ROUND vs ROUNDUP vs ROUNDDOWN

ROUND goes to the nearest value. ROUNDUP always moves away from zero and ROUNDDOWN always moves toward it, whatever the next digit is. Use ROUNDUP for things you can't buy a fraction of, such as boxes or seats.

The differences

Feature	ROUND	ROUNDUP and ROUNDDOWN
Direction	Nearest (5 and up rounds away from zero)	ROUNDUP: away from zero. ROUNDDOWN: toward zero
12.341 to 2 decimals	12.34	ROUNDUP 12.35, ROUNDDOWN 12.34
Negative numbers	Nearest	ROUNDUP(-2.1,0) is -3; ROUNDDOWN(-2.9,0) is -2
Round to tens or hundreds	Negative digits: ROUND(1234,-2) is 1200	Same, with negative digits

Same data, side by side

One sample sheet, each approach in its own cell. Results are calculated by our formula engine.

Cell	Formula	Result	What it shows
D2	=ROUND(A2,2)	12.34	Nearest hundredth
D3	=ROUNDUP(A2,2)	12.35	Always up, even though the next digit is 1
D4	=ROUNDDOWN(A2,2)	12.34	Always down: drops the extra digits
D5	=ROUNDUP(A3,2)	-12.35	Away from zero, so a negative number gets more negative

Try it live

Change the inputs or rewrite a formula and compare the results.

When to use each

Choose ROUND when

You want the normal, nearest result, such as currency for display.

Choose ROUNDUP or ROUNDDOWN when

The direction matters: packs to order, billable hours, or capping a value.

Practice ROUNDUP

From lesson 22, ROUND, ROUNDUP & ROUNDDOWN. Graded instantly, then re-checked on changed data.

Boxes needed

In D2, calculate how many boxes each order needs. A partial box still counts as a box. Fill down to D6.

The functions

ROUNDROUND rounds a number to the number of digits you choose. Every current version.
ROUNDUPROUNDUP always rounds away from zero, whatever the next digit is. Every current version.
ROUNDDOWNROUNDDOWN always rounds toward zero, dropping the extra digits whatever they are. Every current version.

Questions

How do I round to the nearest 5 or 10?

For tens use =ROUND(A2,-1). For fives use =MROUND(A2,5).

Does formatting a cell round the number?

Only on screen. The full value is still used in calculations, so wrap it in ROUND when the rounded value matters.

Last reviewed October 2026.