What Is UTC?
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is based on atomic clocks, making it far more precise than GMT.
UTC does not observe Daylight Saving Time. It stays constant year-round.
UTC vs GMT
In everyday conversation, UTC and GMT are often used interchangeably. The technical difference: GMT is a time zone, while UTC is a time standard maintained by over 400 atomic clocks worldwide.
Why Remote Teams Should Use UTC
- "Daily standup at 14:00 UTC" is unambiguous for everyone.
- Calendar apps can display UTC times alongside local times.
- UTC never changes — no DST surprises.
UTC Offsets
| Time Zone | UTC Offset |
|---|---|
| EST | UTC-5 |
| EDT | UTC-4 |
| PST | UTC-8 |
| PDT | UTC-7 |
| GMT | UTC+0 |
| CET | UTC+1 |
| IST | UTC+5:30 |
| JST | UTC+9 |
| AEST | UTC+10 |