CR2032 vs CR2025
Same 20 mm diameter and the same 3 V, but the CR2032 is 3.2 mm thick against 2.5 mm — about 40% more capacity.
Last reviewed
Both are the same width and both give 3 volts. The CR2032 is a little thicker, so it holds about 40% more power and lasts longer. If your device asks for a CR2025, a CR2032 may be too thick to close properly — check the space first. A CR2025 will usually drop into a CR2032 slot, but it can sit loose and lose contact.
- Verdict:
- CR2032 lasts longer; CR2025 fits tighter holders
- Interchangeable:
- sometimes — check the fit
Side-by-side specifications
| Specification | CR2032 | CR2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | Lithium | Lithium |
| Type | Coin Cell | Coin Cell |
| Nominal voltage | 3 V | 3 V |
| Diameter | 20 mm | 20 mm |
| Height | 3.2 mm | 2.5 mm |
| Typical capacity | 210–240 mAh | 150–170 mAh |
| Rechargeable | No | No |
| Also sold as | DL2032, BR2032, ECR2032 | DL2025, BR2025 |
Size comparison
Both are 20 mm across, so only thickness separates them: CR2025 at 2.5 mm against CR2032 at 3.2 mm.
Thickness
3.2 mm against 2.5 mm. Seven tenths of a millimetre sounds trivial, but a coin cell holder is machined to the cell — a CR2032 will not close into a compartment cut for a CR2025, and forcing the lid bends the contact.
Runtime
210–240 mAh against 150–170 mAh, around 40% more. In a device changed once every few years — a car key, a motherboard clock — that difference is a genuine extra year or two.
Reading the code
The first two digits are the diameter in millimetres and the last two the thickness in tenths: both are 20 mm across, and 32 against 25 is the whole difference. Once you can read that, no coin cell code is ambiguous.
Telling them apart in the hand
You cannot, reliably. Both are 20 mm discs and the 0.7 mm of thickness between them is not something the eye judges without a reference. The code is printed on the positive face, the flat side with the manufacturer's name, and that is the only dependable check. If the print has worn off, callipers settle it — anything measuring 3.2 mm is a CR2032 and 2.5 mm is a CR2025.
What a loose fit looks like
A CR2025 in a CR2032 holder sits 0.7 mm below where the contact expects it. Sometimes it reaches, sometimes it does not, and the failure is intermittent rather than clean: a key fob that works until the car door slams, a scale that resets when set down, a sensor that drops off the network overnight and returns in the morning.
Do not shim it with foil
The usual internet suggestion for a loose coin cell is to fold a scrap of aluminium foil behind it. It does close the gap. It also puts a loose conductor inside a sealed compartment next to both terminals, and a coin cell shorted across its own faces gets hot enough to burn. Buy the right code instead.
Can I use a CR2025 instead of a CR2032?
It depends which way round. Both cells are 20 mm across, so the only difference is thickness. The thinner CR2025 will usually drop into a holder built for the CR2032, but it can sit low and lose contact with the sprung terminal. The reverse does not work: a 3.2 mm CR2032 will not fit a compartment cut for a 2.5 mm CR2025, and forcing it risks bending the contact or the cover.
Check before you swap. Batteries with similar dimensions are not always interchangeable. Always verify voltage, chemistry and the requirements printed in your device manual before fitting a replacement.
CR2032 vs CR2025: common questions
Is the CR2025 a direct replacement for the CR2032?
Both are the same width and both give 3 volts. The CR2032 is a little thicker, so it holds about 40% more power and lasts longer. If your device asks for a CR2025, a CR2032 may be too thick to close properly — check the space first. A CR2025 will usually drop into a CR2032 slot, but it can sit loose and lose contact.
What is the difference between the CR2032 and the CR2025?
Same 20 mm diameter and the same 3 V, but the CR2032 is 3.2 mm thick against 2.5 mm — about 40% more capacity. In short: cR2032 lasts longer; CR2025 fits tighter holders.
Are the CR2032 and the CR2025 the same size?
No. The CR2032 is 20 × 3.2 mm and the CR2025 is 20 × 2.5 mm.
Which lasts longer, the CR2032 or the CR2025?
The CR2032. It is rated at 210–240 mAh against 150–170 mAh for the CR2025 — roughly 1.4× the capacity, though real runtime depends on how much current your device draws.
Background reading
The wider questions behind these two codes.