Understanding VLOOKUP and INDEX MATCH

Excel VLOOKUP vs INDEX MATCH – Which One Should You Use?

Why INDEX MATCH is often better than VLOOKUP

By Sharanmeet Singh••
Tags:ExcelVLOOKUPINDEX MATCHXLOOKUP

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Excel VLOOKUP vs INDEX MATCH

VLOOKUP is one of the most popular formulas in Excel, but it has some limitations that can lead to errors.

VLOOKUP Example

=VLOOKUP(101, A2:D20, 3, FALSE)

This searches for the value 101 in the first column of A2:D20 and returns the value from the 3rd column.

Problems with VLOOKUP:

  • Cannot look to the left
  • Breaks if columns are inserted/deleted
  • Slower on large datasets

INDEX MATCH Example

=INDEX(C2:C20, MATCH(101, A2:A20, 0))
  • MATCH finds the row where 101 exists
  • INDEX pulls the value from column C

Advantages:

  • Works left or right
  • Doesn’t break if columns change
  • More flexible in reporting

When to Use Which

  • Use VLOOKUP for quick, simple lookups
  • Use INDEX MATCH for complex or stable solutions

Tip: Excel 365 users can also use XLOOKUP, which combines the best of both!