Best Grammarly Alternatives for Word Count and Text Analysis

Need a quick word or character count without the extras? Skip Grammarly and try faster, simpler tools like FastWordCount.com. Perfect for writers, students, and marketers who want instant results without distractions.

Best Grammarly Alternatives for Word Count and Text Analysis
Photo by Clarissa Watson

While Grammarly is widely known for its grammar-checking features, many users also rely on it for basic text metrics like word count and character count. But if you're looking for faster, simpler, or more focused tools to count words—without needing all the grammar suggestions—there are plenty of great alternatives.

Whether you're writing social media posts, academic papers, blog articles, or ad copy, these Grammarly alternatives excel at word counting and basic text analysis.


1. FastWordCount.com

Best for: Instant, no-login word and character counting

Why it’s great:
FastWordCount.com is a lightweight, distraction-free tool that instantly counts words, characters, lines, and paragraphs. Unlike Grammarly, it doesn’t require an account or browser extension. It’s perfect when you just need a quick check without any bells and whistles.

Features:

  • Word and character count
  • Real-time updates
  • Clean, ad-free interface
  • Mobile-friendly

🔗 Try it now: FastWordCount.com


2. WordCounter.net

Best for: Writers who want additional writing stats

Why it’s great:
WordCounter.net offers more than just word count. It gives you keyword density stats, reading time, and speaking time. It’s ideal for bloggers, students, and marketers who want deeper insights into their writing.

Features:

  • Live word/character count
  • Keyword density tracker
  • Estimated reading/speaking time
  • Writing goals and productivity tools

3. CharacterCountOnline.com

Best for: Social media writers and content creators

Why it’s great:
This tool is super popular among people writing tweets, Instagram captions, or SEO meta descriptions. It focuses on character limits and gives you line, word, and sentence counts at a glance.

Features:

  • Character, word, line, and sentence count
  • Works on all devices
  • Copy-paste friendly

4. Microsoft Word (Built-in)

Best for: Traditional document writers

Why it’s great:
If you’re already working in Microsoft Word, its built-in word count feature is reliable and includes stats like paragraphs and pages. It’s perfect for students and professionals working on formal documents.

Features:

  • Word/character/page count
  • Built-in tool—no internet required
  • Works with footnotes and headers

5. Google Docs Word Count Tool

Best for: Collaborative writing

Why it’s great:
Google Docs offers a clean word count tool accessible via the menu or with a shortcut (Ctrl + Shift + C). You can even keep the word count on screen while writing—perfect for writing within limits.

Features:

  • Word, character (with/without spaces), and page count
  • Real-time display option
  • Seamless for teams and cloud editing

🎯 Why Use a Dedicated Word Count Tool Instead of Grammarly?

While Grammarly is excellent for editing and proofreading, its word count feature is basic. Tools like FastWordCount.com are faster, lighter, and don’t require sign-in or installation. They're especially useful when:

  • You want a quick check without grammar suggestions
  • You're working with strict character/word limits (e.g., ads, SEO, social media)
  • You need keyword density or speaking time estimates

📝 Final Thoughts

If you're tired of waiting for Grammarly to load just to check your word count, give one of these alternatives a try. For fast, accurate, and easy word and character counting, FastWordCount.com stands out as a go-to tool for writers in any field.

🚀 Whether you’re a student, blogger, marketer, or novelist, the right tool can help you write smarter—starting with your word count.