Character Counter
Count characters (with/without spaces), words, lines, UTF-8 bytes and SMS segments live — with X, Instagram and meta-description limits.
What is Character Counter
Live counts for characters (with and without spaces), words, lines and UTF-8 bytes, plus accurate SMS segmentation for GSM-7 and UCS-2 — benchmarked against X, Instagram and meta description limits.
How to use Character Counter
- Type or paste text — every metric updates live
- Check the platform bars against the X 280-char, meta description 160-char and other limits
- The SMS panel shows the charset and segment count
Frequently asked questions
Why do characters and bytes differ?
Characters are counted as Unicode code points; bytes follow UTF-8 encoding — ASCII is 1 byte, common CJK chars are 3 and emoji are usually 4. "你好, world" is 9 characters but 13 bytes.
How is SMS segmentation computed?
Pure GSM-7 text fits 160 chars in one segment and concatenates at 153 each; any non-GSM-7 char (CJK, emoji) forces UCS-2, which fits 70 and concatenates at 67 — the 6-byte concatenation header eats the difference.
How are words counted in mixed text?
CJK characters count individually and Latin runs count as words, so "你好, world" scores 3 words (你, 好, world).
Is Character Counter free?
Character Counter is completely free — open the page and use every feature with no hidden charges.
Do I need to download or install Character Counter?
No download or installation is needed. It is an online tool that runs in the browser on your phone, tablet and computer.
Do I need an account to use Character Counter?
No. Use the tool right away — no account or sign-in required.
Does Character Counter work on mobile?
Yes. The page is fully responsive and works on phones, tablets and desktop browsers.