---
title: Datetime comparison
description: Use either two numeric datetimes or two complex datetimes to do a datetime comparison. Use standard comparison operators to compare two numeric datetimes...
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/scripting-languages/painless/painless-datetime-comparison
products:
  - Elasticsearch
  - Painless
applies_to:
  - Elastic Cloud Serverless: Generally available
  - Elastic Stack: Generally available
---

# Datetime comparison
Use either two numeric datetimes or two complex datetimes to do a datetime comparison. Use standard [comparison operators](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/scripting-languages/painless/painless-operators-boolean) to compare two numeric datetimes of the same time unit such as milliseconds. For complex datetimes there is often a method or another complex type ([object](/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/reference/scripting-languages/painless/painless-types#reference-types)) available to do the comparison.

## Datetime comparison examples

- Perform a `greater than` comparison of two numeric datetimes in milliseconds:
  ```java
  long timestamp1 = 434931327000L;
  long timestamp2 = 434931330000L;

  if (timestamp1 > timestamp2) {
     // handle condition
  }
  ```
- Perform an `equality` comparison of two complex datetimes:
  ```java
  ZonedDateTime zdt1 =
          ZonedDateTime.of(1983, 10, 13, 22, 15, 30, 0, ZoneId.of('Z'));
  ZonedDateTime zdt2 =
          ZonedDateTime.of(1983, 10, 13, 22, 15, 30, 0, ZoneId.of('Z'));

  if (zdt1.equals(zdt2)) {
      // handle condition
  }
  ```
- Perform a `less than` comparison of two complex datetimes:
  ```java
  ZonedDateTime zdt1 =
          ZonedDateTime.of(1983, 10, 13, 22, 15, 30, 0, ZoneId.of('Z'));
  ZonedDateTime zdt2 =
          ZonedDateTime.of(1983, 10, 17, 22, 15, 35, 0, ZoneId.of('Z'));

  if (zdt1.isBefore(zdt2)) {
      // handle condition
  }
  ```
- Perform a `greater than` comparison of two complex datetimes
  ```java
  ZonedDateTime zdt1 =
          ZonedDateTime.of(1983, 10, 13, 22, 15, 30, 0, ZoneId.of('Z'));
  ZonedDateTime zdt2 =
          ZonedDateTime.of(1983, 10, 17, 22, 15, 35, 0, ZoneId.of('Z'));

  if (zdt1.isAfter(zdt2)) {
      // handle condition
  }
  ```