WordCounter.net, Google Docs or Word: which word count to trust?

If the text is already in Google Docs or Word, use the built-in count: both show words, characters and pages while you type. For a pasted snippet with a limit, such as an application field or a caption, a browser word counter is faster, and one that counts on your device sends the text to nobody. The counters differ in what they include and where your text goes, and the table sets that out.

Word counterIs my text over the limit?Do it free

At a glance

Details are as published by each service at the time of writing (November 2026) and can change.

Tool	Where your text goes	Sign-up	Free use	Best for
WordCounter.net	Sent to its servers for checking	Optional, adds auto-save	Free, with a grammar and spell-check tab	Counting plus grammar checks
Google Docs	Stored in your Google account	Google account	Free, Tools then Word count	Documents already in Docs
Microsoft Word	Wherever the document is saved	Word or Word for the web	Count in the status bar	Documents already in Word
fixmint	Stays in your browser	None	Free	Pasted text with a limit

WordCounter.net

WordCounter.net counts what you paste and has tabs for grammar and spell checking. Signing in adds auto-save and stored versions, and the site advertises a seven-day Grammarly Pro offer.

The privacy policy is worth reading. It says that texts you submit for checking are transferred to its servers, that your most recent text is stored so it is still there if you close the tab, and that it uses Google Analytics. It also asks that the free service not be used for texts containing personal data. That suits a blog draft better than a cover letter with your address in it.

Google Docs

In Google Docs, Tools then Word count shows pages, words, characters and characters without spaces. Ticking Display word count while typing keeps a count in the bottom left corner. Unless you select a section, the count leaves out headers, footers and footnotes, which matters if a limit includes them. Select a section first and the count covers only that part.

The word count exists only in Google Docs, so pasted text has to go into a document first.

Microsoft Word

Word shows the count in the status bar while you type, and counts pages, paragraphs, lines and characters too. Select some text to see the count for the selection next to the whole document, and click the count to see the characters, paragraphs and lines. Word for the web counts while you type as well, and Review then Word Count opens the same box. If the count is missing in Word for the web, Microsoft's help says to make sure you are in Editing view.

When another tool is the better choice

You are still writing: the count in Docs or Word follows your document, with no pasting.
Your submission form counts headers, footnotes or text boxes differently: test with the form's own counter, because the same text can give slightly different totals in different programs.
You want grammar and spelling checked at the same time: WordCounter.net has a tab for it, and Docs and Word check as you write.
You need the count of one section inside a long document: Docs and Word both count only the selected text, while fixmint counts whatever you paste.
You need a history of versions or shared editing: Docs or Word. fixmint saves nothing after you close the tab and has no accounts or integrations.

Do it free on fixmint

fixmint's counter works on pasted text: words, characters with and without spaces, sentences, pages and reading time update as you type, and rows show whether you fit common limits. It also lists your most used words and draws the length of each sentence as a bar, which shows repetition and rhythm. An emoji, a flag or a letter with an accent counts as one character, and Chinese, Japanese and Thai are split into words by the browser's built-in word splitter, so those counts can differ a little between browsers. Counting happens in your browser and nothing is saved or sent. Count your words free, in your browser, then see the limits people run into.

Quick answers

Why do two counters give different word counts? They follow different rules for hyphens, numbers and symbols, and some leave out headers, footers and footnotes. fixmint counts "don't" and "e-mail" as one word each. If a limit is strict, use the same counter as the person who checks it.

Do spaces count as characters? Both versions exist, and limits name one of them. The fixmint counter shows characters with and without spaces side by side, and characters with or without spaces explains which to use when.

How is reading time worked out? fixmint uses 238 words per minute for silent reading, the average in Marc Brysbaert's 2019 review of reading-rate studies, and 140 words per minute for speaking.

How many pages is my text? fixmint estimates about 500 words per single-spaced page and 250 per double-spaced page, with 12 pt type and normal margins. A different font, size or margin changes the real page count, so treat the number as an estimate.