FileTally makes one of the products compared here. Competitor facts were checked on October 6, 2026 against the sources linked on this page.
What PDF-only counters do well
They read PDF page counts quickly, often across folders, and many produce a CSV or report. Some tools in the wider category also count TIFFs, such as Tiff Teller, which counts PDF and TIFF files (CoolUtils), and TIFF and PDF Counter (tiffsoftware.com). If that covers everything in your folders, you may not need anything else.
Where they fall short
- Other formats vanish. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images and email contribute nothing to the total.
- No difference between exact and estimated. Every number looks equally certain.
- Locked and damaged files. Check whether the tool lists them or quietly records zero.
Five questions before you buy any page counter
- Does it count every format that actually appears in your folders?
- Does it scan subfolders and ZIP archives?
- Does it list files it couldn't count, with a reason?
- Does it export one row per file?
- Does it run locally, without uploading?
FileTally's answers
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Counts | PDF, Word (DOC, DOCX), Excel (XLS, XLSX, pages estimated from each sheet's used range), PowerPoint (PPT, PPTX), multi-page TIFF, JPG/PNG/BMP, MSG and EML email, TXT; supported files inside ZIPs counted in place | FileTally features |
| Statuses | Pages labeled counted or estimated; files it can't count listed as excluded with the reason | FileTally |
| Exports | CSV for Excel and JSONL for scripts, plus a copyable summary | FileTally |
| Privacy | Counts locally on Windows 10 and 11 and macOS 14 or later. No upload, no account | FileTally security |
| Price | $24.99 once ($14.99 launch price through Nov 30, 2026), all your computers, updates included, 7-day trial from first scan | FileTally licensing |
Use a PDF-only counter when
- Every file in your folders is a PDF.
- You only need a total and a simple list.
- Price is the only factor.
Use FileTally when
- Folders mix PDFs with Office files, TIFFs, images or email.
- You need to know which counts are exact.
- Locked and damaged files must be listed, not dropped.
Why undercounts happen: silent zeros in mixed folders. Back to all comparisons.
Questions people ask
What is the best PDF page counter software?
If every file is a PDF, any reliable PDF counter that scans folders and exports a list will do. If folders also contain Office files, TIFFs or email, choose a counter that handles all of them, such as FileTally.
Can a PDF page counter count Word documents?
Not unless they are converted to PDF first. FileTally counts Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly, in the same scan as the PDFs.
What happens to password-protected PDFs in FileTally?
They are listed as excluded with the reason and kept out of the page total, so you can resolve them before relying on the number.
Does FileTally scan subfolders?
Yes. FileTally scans the chosen folder and every subfolder in one pass.