About Open Character Counter

 

Why we built this

Most character counters online are cluttered with ads before you even get to the text box, or they only count characters — not words, sentences, reading time, or readability. I wanted something faster and more complete: one tool that gives writers every number they actually need, updates instantly as you type, and never sends a single keystroke anywhere.

Open Character Counter started as a personal project by Kent Williams,after one too many frustrating attempts to check a tweet length or trim a meta description on a slow, ad-heavy site. What began as a single counter has grown into a small suite of text tools, but the goal hasn’t changed: accurate numbers, instantly, without friction.

How it works

Everything runs client-side, in your browser, using plain JavaScript — there’s no server processing your text and nothing to load before you can start typing. Counts update on every keystroke: characters, words, sentences, paragraphs, reading and speaking time, an Automated Readability Index score, and a basic spelling and repetition check, all calculated locally.

What makes it different

• Everything runs in your browser. Your text is never uploaded, stored, or sent to a server. Close the tab and it’s gone — nothing to worry about with sensitive drafts, private messages, or unpublished work.
• More than a character count. Word count, sentence and paragraph counts, reading and speaking time, readability scoring, average word/sentence length, and spelling and repetition checks — all calculated live, not on submit.
• Built for real platform limits. SEO titles, meta descriptions, X posts, Instagram and TikTok captions, LinkedIn posts, SMS, YouTube titles and descriptions — see at a glance whether your text fits, without switching tabs to check.
• No sign-up, no paywall. Free to use, no account required, nothing gated behind a login.

Who it’s for

Writers, students, marketers, social media managers, editors, and developers — anyone who’s had to trim a sentence to fit a limit or reformat pasted text on a deadline. It’s built for people writing under constraints, whether that’s a 280-character post, a 60-character title tag, or a strict word count for an assignment.

Where we’re headed

I’m actively adding new tools and writing guides on platform-specific character limits, SEO best practices, and general writing tips — you can follow along on the Blog. If there’s a feature you’d like to see or a platform limit I haven’t covered yet, get in touch — I read every message and reply myself.

— Kent Williams, founder of Open Character Counter.