Character Counter
This free online character counter tracks the exact length of your text as you type — no signup, no limits, no waiting.
How to use
- Type or paste your text into the editor below — counting starts immediately, no button to press.
- Check the two totals: characters with spaces and characters without spaces, updating live as you edit.
- Trim or expand your text until it fits your target limit; your content stays on your device the whole time.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as one character?
Every letter, digit, punctuation mark and space counts as one character. Each Chinese, Japanese or Korean character also counts as one. Emoji are counted the way JavaScript string indices measure them, so an emoji made of two code units counts as two characters — matching how most platforms measure length in practice.
Do spaces count toward the total?
You get both numbers at once: characters with spaces and characters without spaces. Social platforms usually count spaces; some forms and legacy systems do not, so pick the figure that matches the rule you are working against.
How is this different from the word counter?
A word counter groups letters into words, while a character counter measures raw length. Platforms enforce character limits (280 for a post, 160 for an SMS), so for fitting text into a fixed-size field the character count is the number that matters.
Is my text uploaded to a server?
No. The counter runs entirely in your browser and all counting happens locally on your device. Nothing is uploaded, stored or logged, and the text disappears as soon as you close or refresh the page.
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About this tool
This free online character counter tracks the exact length of your text as you type — no signup, no limits, no waiting. It exists because most platforms enforce character limits rather than word limits: a text message is capped at 160 characters, a post on X at 280, meta descriptions should stay near 155, and app store titles are tighter still. The counter shows two totals side by side — characters including spaces and characters without spaces — so you can match whichever rule your target platform applies. Counting is straightforward and predictable: every letter, digit, punctuation mark, emoji and each Chinese, Japanese or Korean character counts as one character, exactly the way those platforms measure. Everything runs entirely in your browser: the text you paste is processed locally on your own device and never uploaded, stored or logged, so passwords, private notes and unpublished drafts never leave your machine. Type or paste below and watch both totals update in real time.