Top 5 Free Word Counter Tools for Writers & SEOs

If you write professional copy or audit competitor articles for SEO density, you need an instant word count. Copying and pasting text into an external program is archaic.

#1. Word Counter by Patrick Bushe (The Fastest Option)

A hyper-specialized tool that executes in memory with absolute precision.

Why it wins: You don't have to highlight or capture anything. Open the extension, and it instantly provides the exact character count, sentence count, and reading time for the entire* active page. You can even adjust the words-per-minute (WPM) threshold to perfectly calibrate the reading time estimate to your specific audience.

• Privacy guarantee: It reads the text locally in RAM. Nothing is ever logged or transmitted.

#2. Grammarly

A massive grammar-checking AI that includes basic document statistics.

• The Downside: It is a massive privacy risk. Grammarly literally keylogs everything you type in the browser, transmitting your emails, passwords, and private messages to their analytics servers.

#3. Word Counter Plus

A simple contextual menu tool where you highlight text, right-click, and select "Word Count".

• The Downside: It requires manual highlighting. If you want the word count of a 5,000-word Wikipedia article, highlighting the entire DOM is a frustrating experience.

#4. Counting Characters

A popular web-based dashboard for text analysis.

• The Downside: It is an external website. It forces you to break your workflow, open a new tab, copy your data, and paste it into their unsecure textbox.

#5. SEO Minion

A dense, highly technical SEO toolkit that includes word count nestled deep inside its menus.

• The Downside: It is bloated with dozens of features (like broken link checking and SERP previews) that you likely don't want or need when you just want a simple word count.

The Verdict: Do not risk your privacy with massive AI keyloggers. Use the lightweight Word Counter by Patrick Bushe for instant, secure metrics.