Is XLOOKUP always better than VLOOKUP?

For lookups, yes — when it's available. XLOOKUP looks in any direction, references ranges instead of a brittle column index, and has a built-in if-not-found argument. The only reason to use VLOOKUP is compatibility with Excel 2019 or earlier, which lacks XLOOKUP.

Is XLOOKUP slower than VLOOKUP?

On typical spreadsheets the difference is negligible. On very large models, an exact-match XLOOKUP and a FALSE VLOOKUP perform similarly; both are slower than a sorted binary-search lookup.

Can I use XLOOKUP in Google Sheets?

Yes. Google Sheets supports XLOOKUP with the same syntax as Excel 365.

FormulasExcelGoogle Sheets· 6 min read · Updated July 27, 2026

VLOOKUP vs XLOOKUP: Which Should You Use in 2026?

Quick answer

Use XLOOKUP if you have Excel 365, Excel 2021+, or Google Sheets — it can look in any direction, won't break when columns move, and handles not-found cases cleanly. Stick with VLOOKUP only on Excel 2019 and earlier.

By Philip Bison · Ghost Writer

I still have muscle memory for VLOOKUP — I typed it for years before XLOOKUP existed. But most of the lookup bugs I get asked to fix trace back to VLOOKUP’s quirks, and almost none to XLOOKUP. Both functions answer the same question — “find this value and return something related to it” — so here’s the short answer on which to reach for, then the detail behind it.

Bottom line: If you have Excel 365, Excel 2021+, or Google Sheets, use XLOOKUP. It looks in any direction, doesn’t break when you insert columns, and handles not-found cases without wrapping. Keep VLOOKUP only for Excel 2019 and earlier.

The syntax, side by side

VLOOKUP takes a range and a column number:

=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup])

XLOOKUP takes two arrays and an optional fallback:

=XLOOKUP(lookup_value, lookup_array, return_array, [if_not_found], [match_mode])

You can build either one instantly with our VLOOKUP generator or XLOOKUP generator — fill in the fields and copy the result.

Four differences that actually matter

1. Direction

VLOOKUP can only return values to the right of the lookup column. XLOOKUP can return a value anywhere, including to the left. This alone removes the most common reason people reach for the clunky INDEX/MATCH combo.

2. Column references vs. index numbers

VLOOKUP’s col_index_numis a hard-coded number. Insert a column in the middle of your table and every VLOOKUP silently points at the wrong data. This is the one that burns people: I once watched a finance team’s commission report go quietly wrong for a month because someone added a “Notes” column and every =VLOOKUP(...,4,...)was now returning column 4’s new neighbour. XLOOKUP references the return range directly, so it survives column edits.

3. Handling “not found”

VLOOKUP returns #N/A when there’s no match, so you end up wrapping it: =IFERROR(VLOOKUP(...), "Not found"). XLOOKUP has a built-in if_not_found argument.

4. Default match mode

VLOOKUP defaults to an approximate match, which quietly returns wrong answers on unsorted data — you must remember to add FALSE. XLOOKUP defaults to an exact match, the safer choice.

When VLOOKUP is still the right call

You’re on Excel 2019, 2016, or earlier, where XLOOKUP doesn’t exist.
You’re sharing a workbook with people on those older versions.
A legacy template already relies on it and works reliably.

Next steps

New to writing lookups by hand? Let AI do it — see how to write Excel formulas with AI. Comparing platforms? Read our guide to the best AI spreadsheet tools.