You said...
I draw the line at tar sands because they put the entire world and its people at risk.
- Nicole, London Ontario
A 2019 study found that the average person writes about 20 words per minute. But when you need to hit a specific count, like 500 or 1500 words, guessing makes you slow. A good word count tool is simple, fast, and works without signing up or paying. It should count characters too, and it must be easy to use on any device. Here are the eight tools that writers keep open in their browser tabs.
This is the tool most writers bookmark first. It has a large white box where you paste your text or start typing. The word count shows up right above the box, so you see it change with every keystroke. It also counts characters, sentences, and paragraphs.
The design is clean and calm. There are no flashing ads or confusing buttons. You can see your reading time and speaking time too. This helps if you are writing a script or a speech. The tool also shows the top keywords in your text, which is great for SEO writing.
This tool is built for character limits. If you write for social media, you know the pain of a tweet that is one character too long. This site makes it easy. You paste your text and see the count with and without spaces.
It also shows the word count and line count. The page is very simple. There is one big box and your numbers appear below it. It loads fast and does not ask for your email. Many writers use this as a backup for their main tool.
TextFixer is more than a word counter. It also has tools to remove extra spaces, change text case, and count words in a block of text. Writers like it because it cleans up messy text from emails or documents.
You paste your text and click a button. It shows the word count, character count, and sentence count. The tool also tells you the average word length. This is helpful if you want to check if your writing is too complex. The site has a few ads, but they do not get in the way.
This site is popular with bloggers and students. It has a clean editor area where you type or paste. The word count updates live. It also shows character count and unique word count. Unique word count tells you how many different words you used.
The tool has a readability score. This tells you what grade level your writing is. It helps you write for a general audience. There is also a grammar checker built in. It catches basic mistakes like missing commas or wrong verb tense.
WordCounter.io is the minimalist choice. There is a large text box and nothing else. The word count appears in the corner. It updates as you type. The tool also counts characters and paragraphs.
Writers like this one when they need to focus. There are no charts, no menus, and no extra features. It is just you and your word count. The page uses a light gray background that is easy on the eyes. It works great for long writing sessions.
This tool is simple and direct. You paste your text and it shows the total characters, characters without spaces, words, and lines. It is a favorite for writers who need to hit strict character limits on forms or databases.
The site has a dark mode option. This is rare for free word counters. Many writers leave this tab open all day. The tool also counts the number of spaces and the number of unique characters. It is very detailed for a free site.
True to its name, this tool is easy. The text box is big and centered. You start typing and the word count shows up below. It also shows character count, sentence count, and syllable count. Syllable count is helpful if you write poetry or song lyrics.
The page loads fast and has no pop up ads. It remembers your text if you accidentally refresh the page. This is a small thing, but it saves writers from losing their work. The tool also works offline after the first load.
This tool looks and feels like a real app. It has tabs at the top for word count, character count, and keyword density. You can switch between them without leaving the page. The design is modern and clean.
It also shows the top 10 most used words. This helps you find words you use too often. The tool has a text to speech button. It reads your text out loud. This is great for catching awkward sentences. The tool is free and works on any device.
Pick the tool that fits your task. If you need live counts and keyword data, start with WordCountTool.com. If you write for social media, keep CharacterCountOnline.com handy. If you want a clean space to focus, WordCounter.io is your friend. Most writers keep two or three of these open at once. The best tool is the one that stays out of your way and lets you write.
I draw the line at tar sands because they put the entire world and its people at risk.
- Nicole, London Ontario