Head-to-head · October 2026
Character Countdown vs DL Smart Text Counter
Character Countdown comes out ahead, winning 4 of 7 head-to-head checks against DL Smart Text Counter.
Character Countdown
Help editors by showing a character countdown reference on Pages, Posts or Excerpts.
DL Smart Text Counter
Use the shortcode [dl_smart_text_counter] anywhere in posts or pages. It displays a textarea with a submit…
| Metric | Character Countdown | DL Smart Text Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Active installs | 40+ | <10 |
| Downloads (30 days) | 71 | 42 |
| Download trend | +61.4% | +40% |
| Rating | 5/5 | — |
| Reviews | 3 | 0 |
| Health score | 31/100 | 49/100 |
| Last updated | 12 years ago | 4 months ago |
| Tested up to | WP 4.7.38 | WP 7.0.7 |
| Support resolved | — | — |
| Requires PHP | Any | 7.0+ |
| First released | Nov 2014 | Dec 2025 |
Daily downloads, last 90 days
Character CountdownDL Smart Text Counter
Choose Character Countdown if…
You care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend.
- Small user base (40+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 11 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 4.7 (latest is 7.1)
Choose DL Smart Text Counter if…
You care most about health score, last updated and tested up to.
- Small user base (<10 active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
Both compete in: character counter
FAQ
Character Countdown vs DL Smart Text Counter: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 7, 2026
Which is better, Character Countdown or DL Smart Text Counter?
Character Countdown comes out ahead, winning 4 of 7 head-to-head checks against DL Smart Text Counter. Choose Character Countdown if you care most about active installs, downloads (30 days) and download trend. Choose DL Smart Text Counter if you care most about health score, last updated and tested up to.
Is Character Countdown more popular than DL Smart Text Counter?
Character Countdown is the more popular of the two with 40+ active installs, compared with <10 for DL Smart Text Counter.
Can I use Character Countdown and DL Smart Text Counter together?
Both plugins cover character counter, so most sites only need one. Running two plugins that do the same job can cause conflicts and slow your site down — pick the one that fits best and remove the other.
Are Character Countdown and DL Smart Text Counter free?
Yes. Both are free to download from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Either may also offer paid upgrades from its developer.
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