VariAnt

Whether you are writing a guest post for a blog or an essay for a school project, there is always the word count limit to account for. While you may feel that you have more or less to say about a given topic, you should know that word limits have the role of ensuring that the content is more focused and concise.
VariAnt is a lightweight piece of software that enables you to search for a specific word within a file or a directory and display its frequency.

Comes with an intuitive and minimalistic interface

The application does not require installation and hence, you can start using it as soon as you download it to your computer. The program comes with a rugged and unpolished interface that consists of a single window split into two main areas.
While on the left side, you can add the file that includes the text and type the keyword, the right panel is dedicated to displaying the results. You should know that the utility works with both individual files and directories that you can drag and drop or load via the corresponding functions. On a side note, the app only supports the TXT file format.

Counts the desired word instantly in a file or directory

The idea behind the application is to enable you to perform quick searches within your documents and discover the words for which you want to find spelling variants or perhaps synonyms, depending on the type of project you are involved in.
It is worth mentioning that if you want to make things a bit smoother, then you can add a minimum frequency threshold and a definition of tokens or words in the lower section of the UI. After you hit the Search button, the app displays the results relatively fast and you can copy them to the desired location.

A simple and easy to use word counter

All in all, if you are proofreading several papers and want to make sure that you did not exaggerate and overused certain words that can easily be replaced with synonyms, then perhaps VariAnt could lend you a hand.