Tally Counter
Tap the big card, press space, or use the buttons to count anything — your totals are saved automatically in this browser.
Space or + adds, − subtracts (this counter)
Options
Counts are saved automatically in this browser only.
How it works
- Tap the large card (or press space or +) to add one to the count; use the − button or the minus key to subtract.
- Add more named counters if you are tracking several things at once, and rename each one by editing its label.
- Open Options to change the increment step or turn on the click sound; use Reset on a card or Clear all to start over.
Frequently asked questions
- Does the tally counter save my count if I close the page?
- Yes. Every counter, its name, and its current total are stored in your browser’s localStorage the moment they change. When you reopen the page on the same device and browser, everything is exactly where you left it. Clearing your browser data or pressing Clear all removes the saved counts.
- Can I run several counters at the same time?
- Yes. Press Add counter to create as many independent counters as you need, each with its own name, total, and plus and minus controls. This is handy for counting two candidates’ votes, several bird species, or in and out foot traffic side by side.
- Are there keyboard shortcuts?
- The space bar and the + key add to the first counter, and the − key subtracts from it. Shortcuts are ignored while you are typing in a text field, so renaming a counter never changes its total. On a phone, just tap the big card — the whole card is the plus button.
- Can I count in steps other than one?
- Yes. Open Options and set any whole-number step, such as 5 or 12. Every tap, keyboard press, and minus press then moves the count by that amount, which is useful for counting items that come in packs, sets of reps, or points scored in fixed increments.
- Is anything sent to a server?
- No. The counter is plain JavaScript running entirely in your browser: taps, names, and totals never leave your device, and the optional click sound is generated locally with the Web Audio API rather than a downloaded file. It keeps working with no internet connection at all.
About this tool
This is a simple online tally counter built to replace the metal clicker in your hand. The count is displayed in large digits and the entire card is the plus button, so you can tap it without looking — on a phone you can keep your eyes on whatever you are counting and just press your thumb anywhere on the card. A minus button fixes overcounts and a reset button takes a counter back to zero without touching the others.
Everything runs client-side. Each change is written to your browser’s localStorage immediately, which means an accidental page refresh, a closed tab, or a phone that locks itself will not lose your total. Nothing is uploaded and no account is needed; the counts live only on your device until you press Clear all. The optional click sound is a short tone synthesized with the Web Audio API, giving the tactile feedback of a physical clicker without any audio files or network requests.
People use tally counters for more than you might expect: stock takes and inventory counts in a shop, headcounts and door admissions at events, laps in a pool, reps in a workout, cars passing an intersection for a traffic survey, birds during a garden count, habit tracking such as glasses of water, and prayer or mantra repetitions where a phone quietly replaces prayer beads. Because you can add several named counters, one screen can track all candidates in a show-of-hands vote or every product line in a stocktake at once.
A few practical tips: set the step under Options when items come in fixed packs so one tap counts a whole box; rename counters before you start so the totals are unambiguous later; and on a desktop, put the page in the background of your work and drive the first counter entirely from the space bar.