The difference between now() and today() mainly comes down to time component, timezone handling, and datatype (this is especially relevant in platforms like Appian, SQL, or similar systems).

now()

Returns: Current date + time
Datatype: DateTime
Timezone: ✅ Timezone-awareIt considers the system/user timezone
Example:

now() => 2026-03-22 14:35:20

👉 Use now() when:

You need exact timestamp
Logging events, audit trails
Comparing with other DateTime values

today()

Returns: Current date only
Datatype: Date
Timezone: ⚠️ Indirectly timezone-dependentIt uses the system date (derived from timezone) but no time info stored
Example:

today() => 2026-03-22

👉 Use today() when:

You only care about date (not time)
Filtering records by date
Daily reports

Important Gotcha

Comparing now() with today() directly can cause issues:

now() = today() ❌ (will fail)

Because:
now() → includes time
today() → midnight (00:00:00)

✔ Fix:

date(now()) = today()