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Character Counter

Count letters, numbers, and special characters in real time, with an optional character limit.

Need word counts, reading time, or sentence counts instead? Try our Word Counter.

Free Character Counter

Writing a tweet, SMS, or meta description with a strict character limit? Our free Character Counter breaks your text down by letters, numbers, and special characters in real time, and can track exactly how many characters you have left against any limit you set.

Why Use This Tool

  • Character-level breakdown: Letters, numbers, and special characters counted separately.
  • Optional character limit: Set any limit and watch remaining characters update live.
  • Real-time counting: No button to click — counts update as you type or paste.
  • Handles large text: Efficient counting even for long documents.

How to Use This Tool

Step 1: (Optional) Set a character limit, such as 280 for X/Twitter or 160 for meta descriptions.

Step 2: Type or paste your text into the box.

Step 3: Watch the live character breakdown and remaining-character count.

How Character Counting Works

Every character in your text is classified as a letter, a number, whitespace, or a special character (punctuation, symbols, or emoji). Counts are shown both including and excluding spaces so you can match whatever platform's limit you're working against.

Common Use Cases

  • Staying within X/Twitter's character limit.
  • Writing SEO meta descriptions or title tags within recommended lengths.
  • Fitting SMS messages within a single-segment character count.
  • Checking username, bio, or form-field character limits.

Privacy & Security

All counting happens locally in your browser as you type. Your text is never uploaded to a server.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference from Word Counter? +
Word Counter focuses on words and reading time; this tool focuses on character-level detail and limits.
Yes, shown both including and excluding spaces.
Yes, enter a limit and see remaining characters live.
Anything that isn't a letter, number, or whitespace.
Yes, completely free with unlimited use.
No, all counting happens locally in your browser.

Related Tools

Also try our Word Counter, Case Converter, and Meta Tags Generator.

Ready to count? Start typing above — free and instant.

Share Your Experience

Found this tool useful? Have a suggestion or found a bug? Send your feedback directly to us — we read every message.