Before we get into the other tools, here are a few details about Grammarly. This information will assist you in comparing it to the alternatives given below and selecting the best option.
Grammarly is a comprehensive writing tool with a user base of over 20 million people.
The majority of people believe Grammarly is only a Chrome extension that checks and corrects grammar mistakes. But it’s much more than that, because the full utility can be installed on your PC or mobile device. Apps are available for Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, and Android.
You can use it in the same way that you would any other writing programme like Microsoft Word or Scrivener. The primary difference is that Grammarly will identify more grammatical faults and offer ideas for improving your work.
Pros of Grammarly
- Very good at finding the most grammatical errors.
- Offers suggestions when you scroll over the error. You can simply click and add.
- Very easy to use.
- Free version available.
- Premium version provides extra suggestions to improve your writing.
- You can install the desktop app on both your PC and Mac and on mobile devices. There are also extensions for web browsers such as Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge, and an MS Word add on.
- Plagiarism checker.
Cons of Grammarly
- Not 100% accurate (though no tool is, and even editors disagree among themselves). It will occasionally mess up and ask you to fix mistakes that don’t exist.
- Paid option is on the expensive side and will not suit everyone.
Best Suited for: Students and entrepreneurs.
Pricing: $0, $29 per month, and $139.95 for the annual plan.
Does Grammarly offer a free trial? Yes, a free plan is available.
1. Linguix
Linguix is an AI-powered writing assistant. You can use it to check and fix grammar and punctuation and to write clear sentences. It’s probably the perfect alternative to Grammarly, but at a lower price.
Pros of Linguix
- Can help fix 9 million typos. Performs 2,700 checks for grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.
- Extensions for multiple browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, that make it possible to edit your writing on most platforms and apps. They include Google Docs, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
- Low-cost and free plans.
- Templates and shortcodes to speed the writing process.
Cons of Linguix
- No downloadable version for PCs and mobile devices.
- No plagiarism checker tool.
Best Suited for: Marketers, solopreneurs, and large businesses.
Pricing: Has a $0 plan and an $18.95 per month plan. The annual plan costs $96, but you can get it for just $49 on AppSumo.
Does Linguix offer a free trial? Yes, a free plan available.
2. Ginger
This freemium tool from Ginger Software is another writing app that works on multiple devices. It has extensions for Chrome and Safari, a downloadable app for Windows users, and an Android keyboard app.
Pros of Ginger
- Check and fix grammar and spelling.
- Sentence rephrasing tool to help you write smoother-flowing sentences.
- Personal trainer feature that analyzes your writing weaknesses and provides custom lessons to improve your English.
- Text-to-Speech feature that lets you listen to your writing as a native speaker would say it.
- Translate feature that lets you translate your text between 40 languages.
Cons of Ginger
- No app for Mac users.
- Not the most user-friendly tool.
Best Suited for: Nonnative English speakers.
Pricing: Starts with a free plan. It costs $20.97 per month and 89.88 per year.
Does Ginger offer a free trial? Yes, a free plan is available.
3. Writer
Writer is an AI writing assistant suitable for all sizes of teams.
You can use Writer to define your style guide via a series of simple questions. The tool will then analyze your content against your guidelines to ensure consistent, on-brand content. Writer will also catch spelling and grammatical errors and writing mistakes, helping to make your writing stronger.
Pros of Writer
- A variety of vocabulary suggestions, helping to keep your readers engaged
- Style guide portal that publishes your company content guidelines
- Chrome, Word and Google Docs extensions with all packages
- Clarity, delivery, inclusivity and plagiarism checks in all packages
- Ability to add company terminology and boilerplate messaging (200 in free package, unlimited in Enterprise package)
Cons of Writer
- No free version. However, you can use the free grammar checker on their website as much as you want.
Best Suited for: Content marketers, customer support teams, corporate marketing, and any large teams needing to apply consistent content and editorial guidelines.
Pricing: $11 per user per month for the Starter plan. Contact the company for bespoke pricing for the Enterprise plan.
Does Writer offer a free trial? Yes, a free trial is available.
4. WhiteSmoke
WhiteSmoke is another tool that you can use for writing. It will analyze your work and help with improving grammar, spelling, and writing style. It can also help with translation.
Pros of WhiteSmoke
- Check and fix grammar and spelling.
- Help improve your writing style.
- Translate to and from 55 languages.
- Dictionary and thesaurus.
Cons of WhiteSmoke:
- Poorer accuracy when finding mistakes.
- No free plan.
Best Suited for: Nonnative English speakers and writers.
Pricing: Starts at $5 per month and goes up to $11.50 per month.
Does WhiteSmoke offer a free trial? Yes, a free trial is available.
5. Hemingway Editor
Hemingway App is the odd one out of the list. It is a writing tool like the others, but it doesn’t help fix mistakes. All it does is help you simplify your writing.
You copy and paste your text into it, and it will highlight the bits that you should fix with more straightforward writing.
Pros of Hemingway
- Finds complex sentences and suggests ways to fix them.
- Highlights lengthy sentences, tricky words, and passive voice, making them easy to find and change.
- Provides details such as reading level, reading time, paragraphs, etc.
Cons of Hemingway
- Does not find grammatical errors.
- Only the web version is free.
Best Suited for: Marketers and bloggers.
Pricing: The web version is free, and the app is $19.99.
Does Hemingway offer a free trial? Yes.
6. ProWritingAid
ProWritingAid is another popular proofreading tool. You can use it to fix writing errors and to improve your writing style.
Pros of ProWritingAid
- Provides thousands of spelling, grammar, and readability improvements in real time.
- Offers writing reports that highlight elements such as cliches, vague wording, repetitiveness, etc.
- Extensions for various browsers
- Integrates with tools such as Microsoft Word, Scrivener, and Open Office.
Cons of ProWritingAid
- No additional features such as a translator and plagiarism checker.
Best Suited for: Entrepreneurs.
Pricing: $20 per month for the monthly plan, $79 for the annual plan, and $299 for the lifetime plan.
Does ProWritingAid offer a free trial? Yes, a free trial is available.
7. PaperRater
PaperRater is a very simple proofreading software. You can also use it to detect plagiarism. It doesn’t come with any downloadable software or an extension. You need to copy and paste in your text or upload a file, and it will analyze it for you.
Pros of PaperRater:
- Has originality score and checks for plagiarism.
- Check and fix grammar and spelling.
- Score your writing level based on your vocabulary.
Cons of PaperRater:
- Free version has ads.
- Not very accurate.
- No mobile version.
Best Suited for: Students and teachers.
Pricing: $0 to $11.21 per month. The annual plan costs $71.55
Does PaperRater offer a free trial? Yes, a free plan is available.
8. Slick Write
Slick Write is a simple and straightforward grammar checker. There are extensions, and you can use the web version without even logging in. You can just type it in or upload a document, and it will check it for grammar mistakes.
Pros of Slick Write
- Completely free to use.
- Find grammatical mistakes, improve sentence structure, and increase your vocabulary.
- Dictionary, thesaurus, and rhyming dictionary available.
Cons of Slick Write
- It has ads.
- It’s too simple.
Best Suited for: Students, bloggers, and SEO professionals.
Pricing: Free, but they let you tip.
Does Slick Write offer a free trial? Yes, it is completely free.
9. Jetpack
Jetpack is a popular WordPress plugin with many features such as lazy image loading, spam protection, automatic social media posting, and real-time backups. One other feature it offers is a grammar checker that you can use from right within the WordPress editor.
Pros of Jetpack
- Edit content directly in the WordPress editor.
- Find and fix spelling errors, misused words, grammatical mistakes, and writing style.
Cons of Jetpack
- It’s very basic.
- It only works on WP versions lower than 7.3.
Best Suited for: Bloggers
Pricing: Free.
Does Jetpack offer a free trial? Yes, it is free to use.
10. Reverso
Reverso is chiefly a translation tool. You can paste in your text into it, and it can translate it between 15 different languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, Arabic, etc. It can also check spelling and grammar.
Pros of Reverso
- Check grammar and spelling in both French and English.
- Choose between UK and US spelling for English.
- Translate and check for errors with one tool.
- Free to use.
Cons of Reverso
- The website has ads.
- Very basic.
Best Suited for: Nonnative English speakers and writers.
Pricing: Free.
Does Reverso offer a free trial? Yes, it’s free to use.