Grammarly vs Word Counter: Different Tools for Different Jobs

Grammarly and a word counter do different jobs. Grammarly checks your writing and shows a word count as a side feature; a word counter only counts, but it can count anything, anywhere. Here's how to get a count from each and when to use which.

Where to find the word count in Grammarly

In Grammarly's own editor at app.grammarly.com, the word count is in the bottom-left corner of the document. Click it to see more document stats, such as characters, sentences and reading time.

When you use Grammarly inside other apps, those apps usually have their own counter, and it's quicker:

• Google Docs: Tools → Word count, or Ctrl + Shift + C (Cmd + Shift + C on Mac). Tick "Display word count while typing" to keep it on screen.
• Microsoft Word: the count is in the status bar at the bottom. Click it for characters and paragraphs.
• Email and web forms: there's usually no counter, which is where a separate word counter helps.

What a word counter does that Grammarly doesn't

• Counts text that isn't yours. Check the length of an article, a competitor's page or a job ad without copying it into an editor. The Word Counter extension counts the words, characters and sentences on any page, or just the text you've selected, and shows the reading time at the speed you set.
• Works on pasted text with nothing to install. For a quick check, paste into the free online word counter.
• Doesn't need an account or send your writing anywhere to be checked.

What Grammarly does that a word counter doesn't

Grammarly catches spelling and grammar mistakes, flags unclear or wordy sentences and suggests changes in tone. If your writing needs to be correct as well as the right length, it's the better tool. A word counter won't fix a single typo.

Many people use both: Grammarly while writing, and a quick count against the limit before submitting.

Why two counters can give different numbers

Paste the same text into two tools and you may get counts a few words apart. Counters disagree on:

• hyphenated words ("well-known" can be one word or two)
• numbers, dates and symbols such as "&"
• web addresses and email addresses
• contractions and words joined by slashes ("and/or")

If a limit really matters, like an application essay or an ad with a hard character cap, count with the same tool the reader will use. For forms, that usually means the form's own counter. Leave a few words of room to be safe.

Which one to pick

• Writing something important: Grammarly, or your editor's built-in checks.
• Checking length on the web, in forms or in other people's text: a word counter.
• Hitting a word target for SEO or school: either works for counting. See word count benchmarks for different content types for typical lengths.