A business days calculator counts only Monday-to-Friday working days between two dates - essential for SLAs, delivery estimates, legal notices, and any schedule where weekends do not count.
What Are Business Days?
Business days (also called working days or weekdays) are days of the week when standard business operations take place - Monday through Friday. Saturdays and Sundays are excluded. Public holidays may also be excluded depending on the context.
A business days calculator counts only the weekdays in a date range, ignoring weekends entirely.
How to Use the Business Days Calculator
- Open the Business Days Calculator on UtilWave.
- Select the start date.
- Select the end date.
- The tool instantly shows:
- Business days (Monday to Friday only)
- Total calendar days (including weekends)
- Weekend days (Saturdays and Sundays)
Calendar Days vs Business Days Comparison
| Start | End | Calendar Days | Business Days | |---|---|---|---| | Monday May 1 | Friday May 5 | 4 | 4 | | Monday May 1 | Monday May 8 | 7 | 5 | | Monday May 1 | Friday May 26 | 25 | 18 | | Monday Jan 1 | Friday Dec 31 | 364 | ~260 |
A typical year has about 260 business days (52 weeks × 5 days).
Common Use Cases
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) - "We respond within 3 business days." Accurately determine the response deadline.
Legal notice periods - Many legal requirements specify business days. A 10-business-day notice starting on Thursday ends on the Wednesday two weeks later, not the calendar Sunday.
Delivery estimates - E-commerce and shipping services quote processing and delivery in business days, not calendar days.
Employee onboarding - "The employee starts in 15 business days." When is that?
Project scheduling - Planning tasks that can only be worked on during weekdays.
Invoice payment terms - "Net 30 business days" vs "Net 30 days" produces different due dates.
Does the Calculator Exclude Public Holidays?
The calculator counts weekdays only and does not automatically exclude public holidays, since holidays vary by country, region, and company policy. For holidays:
- Note the number of public holidays in the range
- Subtract that number from the business days count manually
FAQ
What is the difference between "business days" and "working days"? They mean the same thing in most contexts - weekdays excluding weekends. In some contracts, "working days" may exclude specific public holidays while "business days" may not. Check the specific agreement for definitions.
Does Tuesday to Tuesday count as 5 business days or 6? It depends on whether you count inclusively or exclusively. The calculator counts the gap between dates (exclusive of the start day, inclusive of the end day) - the same convention used in most business contexts. Tuesday to the following Tuesday = 5 business days.
What if a deadline falls on a weekend? If a deadline lands on Saturday or Sunday, the next business day (Monday) is typically the effective deadline in most legal and business contexts.
Are there 252 or 260 business days in a year? 260 is the raw weekday count. Financial markets typically operate on 252 days per year after removing standard US market holidays.
Count working days instantly with the free Business Days Calculator.