COUNT(*) vs COUNT(Column Name)

 

Summary Comparison

Feature	COUNT(*)	COUNT(column)
What it counts	All rows in the result set.	Only rows with a non-NULL value in the specified column.
Handles NULLs	Includes rows with NULLs.	Excludes rows with NULLs.
Primary Use	Getting the total record count.	Counting data completeness for a specific field.