BETA in LibreOffice Calc: Availability and Alternatives
BETA is not a documented native Calc function in the checked release. Use BETA.DIST for the beta density or cumulative probability.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
BETA is not a supported English built-in or bundled-add-in function name in the checked LibreOffice 26.8.1.1 registry. Use BETA.DIST for the beta density or cumulative probability. The page is retained at its existing URL to explain the compatibility problem and give a usable next step.
Availability and version history
- First introduced: Not established. The former legacy/version claim was unsupported and has been withdrawn.
- Current status: Unsupported under this name in the verified release inventory. This is not a claim that the function was once supported and then retired.
- Last supported version / retirement: Unknown; no documented historical endpoint was found.
- Platform and edition scope: English function names in desktop Calc, including its bundled analysis/date/pricing add-ins. A third-party extension may register additional names but is not evidence for native support.
- Native testing: A representative imported-XLSX call returned #NAME? in LibreOfficeDev 26.8.0.0.alpha0 (build 2c87e51eeaa2b413ff4ae097b2705eea1995d8e5). The replacement examples below have independent expected results; selected principal examples were also cross-checked in that development build. This does not establish behavior in every stable version.
- Evidence checked: 2026-10-14.
The complete source check covered the built-in function registry, English names, analysis add-ins, date add-ins and pricing add-ins. Absence from one abbreviated web index alone was not used as proof.
Reproduce the intended beta-density calculation
The original page intended to calculate a beta-distribution probability density. In Calc use:
=BETA.DIST(0.5;2;5;FALSE())
Expected result: 0.9375. The arguments are x, alpha, beta and a cumulative flag. FALSE requests the density; TRUE requests the cumulative probability. A density is not itself the probability of an exact point and can exceed 1.
For a worksheet example, enter x=0.5 in A2, alpha=2 in B2 and beta=5 in C2, then use =BETA.DIST(A2;B2;C2;FALSE()). Keep shape parameters positive and x inside the distribution’s chosen bounds. Optional lower and upper bounds change the scale, so do not copy a three-argument example into this function without adding the correct cumulative flag.
Distinguish two meanings of “beta”
The beta probability distribution and the mathematical beta special function are related, but they are different calculations. The mathematical beta value for positive a and b can be expressed as EXP(GAMMALN(a)+GAMMALN(b)-GAMMALN(a+b)). For a=2, b=5 that value is 1/30, whereas the beta density example above is 0.9375. Choose the calculation from the problem’s definition, not the function’s similar name.
Migration checks
- Make cumulative versus density explicit.
- Check whether optional lower/upper bounds were assumed by the source formula.
- Do not label a density as a percentage probability.
- Do not change BETA to BETA.DIST with a global text replacement without checking argument order and count.
The original three-argument BETA formulas are not retained as current-use instructions.