• An empty cell is equal to both 0 and "", so =EQ(A2, 0) returns TRUE for a blank A2. Add A2<>"" if blanks should not count.
• EQ only compares two single values at a time; use ARRAYFORMULA for ranges.
• Combine EQ with AND, OR and NOT to build multi-part tests, e.g. =AND(EQ(A2, B2), C2<>"").
• In conditional formatting custom formulas, either form works; the operator is usually shorter.

Related Functions

NE, GT, GTE, LT, LTE, ISBETWEEN and IF. For counting or summing based on comparisons across a range, use COUNTIF or SUMIF with an operator criterion such as "=100".