Character Counter

Check your character count instantly and see exactly how your text fits within Twitter, Instagram, SMS, and other platform limits.

How to Use This Free Character Counter

There’s nothing to configure and no buttons to press:

1. Type or paste your text into the box above. It accepts content from any source, including Google Docs, Word, email, or plain text files.
2. Check your stats. The counters at the top show your total characters, characters without spaces, word count, and sentence count. Everything updates as you type.
3. Check your platform limits. The progress bars below the text box show how your text fits within six popular platform limits. Each bar fills up as you type, turns amber when you’re close to the limit, and turns red when you’ve gone over.

Platform Limits Tracked

This free character counter tracks six of the most commonly searched platform limits in real time:

• Twitter / X (280 characters). The standard limit for a single tweet. Threads allow more, but each individual tweet is capped at 280.
• Meta Description (160 characters). Google typically displays 155 to 160 characters in search results. Anything beyond that gets cut off with an ellipsis.
• SMS Messages (160 characters). A single SMS segment is 160 characters. If your message goes over, carriers split it into multiple segments, which can increase costs.
• YouTube Titles (100 characters). YouTube allows up to 100 characters for video titles. Google search results typically display the first 60 to 70 characters.
• Instagram Captions (2,200 characters). Instagram truncates captions after 125 characters in the feed, but the full 2,200 characters are visible when a user taps “more.”
• LinkedIn Posts (3,000 characters). LinkedIn truncates posts after about 140 characters in the feed. The full post is visible after tapping “see more.”

Why Use This Free Character Counter?

Here’s what makes this free character counter different from a basic word counter:

• Visual limit tracking. Instead of checking a number and doing math in your head, the progress bars show you at a glance whether you’re safe, getting close, or over the limit.
• Six platforms at once. No need to google “Twitter character limit” and count manually. All six limits are tracked simultaneously as you type.
• 100% free. No account, no daily limits, no premium tier.
• Completely private. Your text stays in your browser. Nothing is sent to any server, stored in any database, or shared with anyone.
• Works on any device. Desktop, tablet, or phone. Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge.

Who Uses a Free Character Counter?

Anyone who writes for platforms with character limits:

• Social media managers drafting tweets, Instagram captions, and LinkedIn posts and need to stay within each platform’s limits.
• SEO specialists writing meta descriptions and title tags that need to fit within Google’s display limits.
• Copywriters working on ad copy, headlines, or push notifications where every character counts.
• Developers checking string lengths for database fields, form validation rules, or API payloads.
• Students working on assignments with strict character (not word) requirements. Need to count words instead? Try our free word counter.
• SMS marketers who need to keep promotional messages within a single 160-character segment to control costs.

Character Limits by Platform

A quick reference for the most commonly searched character limits:

• Twitter / X post: 280 characters
• Twitter / X name: 50 characters
• Twitter / X bio: 160 characters
• Instagram caption: 2,200 characters
• Instagram bio: 150 characters
• Instagram hashtag: 30 hashtags per post
• Facebook post: 63,206 characters
• Facebook ad headline: 40 characters
• LinkedIn post: 3,000 characters
• LinkedIn headline: 220 characters
• YouTube title: 100 characters
• YouTube description: 5,000 characters
• TikTok caption: 2,200 characters
• Pinterest pin description: 500 characters
• Google meta description: 155 to 160 characters
• Google title tag: 60 to 70 characters (display limit)
• SMS message: 160 characters (single segment)
• Email subject line: 60 to 70 characters (recommended)
• Push notification: 40 to 50 characters (varies by OS)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this free character counter really free?

Yes. No sign-up, no limits, no premium version. Use it as much as you need.

Does it count spaces as characters?

The main “Characters” count includes spaces. The “No Spaces” count shows your character count with all whitespace removed. Most platform limits (Twitter, Instagram, etc.) count spaces as characters.

Is my text private?

Yes. Everything runs in your browser using JavaScript. Your text is never sent to any server or stored anywhere.

What happens when I go over a platform’s character limit?

The progress bar turns red and the count is highlighted. This is just a visual warning. You can still copy your text and edit it down before posting.

Why does the bar turn amber before turning red?

The bar turns amber at 80% of the limit to give you a heads up that you’re getting close. It turns red only when you’ve exceeded the limit.

Are these character limits accurate?

Yes. All limits are current as of 2025 and are sourced from each platform’s official documentation. If a platform changes its limits, we update the tool.

How is this free character counter different from the word counter?

The free word counter focuses on word counts, reading time, and speaking time. This tool focuses specifically on character counts and whether your text fits within platform-specific limits. Use the word counter for essays and blog posts. Use this character counter for tweets, captions, and meta descriptions.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes. The tool is fully responsive and works on all modern mobile browsers.