When working with data in Excel or Power BI, you often need to search for and retrieve specific information from tables. Two common functions used for this purpose are VLOOKUP (Excel) and DAX LOOKUP (Power BI / Power Pivot).
But which one is better? How do they differ? And when should you use each?
In this article, we’ll compare VLOOKUP vs DAX LOOKUP, explain how they work, and provide detailed examples with larger datasets to help you decide which function suits your needs.
Read also: 4 SQL JOINs Explained Visually (With Real-World Examples) Best Guide for SQL Join
What is VLOOKUP?
VLOOKUP (Vertical Lookup) is an Excel function that searches for a value in the first column of a table and returns a corresponding value from another column.
Syntax of VLOOKUP
=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup])
- lookup_value: The value you want to search for.
- table_array: The range of cells where the data is stored.
- col_index_num: The column number from which to retrieve the result.
- [range_lookup]: Optional. TRUE for approximate match, FALSE for exact match.
Limitations of VLOOKUP
❌ Only looks right (cannot search left of the lookup column).
❌ Slower with large datasets.
❌ Requires exact column index number.
What is DAX LOOKUP?
DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) is a formula language used in Power BI, Power Pivot, and Analysis Services. The closest equivalent to VLOOKUP in DAX is the LOOKUPVALUE function.
Syntax of LOOKUPVALUE
LOOKUPVALUE(
result_column,
search_column1, search_value1,
[search_column2, search_value2, …]
)
- result_column: The column from which to retrieve the value.
- search_column: The column to search in.
- search_value: The value to find.
Advantages of DAX LOOKUPVALUE
✅ Can search in any direction (left or right).
✅ Handles multiple search conditions.
✅ Faster with large datasets in Power BI.
Key Differences Between VLOOKUP and DAX LOOKUP
| Feature | VLOOKUP (Excel) | DAX LOOKUPVALUE (Power BI) |
| Direction | Only right | Any direction |
| Speed | Slower (big data) | Faster (optimized for Power BI) |
| Multiple Conditions | No | Yes |
| Handles Errors | Requires IFERROR | Built-in error handling |
| Use Case | Excel worksheets | Power BI models |
Read also: 7 Hidden Excel Tricks That Will Save You Hours of Work
Examples: VLOOKUP vs DAX LOOKUP
Example 1: Basic Lookup (Single Condition)
Dataset (Employees – 10 Rows)
| Emp ID | Name | Department | Salary |
| 101 | John | Sales | 5000 |
| 102 | Sarah | Marketing | 6000 |
| 103 | Mike | IT | 7000 |
| 104 | Emma | HR | 5500 |
| 105 | David | Finance | 6500 |
| 106 | Lisa | Sales | 5200 |
| 107 | Kevin | IT | 7200 |
| 108 | Anna | Marketing | 5800 |
| 109 | James | HR | 5300 |
| 110 | Olivia | Finance | 6700 |
Task: Find the Salary of Emp ID 105.
VLOOKUP in Excel
=VLOOKUP(105, A2:D11, 4, FALSE)
Result: 6500
DAX in Power BI
Salary = LOOKUPVALUE(Employees[Salary], Employees[Emp ID], 105)
Result: 6500
Example 2: Multiple Conditions
Dataset (Orders – 10 Rows)
| OrderID | Customer | Product | Quantity | Price |
| 2001 | Alex | Laptop | 2 | 800 |
| 2002 | Emma | Phone | 1 | 500 |
| 2003 | Alex | Tablet | 3 | 300 |
| 2004 | David | Monitor | 1 | 200 |
| 2005 | Sarah | Laptop | 1 | 800 |
| 2006 | Alex | Phone | 2 | 500 |
| 2007 | Kevin | Tablet | 1 | 300 |
| 2008 | Emma | Laptop | 1 | 800 |
| 2009 | David | Phone | 3 | 500 |
| 2010 | Sarah | Monitor | 2 | 200 |
Task: Find the Quantity where Customer = “Alex” and Product = “Tablet”.
VLOOKUP Limitation
VLOOKUP cannot handle multiple conditions directly (requires helper columns or INDEX-MATCH).
DAX Solution
Quantity = LOOKUPVALUE(Orders[Quantity], Orders[Customer], “Alex”, Orders[Product], “Tablet”)
Result: 3
Example 3: Handling Errors
Dataset (Products – 10 Rows)
| ProductID | ProductName | Category | Stock |
| P001 | Laptop | Tech | 50 |
| P002 | Phone | Tech | 100 |
| P003 | Tablet | Tech | 30 |
| P004 | Chair | Furniture | 20 |
| P005 | Desk | Furniture | 15 |
| P006 | Mouse | Tech | 200 |
| P007 | Keyboard | Tech | 150 |
| P008 | Lamp | Furniture | 25 |
| P009 | Monitor | Tech | 40 |
| P010 | Bookshelf | Furniture | 10 |
Task: Find the Stock of ProductID “P011” (which doesn’t exist).
VLOOKUP with IFERROR
=IFERROR(VLOOKUP(“P011”, A2:D11, 4, FALSE), “Not Found”)
Result: Not Found
DAX with Error Handling
Stock = IF(
ISBLANK(LOOKUPVALUE(Products[Stock], Products[ProductID], “P011”)),
“Not Found”,
LOOKUPVALUE(Products[Stock], Products[ProductID], “P011”)
)
Result: Not Found
When to Use VLOOKUP vs DAX LOOKUP
✅ Use VLOOKUP if:
✔ You work primarily in Excel.
✔ Your dataset is small and simple.
✔ You need a quick, one-time lookup.
✅ Use DAX LOOKUPVALUE if:
✔ You work in Power BI or Power Pivot.
✔ You need multiple search conditions.
✔ Your dataset is large and complex.
Conclusion: VLOOKUP vs DAX LOOKUP
Both VLOOKUP and DAX LOOKUPVALUE help retrieve data, but they serve different purposes:
- VLOOKUP is great for Excel users working with small tables.
- DAX LOOKUPVALUE is more powerful for Power BI users, especially with large datasets and multiple conditions.
If you’re moving from Excel to Power BI, learning DAX LOOKUPVALUE will make your data analysis much smoother!
Key Takeaways (Bullet Points)
- VLOOKUP is Excel-based; DAX LOOKUPVALUE is for Power BI.
- VLOOKUP only searches right; DAX LOOKUPVALUE can search any column.
- DAX LOOKUPVALUE supports multiple conditions; VLOOKUP does not.
- DAX is faster for big datasets in Power BI.
Now that you understand the differences, you can choose the right tool for your data needs!
