Hemocytometer Cell Count Calculator
Enter your counts and dilution to get cells per mL and viability.
Your numbers
Separate numbers with commas, spaces or new lines. You can paste a column from a spreadsheet.
Your results
Live cells per mL
Live cells per mL
—
Total live cells in the suspension
—
Viability
—
Average live count per square
—
Hemocytometer Cell Count Calculator by TheCalcTools
How the Hemocytometer Cell Count Calculator works
Each large corner square of a Neubauer chamber holds 0.1 µL (1 mm × 1 mm × 0.1 mm), so cells per mL = average count per square × dilution factor × 10⁴.
Trypan blue stains dead cells; viability is the share of unstained cells among all cells counted.
The formula
Cells/mL = average count per large square × dilution × 10,000
Worked example
Using the default values shown in the calculator:
| Live cell counts per large square | 48, 52, 45, 55 |
|---|---|
| Total dead (blue) cells in the same squares | 8 |
| Dilution factor (e.g. 2 for 1:1 trypan blue) | 2 |
| Volume of cell suspension (mL) | 10 |
- Average 50.0 cells per square × 2 × 10⁴ = 1000000 live cells/mL.
- Viability: 200 ÷ 208 = 96.2%.
Result:
| Live cells per mL | 1000000 |
|---|---|
| Total live cells in the suspension | 10000000 |
| Viability | 96.2% |
| Average live count per square | 50.00 |
Frequently asked questions
How many squares should I count?
Count the four corner squares (and the centre if numbers are low), aiming for 100 to 400 cells in total for a reliable estimate.
Sources and further reading
Related calculators
More in Biology · All calculators
This calculator gives estimates for information only. Check important results independently before you rely on them. See our disclaimer.