Calculate difference between two datetimes in MySQL

If your start and end datetimes are on different days use TIMEDIFF.

SELECT TIMEDIFF(datetime1,datetime2)

if datetime1 > datetime2 then

SELECT TIMEDIFF("2019-02-20 23:46:00","2019-02-19 23:45:00")

gives: 24:01:00

and datetime1 < datetime2

SELECT TIMEDIFF("2019-02-19 23:45:00","2019-02-20 23:46:00")

gives: -24:01:00

my two cents about logic:

syntax is "old date" - :"new date", so:

SELECT TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, '2018-11-15 15:00:00', '2018-11-15 15:00:30')

gives 30,

SELECT TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, '2018-11-15 15:00:55', '2018-11-15 15:00:15')

gives: -40

USE TIMESTAMPDIFF MySQL function. For example, you can use:

SELECT TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, '2012-06-06 13:13:55', '2012-06-06 15:20:18')

In your case, the third parameter of TIMSTAMPDIFF function would be the current login time (NOW()). Second parameter would be the last login time, which is already in the database.