Switch from AnyCount to this word counter
Moving from AnyCount into a local MIT word counter is mostly about re-adding documents and rebuilding rates. WordCounter does not import proprietary AnyCount projects. Plan a side-by-side week before you retire the commercial window.
Steps that keep totals honest
- Install WordCounter from GitHub Releases using WordCounter-*-win64.zip.
- Pick a sample set you already counted in AnyCount.
- Add those files in WordCounter and run Count.
- Compare words, characters, and any repetition fields you rely on.
- Rebuild billing rates, currency, discount, and tax to match your quote sheet.
- Export CSV or Markdown and archive the report beside the sample set.
- Keep AnyCount available until reviewers accept the new exports.
What transfers
Source documents transfer because they were always yours. Habits around folders and naming transfer. Human rate cards transfer when you type them into the billing panel again.
What does not transfer
AnyCount project files, vendor-specific report templates, and licence-linked workflows stay behind. Do not expect a one-click import dialog for those artefacts inside WordCounter.
Windows install reminder
Prefer the official zip. No winget package was found on this review date. Safe path: download safely. Install detail: Windows.
When to pause the switch
Pause if a client names AnyCount in a statement of work. Pause if your security team blocks GitHub binaries. Pause if sample totals disagree in ways you cannot explain after checking formats and PDF settings.
Comparison context: vs AnyCount. Formats: formats.
Browser counters as a parallel habit
Some desks also paste text into browser word counter pages. Those habits do not migrate either. Save text to a file, then add the file to WordCounter when you need an auditable batch.
Browser switch notes: switch from browser counters.
Desk notes that prevent drift
Write the GitHub Releases URL on the machine ticket beside the OS version and the zip filename you actually extracted. When a teammate later searches for word counter again, that note stops them from grabbing a random portal mirror. Agencies that skip the note usually rediscover adware download portal pages during a rush job.
Smoke tests after updates
Keep a tiny sample folder of non-confidential .docx and .pptx files for smoke tests after every update. Proving a word counter batch on known files is faster than debugging rates on a live client delivery. Store exports next to the sample set so you can compare CSV rows across versions.
If SmartScreen or another gate blocks the first launch, return to the official Releases URL instead of downloading a second copy from search ads. Duplicate folders are how desks end up quoting from the wrong build. Uninstall means deleting the extracted tree you no longer trust, then re-extracting once from the tag you pinned.
For macOS and Linux operators who still need counting, document that the current tag is source-only. A Python virtual environment with the README dependencies is honest. Pretending a missing dmg or AppImage exists is how install docs go stale and fail audits.
Finally, keep commercial tools available as a fallback when a client contract still names them. A local MIT word counter can sit beside AnyCount without forcing an overnight migration. Switch when the batch path and exports cover the jobs you actually bill.
Related: first hour, billing, guides.
Operational checklist for busy weeks
Before a rush delivery, confirm the word counter folder still launches, the sample batch still finishes, and exports still open in your spreadsheet tool. Rush weeks are when people grab the first search result and break a carefully pinned Releases habit.
After holidays or laptop swaps, re-read the machine ticket. If the zip path vanished, download again from GitHub Releases instead of restoring an unknown copy from a USB stick with no provenance. Provenance is part of counting quality when clients audit how numbers were produced.
Teach freelancers the difference between the product name WordCounter and the search phrase word counter. The phrase describes the job; the Releases asset is the install door. Mixing those ideas is how adware download portal pages win clicks.
Sample files worth keeping
Keep three non-confidential Office documents that you already understand. After every update to this word counter, run Count on that set and archive the CSV beside it. The habit catches silent column changes before a client quote goes out.
- One short marketing letter
- One denser legal-style paragraph file
- One slide deck with repeated bullets
When totals move unexpectedly, compare against the previous CSV before you change rates. That sequence is faster than debating memory with a reviewer.