Draft Counter is a free, browser-based word and character counting tool. It was built to solve one problem well: give writers, students, editors, and professionals an instant, accurate count of their text — with no sign-up, no clutter, and no waiting.
Draft Counter is built and maintained by John Eshun. I started it after getting tired of word counters that hide a simple text box behind ads, sign-up walls, and features nobody asked for. It's a solo project — I write the counting, readability, and passive-voice logic myself, test it against real writing samples to make sure the numbers hold up, and read every message that comes in through the contact page.
Draft Counter counts words and characters as you type, with real-time updates. Beyond the basics, it supports uploading .txt, .docx, and PDF files, tracks writing goals, estimates reading and speaking time, checks spelling and basic grammar, scores readability, flags passive voice, looks up synonyms, and surfaces keyword density — all processed directly in your browser.
Most word counters online are cluttered, slow to load, or bury the actual tool under ads and pop-ups. We wanted something fast and straightforward: open the page, start typing, and see your numbers immediately. That focus on speed and simplicity is still the guiding principle behind every feature we add.
Everything happens locally, in your own browser. Text you type or upload is never sent to or stored on our servers. You can read more about exactly how this works in our Privacy Policy.
Draft Counter is actively maintained and improving. We're working on additional writing tools — including export options and deeper grammar checking — while keeping the core counter fast, free, and ad-supported. Along the way we've also published a growing library of writing guides covering word count strategy, readability, and self-editing.
Have feedback, found a bug, or have a feature request? We'd love to hear from you — visit our Contact page.