About the Online Tally Counter
This online tally counter replaces a handheld clicker. Tap the big button, or press the space bar, to add one; press minus to undo. Create as many named counters as you need — people entering a venue, birds by species, votes for each option, laps, reps or defects on a production line — and press the number keys 1 to 9 to bump a specific counter without touching the mouse.
Counts are saved automatically in your browser on this device, so you can close the tab and carry on later. The panel shows the grand total across counters and each counter’s share, and you can set a step size (for counting in twos or tens) or copy all the totals as text. Nothing is uploaded.
Already have the raw data? The list tally below the counter counts how many times each item appears in a pasted list — for example survey answers, names from a sign-up sheet or votes typed one per line — and shows the totals, the most common entry and its share, with classic tally marks for each item.
With the default inputs, the total count is 10. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the online tally counter
- 1Name your first counter, or add more counters with + New counter.
- 2Tap the big button or press Space to count; press − to undo.
- 3Press keys 1–9 to add to counter 1–9 directly when tracking several categories.
- 4Use Copy totals to paste the results anywhere; counts are saved on this device.
- 5To tally an existing list, paste it into the list tally below.
Formula and method
A tally simply adds one each time something is observed. The live counter keeps one running total per named counter and a grand total across them, adding the step size (normally 1) with each tap. Shares are each counter’s count divided by the grand total.
The list tally splits your text into items by line (or by comma), trims spaces, ignores blank lines and, unless case-sensitive is on, treats different capitalisation as the same item. It counts each distinct item, sorts from most to least common and keeps first-appearance order for ties. Tally marks group counts in fives, written as a bundle (卌) plus single strokes.
- Count
- Times an item was tapped or appears in the list
- Total
- Sum of all counts
Worked examples
Lunch vote with 10 responses
The pasted list has 10 votes: Pizza 4, Tacos 3, Sushi 2 and Burgers 1. Pizza wins with 4 of 10 votes, a 40% share.
Bird count with mixed capitalisation
Split on commas there are 7 sightings. Ignoring case, robin appears 3 times, sparrow 2, and blue jay and crow once each, so robins make up 3 ÷ 7 = 42.9% of the count.
A tie for first place
Yes and No each have 2 of the 5 answers (40%), so both are reported as tied for most common, with Maybe on 1.
Frequently asked questions
How do I use the online tally counter?+
Click or tap the large + button, or press the space bar after clicking the counter panel, to add one. Press − or Backspace to subtract one, and the reset button to start a counter again from zero.
Can I count several things at once?+
Yes. Add up to 20 named counters. Select one to make it active, or press the number keys 1–9 to add to counters 1 to 9 directly, which is handy for counting categories such as vehicle types or species.
Will my counts be saved if I close the page?+
Yes. Counts and counter names are stored in your browser’s local storage on this device and reload automatically. They are not uploaded, so they will not appear on a different device or browser.
How do you write tally marks?+
Draw four vertical strokes, then strike a fifth diagonally across them to close a group of five. Counting the bundles in fives and adding the loose strokes gives the total, e.g. two bundles and three strokes is 13.
How do I count how many times each word appears in a list?+
Paste the list into the list tally with one item per line (or separated by commas). It counts every distinct entry, ignoring blank lines and, by default, differences in capitalisation.