CONCATENATE vs TEXTJOIN vs CONCAT
Three ways to combine text from multiple cells. They handle separators and ranges very differently.
CONCATENATE
Syntax
=CONCATENATE(text1, [text2], ...)Example
=CONCATENATE(A2, " ", B2)✓ Pros
- • Works in all Excel versions
- • Explicit and clear for small combinations
✗ Cons
- • Cannot reference a range — must list every cell
- • Deprecated in favor of CONCAT
- • No built-in separator
Use when…
Combining a few specific cells where you need max backwards compatibility. Otherwise, use CONCAT or TEXTJOIN.
CONCAT
Syntax
=CONCAT(text1, [text2], ...)Example
=CONCAT(A2:C2)✓ Pros
- • Accepts ranges (unlike CONCATENATE)
- • Simpler syntax
- • Replaces CONCATENATE in Excel 2019+
✗ Cons
- • No separator — everything mashed together
- • Google Sheets: use CONCATENATE or TEXTJOIN instead
Use when…
You want to combine a range of cells without a separator. CONCAT(A1:Z1) is much cleaner than listing every cell.
TEXTJOIN
Syntax
=TEXTJOIN(delimiter, ignore_empty, text1, [text2], ...)Example
=TEXTJOIN(", ", TRUE, A2:A10)✓ Pros
- • Handles separators automatically
- • Can ignore blank cells
- • Works with ranges
- • Perfect for list-building from a column
✗ Cons
- • Excel 2019+ and Google Sheets only
- • Slightly more syntax to learn
Use when…
You're joining a list of values with a separator like a comma, dash, or space. TEXTJOIN is the best tool for creating comma-separated lists from a range.
⚡ Quick Verdict
**TEXTJOIN** for joining ranges with a separator. **CONCAT** for joining a range without a separator. **CONCATENATE** only for backwards compatibility with very old Excel versions.
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