A side-by-side Multi Counter is a local browser workspace where you name several counters, tap Increase or Decrease in the matching panel, and watch each daily value plus a combined total update in one place. Because every counter has a stable internal identifier, renaming a label does not move old values to another counter, removing a counter drops its stored values from the comparison instead of leaving a hidden value attached to a recycled name, and up to twenty named counters fit on a single page. The combined total shown at the top is the sum of the named values for the device's current local calendar day, not an unrelated lifetime score, so the figure you see is the one that belongs to today's comparison.
When readers search for "how do i compare approaches to use multi counter", they usually mean something specific: they have two or three methods, products, queues, sources, or test ideas that they want to track in parallel during the same local day, and they want to see the contrast between them without opening several browser tabs or rebuilding a spreadsheet. Multi Counter is built for exactly that task. The article below walks through the concrete setup, the rules that keep the comparison honest, and the export options that turn a private page into a private file when you want a record outside the browser.
What "Comparing Approaches" Means on This Page
The phrase "compare approaches" sounds abstract, but on a multi-counter page it has a very practical shape. You decide what you want to contrast, give each option its own named counter, and then record events as they happen in the matching panel. Common examples include comparing two checkout lanes during a busy shift, weighing two marketing messages during the same week, tracking how often two team members handle a request type, or rating two production lines by the count of issues logged per day.
The page shows each value in its own panel and also shows the combined total for the device's current local calendar day. Every value is tied to the local calendar date on your device, so when a new local day begins the visible panels start at zero while earlier nonzero days remain in Daily history. The tool does not infer what a label means, collect sensor data, or claim that a user-entered number has been independently verified. Its job is to keep named side-by-side counts honest, in one place, for one day at a time.
Set Up and Compare Approaches With Multi Counter
The page starts with two counters already in place. Treat those starting panels as the first two approaches you want to compare, give each one a clear short name, and only add another column when the comparison genuinely needs it.
- Rename the starting counters so each panel describes the value you want to compare. Short labels such as "North queue" and "South queue", or "Approach A" and "Approach B", make the side-by-side panels easy to read at a glance.
- Add another counter only when needed. The workspace supports up to twenty named counters and always keeps at least one panel visible, so you do not have to pre-allocate every slot before the comparison begins.
- Use Increase and Decrease in the matching panel. The Increase and Decrease controls are bounded so a count cannot silently become negative or overflow, and the combined total plus each local-day value update together.
- Review the daily comparison on the page. The combined total at the top is the sum of the named values for the device's current local calendar day, so today's number belongs to today and not to a hidden running score.
- Export PNG or CSV when you want a private file outside this browser. Both files are created directly by the browser with native canvas and Blob APIs, and nothing is sent to an export service.
If you want a second opinion on the workflow before you start counting, the guide on choosing the right approach for multi counter comparisons covers the same setup from a slightly different angle.
What Each Panel and the Combined Total Tell You
Each named counter has a stable internal identifier. That detail matters when you rename a label, add a new comparison column, or remove an obsolete one. A rename changes the display name without assigning an older value to another counter. Removing a counter removes its stored values from the local comparison instead of leaving a hidden value attached to a recycled name. Together, these rules mean the number you see in a panel is the number that actually belongs to that label.
The combined total shown at the top of the page is the sum of the named values for the device's current local calendar day. It is not an unrelated lifetime score and it is not a guess. Because it is recomputed from the visible panels, the total updates the instant you tap Increase or Decrease in any one panel. When a new local day begins, the visible panels start at zero while earlier nonzero days remain in Daily history, so the comparison for yesterday is preserved even though today's panels are blank.
Renaming, Adding, and Removing Counters Without Mixing Up Data
Most comparison mistakes happen when labels change mid-day. Multi Counter guards against this by keeping a stable internal identifier for each named counter, separate from the display name you see on the panel. That means you can rename a panel from "Approach A" to "Morning approach" mid-shift and the values that were already counted under "Approach A" stay with that counter. You do not accidentally inherit yesterday's number, and you do not lose the count you built up this morning.
Adding a column is equally simple. If the comparison starts to involve a third option partway through the day, add a new counter, give it a clear short name, and start recording. The combined total at the top now includes the new panel as well, so the day's running figure stays consistent. Removing a counter is the opposite action: it deletes that counter's stored values from the local comparison, which is the right behaviour when you want the day's record to reflect only the panels you actually kept.
Exporting a Local Comparison as PNG or CSV
PNG and CSV are the two file formats Multi Counter can produce, and both are created directly by your browser. Export PNG creates a 1080 by 1350 image with the Lizely mark, a combined total, and recent date rows. It deliberately includes no URL and omits user-entered counter names, which reduces the chance that a shared image reveals private labels. Export CSV creates a Date column plus one column for each current counter name, with one row per saved local day and the corresponding side-by-side values, so it can be opened in a spreadsheet for a simple review.
Neither export sends anything to a remote service. The file is built on the page you are already viewing, and the saved file ends up wherever your browser is configured to put downloads. If you want to understand what an export actually contains, the guide on how to check the result after using a multi counter walks through the file contents in more detail.
When Multi Counter Is the Right Tool vs. Other Lizely Counters
Multi Counter is the right pick when the value of the tool comes from named side-by-side comparison. The table below contrasts the situations where Multi Counter is the natural choice against the situations where a different Lizely counter is a closer match.
| Situation | Best Lizely tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Two or more named options tracked in parallel during the same local day | Multi Counter | Multiple named panels plus a combined daily total in one view |
| Entries and exits with a user-set capacity threshold | People Counter | Directional in/out counts and a user-set operational capacity flag |
| A single general click value per local day | Online Tally Counter | One main count plus a daily history, with no need for parallel labels |
| A preset habit label with a streak display | Daily Habit Counter | Habit-shaped labelling and a local streak, rather than free-form side-by-side columns |
If your comparison is really about a single repeating action across two teams, a simple two-team scoreboard is another option to keep in mind, but it does not keep named daily history the way a multi-counter page does.
Privacy and Storage Boundaries
Counter names, values, and daily history are kept only in browser localStorage under this tool's key. There is no account, upload, shared board, cloud synchronization, API request, or cross-device merge. Clearing browser data removes the saved comparison, and another phone or computer has a separate empty record. If browser storage is disabled or full, the current page remains usable for the interaction that is open and displays that it cannot save history, which is preferable to suggesting that an important comparison has been backed up when it has not.
Keeping the comparison private also means that the file you export is the only durable copy. Treat the PNG or CSV as the record you keep outside the browser, and only share that file if you want someone else to see the values. The page itself stays on your device.