Counting MasterCount coins from a photo, free
Spread coins out in one layer, take a photo and it counts every coin, in your browser. It counts how many coins there are, not what they are worth.
- Free, no sign-up
- No daily limit
- Your photo never leaves your device
It counts coins, not their value
Count coins from a photo and you get the number of coins, not the amount of money. It does not read denominations, and neither does the Counting Master iPhone app. A pile of 40 coins reads 40, whether they are pennies or pound coins.
To get a total value, sort the coins by type first. Photograph each pile on its own, then multiply each count by the coin's face value and add them up. Five piles, five photos, a minute of arithmetic.
One layer, not stacked
It counts the coins it can see from above. A stack or a roll shows only its top coin, so a stack of ten counts as one. Coins lying partly on top of each other are the biggest source of misses on our test photos: the counter sees an edge, not a coin.
So the rule is simple. Spread the coins out in one layer, with none lying on another. It takes ten seconds with the flat of your hand, and it decides the count more than anything else.
How to photograph coins
- One layer. Spread them so none lies on another.
- Straight down. Hold the phone flat above the coins. From the side, coins overlap in the picture even when they don't on the table.
- Every coin in the frame, on a plain surface. A coin cut off by the photo edge is flagged for you to decide, not counted.
- Soft light. Turn the flash off. Shiny coins throw glare that can hide their rim.
Emptying a big jar? Count it in batches: tip out a handful, spread it, photograph it, write down the count, clear the table and go again.
How many coins are in this picture?
If someone sent you a photo and you want to know how many coins are in it, drop it in. It works on any photo, not only ones you took for counting.
How close the number gets depends on the photo. Coins in one layer, seen from above, count well. If the photo shows a heap, the count is a lower limit: coins buried under others are not in the picture, so no counter can see them.
How accurate is it on coins?
The coins model scores 82% count accuracy before you check anything. Count accuracy is 100% minus the average counting error, measured in the browser on held-out photos with 10 or more objects that the models never trained on, before any checking. Most of what it misses on test photos are coins in overlapping piles, which is why the one-layer rule matters so much.
It rarely rings something that is not a coin. It was trained on coins from several countries, so it is not tied to one currency.
Who counts coins from a photo
- Anyone with a coin jar who wants a number before taking it to the bank or a coin machine.
- Coin collectors counting a lot or a bulk bag before sorting it.
- Teachers and parents counting a class or family savings jar.
- Arcades, laundromats and small shops counting coins of one kind, then multiplying by the face value.
Many coin counter apps work out value from numbers you type in, or count by weight. This one counts from the picture, in any browser, and the photo stays on your device.
Other counters
Pills follow the same one-layer, straight-down rule: the pill counter. Bigger piles of round things have their own counters too: logs and pipes. Tokens, washers or buttons: count them by example with Anything. For everything the free counter handles, see count objects in an image online. Comparing it with CountThings, which has a coin template? See how the free counter compares.
Counting coins often? The coin counter app for iPhone
The web counter is free for every photo. The Counting Master app for iPhone adds:
- Counting from the camera. It shows when the phone is flat over the coins and warns about glare, blur and dark light before you count.
- Teach it your own items. Counting game tokens, washers or one coin the model struggles with? Count it by tapping one example and save it as an item. After 20 checked counts, your iPhone trains a counter for that item, and it counts by itself from then on.
- A history of every count, kept on the phone.
Like the web counter, the app counts coins, not their value. iPhone, iOS 17 or later. The first three counts are free. Get Counting Master for iPhone
Pipes
Rebar
Logs
Lumber
Pills
AnythingFree web counter or the iPhone app?
Use the web counter whenever you like. The app is for the things you count every day: it learns them.
| Free web counter | iPhone app | |
|---|---|---|
| Count from one photo, with the Check step | Yes | Yes |
| Price | Free, no sign-up, no limit | 3 free counts, then Pro |
| Taking the photo | Choose one, or take it with your camera | Camera with live coaching: level, blur, glare |
| Trains a counter for your own items | No | Yes, on your iPhone, after 20 checked counts |
| Tunes its cutoff to your photos | No | Yes, for each item it learns |
| Works with no signal | Needs a connection to open | Yes |
| History of your counts | No | Yes |
| Photos uploaded | Never | Never |
Questions
Does it add up the value of the coins?
No. It counts how many coins there are. For a total, sort by type, count each pile and multiply by its face value.
Can it count stacked coins or rolls?
No. It sees only the top coin of a stack. Spread the coins out in one layer first.
Which currencies does it work with?
It is not tied to one currency; it was trained on coins from several countries. It does not tell coin types apart.
How many coins are in a picture of a heap?
At least as many as it counts. Coins buried under others are not in the picture, so on a heap the count is a lower limit.
Is the coin counter free?
Yes. No sign-up and no daily limit, and the photo is counted in your browser, never uploaded.
Is there a coin counter app for iPhone?
Yes, Counting Master. It counts coins from the camera and can learn your own items, such as tokens, after 20 checked counts.
What does the iPhone app do that the web counter doesn't?
Two things only the app does: it trains a counter for your own item on your iPhone after 20 checked counts, and it tunes that counter's cutoff to your photos so it counts the way you check. It also counts from the camera with live coaching, works with no signal and keeps a history. Counting a photo here stays free.
Only in the iPhone app
Want it to learn your own items? Get the iPhone app.
- Trains a counter for your own item, on your iPhoneCount something by example, save it, and check 20 counts. Your iPhone trains a counter for exactly that item and then counts it by itself. Nothing is uploaded.
- Tunes its cutoff to your photosAfter training, it tests itself on the counts you checked and keeps the setting that counts your items most accurately, so it counts the way you check.
It also counts straight from the camera with live coaching, works with no signal, and keeps a history of every count. Photos never leave your phone.