SQL Window Functions vs GROUP BY: Keep Detail Rows
By Sharon Ben-Moshe · August 16, 2026 · 1 min read
Sharon Ben-Moshe is the founder of sqlfmt, a browser-based SQL formatter and validator with misspelled-keyword suggestions across PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, SQL Server, and BigQuery.
GROUP BY collapses rows; window functions retain detail and add calculations beside it. See when each approach fits, with clear SQL examples.
Quick answer
GROUP BY produces one result row per group, while a window function calculates across related rows without collapsing the individual rows. Use GROUP BY for summaries and window functions for rankings, running totals, or group metrics that must remain beside each detail row.
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