How to Check Word Count Without Word: 6 Free Methods (2026)
Published October 24, 2026 · 7 min read
How to Check Word Count Without Word: 6 Free Methods That Actually Work
If you're wondering how to check word count without Word, you're in good company. Maybe your Microsoft 365 trial expired, you're writing on a Chromebook, or you're drafting on your phone with no Office apps installed. Whatever the reason, you do not need Microsoft Word to get an accurate word count — and some of the alternatives are faster than Word itself.
In this guide, I'll walk you through six free methods that work on any device. Each takes under a minute, and at the end I'll tell you which one to trust when a professor, editor, or application sets a strict word limit.
1. Use a Free Online Word Counter (Fastest)
When you need a number right now, nothing beats a free online word counter. Paste your text into the box and you instantly get your word count — plus characters, sentences, paragraphs, and estimated reading time. A good word counter updates live as you type, so you can watch the count climb while you draft and stop the moment you hit your target.
This is the method I recommend for quick checks. There's no sign-up, nothing to install, and it works in any browser on any device — laptop, tablet, or phone. It handles essays, blog posts, cover letters, and social media captions equally well. The only real limitation is that you need to copy your text in yourself, which takes about three seconds.
For the most accurate result, paste plain text rather than heavily formatted text with lots of tables or text boxes. Most counters strip formatting automatically, but complex layouts can occasionally confuse the count.
2. Google Docs Has a Built-In Counter
If your document already lives in Google Docs, the counter is built right in — most people just never notice it. Press Ctrl+Shift+C on Windows (or Cmd+Shift+C on Mac) and a small window appears showing pages, words, characters, and characters excluding spaces.
Even better: tick the "Display word count while typing" checkbox in that window, and a live count appears in the bottom-left corner of your screen. Click it anytime for the full breakdown. This is ideal for essays and assignments because you can monitor your count continuously without interrupting your flow.
Google Docs counts words the same way Word does for standard text, so a 1,000-word essay in Docs is a 1,000-word essay in Word. One thing to watch: Docs counts words in footnotes and text boxes too, which is usually what you want for academic work.
3. Check Word Count on Your Phone
No computer nearby? Your phone can do this easily.
On iPhone or Android, open your document in the Google Docs app, tap the three-dot menu, and select "Word count." You'll see the same breakdown as the desktop version. If you're working in Apple Pages on iPhone or iPad, tap the View button and turn on Word Count to see a live tally at the bottom of the screen.
For text that isn't in any document — a draft in your notes app, an email, a caption — just copy it and paste it into a free online word counter in your mobile browser. It takes ten seconds and needs no app downloads.
4. Counting Words in a PDF Without Word
PDFs are the trickiest case because the text is locked inside the file. You have two good options. First, select the text in your PDF reader, copy it, and paste it into an online word counter. This works for most PDFs with selectable text.
If the PDF won't let you select text (it's a scanned image, for example), upload it to Google Drive, right-click it, and choose "Open with Google Docs." Drive runs OCR on the file and converts it to editable text — then use the Docs word counter from method 2. The conversion isn't always perfect with complex layouts, but for straightforward documents it's reliable.
5. Apple Pages and LibreOffice
Mac users often forget they already have a free word processor. In Apple Pages, choose View > Show Word Count from the menu bar (or the View button on iPad/iPhone) and a live count appears at the bottom of the window. It updates as you type and breaks down characters and paragraphs too.
On any computer, LibreOffice Writer is a free, open-source alternative to Word with a full word-count tool under Tools > Word Count. It even counts selected text separately, which is handy when you only need the count for one section of a long document.
6. The Quick Estimate Trick
When you don't need an exact number — say you're checking whether a draft is "roughly 800 words" — you can estimate. Count the words in three or four representative lines, take the average, and multiply by the total number of lines. This gets you within about 10% for evenly formatted text.
I only recommend this for rough checks, never for submissions with strict limits. When the number matters, use one of the exact methods above.
Which Method Is Most Accurate?
For plain text, all of these methods agree with each other — and with Microsoft Word. Differences only creep in at the edges: hyphenated compounds ("well-known" counts as one word in most tools, though some split it), standalone numbers, and text inside tables or captions.
If you're submitting to a strict word limit, my honest advice is to pick one method, note its count, and leave yourself a 2–3% safety margin under the limit. No professor or editor has ever penalized a paper for being slightly under the maximum.
A Quick Note on Character Counts
Some submissions ask for characters instead of words — common for abstracts, bios, and social profiles. The same methods above give you character counts too: online counters show characters with and without spaces, and the Google Docs counter window lists both. As a rough rule, English text averages about 5–6 characters per word including the space, so a 1,000-character limit is roughly 160–180 words.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I check word count without Microsoft Word for free?
Yes. Free online word counters, Google Docs (Ctrl+Shift+C), and phone apps all count words accurately without Microsoft Word, and none of them cost anything.
Does Google Docs show word count?
Yes. Press Ctrl+Shift+C (Cmd+Shift+C on Mac) to open the word count window, or tick 'Display word count while typing' to keep a live count in the corner of your screen.
How do I count words in a PDF without Word?
Copy the text out of the PDF and paste it into a free online word counter, or open the PDF in Google Docs via Google Drive, which converts it to editable text first.
Are online word counters accurate?
For plain text, yes — they count the same way Word does. Small differences can appear with hyphenated words, numbers, or text in tables, so treat strict limits with a small safety margin.
Can I check word count on my phone without Word?
Yes. The Google Docs app has a built-in counter, and any mobile browser can open a free online word counter — no Microsoft Word or extra downloads needed.
