Character Counter

Free Online Character Counter

This character counter tells you exactly how many characters your text contains, updating live as you type or paste. Alongside the character count it also shows the number of characters without spaces, words, sentences, paragraphs, lines, and spaces, plus estimated reading and speaking time. Everything runs in your browser — your text is never uploaded, there is nothing to install, and it works on desktop and mobile.

How to Use the Character Counter

Type directly into the box or paste text from any source. The counters update instantly with every keystroke. Use the Copy button to copy your text back out, or Clear to start again. Because all counting happens on your device, even very long documents are handled instantly and privately.

Characters vs Words: What Is the Difference?

A character is a single letter, number, symbol, or space, while a word is a group of characters separated by spaces. Many platforms and forms limit the number of characters rather than words, which is why an accurate character count matters. This tool reports both the total character count and the count excluding spaces, since some limits count spaces and others do not.

Character Limits by Platform

The tool shows live remaining-character counts for the most common limits, so you know at a glance whether your text fits:

• SEO title tag — around 60 characters before Google truncates it
• Meta description — around 160 characters
• Tweet / X post — 280 characters
• SMS text message — 160 characters per segment
• Instagram caption — up to 2,200 characters
• LinkedIn post — up to 3,000 characters
• YouTube title — up to 100 characters

Where a Character Counter Is Useful

• Social media — keep posts within the limits of X, Instagram, and LinkedIn
• SEO — write title tags and meta descriptions that will not be cut off in search results
• Text messaging — fit a message into a single SMS segment
• Academic work — meet character or word limits on essays, abstracts, and applications
• Forms and bios — stay within field limits on profiles and sign-up forms
• Advertising — match ad headline and description limits

Features

• Live character, word, sentence, paragraph, line, and space counts
• Characters with and without spaces
• Estimated reading and speaking time
• Remaining-character indicators for popular platforms, colour-coded when you go over
• 100% free, private, and client-side — nothing leaves your browser

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the character count include spaces?

Yes. The main "Characters" figure includes spaces, because most platform limits count them. The tool also shows a separate "No spaces" count for limits that exclude spaces.

Is my text stored or uploaded anywhere?

No. All counting happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your text is never sent to a server, so it stays completely private.

How is the word count calculated?

Words are counted by splitting your text on spaces and line breaks, so any group of characters separated by whitespace counts as one word.

What is the character limit for a tweet or SEO title?

A post on X (Twitter) allows 280 characters, while an SEO title tag is best kept under about 60 characters so it is not truncated in Google search results. The tool shows live remaining counts for both.