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Free Online Character Counter

Count characters with and without spaces, words, sentences, paragraphs and reading time instantly. Set a character limit and track your progress live.

Characters
0
with spaces
No Spaces
0
without spaces
Words
0
total words
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Sentences
0
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Paragraphs
0
⏱️
Read Time
0s
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Lines
0
Top Characters
Type something to see character frequency

What is a Character Counter?

A character counter is an online tool that counts the total number of characters in any text you type or paste. It shows you the character count both with spaces included and without spaces so you can see exactly how long your text is.

Characters include every letter, number, space, punctuation mark and symbol in your text. Knowing your character count is important for social media posts, SEO meta descriptions, email subject lines, SMS messages and any platform with a strict character limit.

ToolNest's free character counter also shows your word count, sentence count, paragraph count, line count and estimated reading time all in one place. You can also set a custom character limit and watch a live progress bar as you type.

Need to count words specifically? Check out our Word Counter tool for detailed word analysis.

How to Use the Character Counter

1
Type or Paste Text
Click the text area and type your content or paste existing text. All stats update instantly as you type.
2
Read Your Stats
See characters with spaces, characters without spaces, words, sentences, paragraphs and reading time all at once.
3
Set a Limit
Enter a number in the Char limit field to activate the progress bar. It turns red when you get close to your limit.
4
Check Top Characters
See which characters appear most often in your text in the Top Characters section at the bottom of the tool.
5
Copy or Clear
Use the Copy button to copy your text to clipboard, or the Clear button to remove all text and start fresh.

Key Features

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Characters With and Without Spaces
See both counts side by side. Some platforms count spaces and some do not so having both is always useful.
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Custom Character Limit
Set any limit you need. A live progress bar fills up as you type and changes color as you approach the limit.
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Live Updates
Every stat updates instantly as you type or paste. There is no need to click any button to get your results.
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Full Text Stats
Words, sentences, paragraphs, lines and reading time are all calculated and shown alongside the character counts.
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Character Frequency
The Top Characters panel shows which letters or symbols appear most often in your text with a visual bar for each.
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One-Click Copy
Copy your entire text to the clipboard with one click so you can paste it wherever you need it immediately.
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Works on Any Device
Fully responsive design works on phones, tablets and desktops. Type or paste on any screen size.
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No Login Required
Open and use immediately. No account, no email, no payment. Your text never leaves your browser.

Common Character Limits to Know

🐦
Twitter / X Post
280 characters per tweet
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Instagram Caption
2,200 characters maximum
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Facebook Post
63,206 characters maximum
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SEO Meta Title
50 to 60 characters recommended
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SEO Meta Description
150 to 160 characters recommended
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SMS Message
160 characters per single SMS
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LinkedIn Post
3,000 characters maximum
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Email Subject Line
40 to 60 characters recommended

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between characters with and without spaces?+
Characters with spaces counts every single character in your text including all spaces. Characters without spaces counts only the letters, numbers and symbols and ignores all blank spaces. Some platforms like Twitter count spaces while others like certain ad platforms do not.
Is this character counter free to use?+
Yes, it is completely free. There is no signup, no account and no payment required. All features including the character limit bar and frequency analysis are available at no cost.
Does the tool save my text anywhere?+
No. Everything runs entirely in your browser. Your text is never sent to any server and is not saved or stored anywhere. When you close or refresh the page the text is gone.
How is reading time calculated?+
Reading time is estimated based on an average adult reading speed of around 200 words per minute. It gives you a rough estimate of how long it would take a typical reader to read through your text.
What is the difference between this and the Word Counter?+
This tool focuses on character-level analysis and is most useful when you need to stay within a specific character limit like for SEO, social media or SMS. The Word Counter is better when you need to track word count for essays, articles or writing goals.
Does it work on mobile?+
Yes. The character counter is fully responsive and works on any phone or tablet. You can type directly into the text area or paste text from your clipboard on any device.

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