10 Best Grammarly Alternatives in 2026 (Free and Paid)

Grammarly is the most recognized name in AI-powered writing assistance, and for good reason. It catches errors quickly, integrates almost everywhere, and has steadily improved its AI suggestions over the years. But it is not the right tool for everyone, and in 2026, the landscape of writing assistants has matured enough that serious alternatives exist for nearly every use case.

There are a few common reasons people go looking for a Grammarly alternative. Price is the most frequent one. Grammarly Premium costs $144 per year at full price, and even the discounted rates can sting for freelancers, students, or small teams. Privacy is another growing concern — Grammarly processes everything you type through its servers, which makes it a non-starter for legal, medical, or enterprise contexts where data sensitivity matters. Feature gaps drive another segment: authors want deep manuscript analysis, business teams need style guide enforcement, and non-native English speakers want multilingual support that Grammarly simply does not provide well. Finally, some users just find Grammarly’s suggestions too aggressive, too Americanized, or not aligned with their actual writing goals.

We have tested all ten tools listed here extensively. This is our honest ranking — not a list padded with also-rans.

For a full breakdown of what Grammarly itself offers, see our Grammarly review.

Quick Comparison Table

Tool	Best For	Starting Price	Free Tier
ProWritingAid	Authors and long-form writers	$30/year	Yes (500 words/check)
Hemingway Editor	Clarity and readability	Free (web) / $20 one-time	Yes (web app)
LanguageTool	Multilingual writers	$4.99/month	Yes (unlimited basic)
QuillBot	Paraphrasing and academic writing	$9.95/month	Yes (limited)
Wordtune	Rewriting and tone adjustment	$9.99/month	Yes (10 rewrites/day)
Ginger Software	ESL learners	$7.49/month	Yes (limited)
Writer.com	Enterprise brand consistency	Custom (Team from $18/user/mo)	No
Sapling AI	Customer support and sales teams	$25/month	Yes (limited)
WhiteSmoke	Basic grammar checking	$5/month	No
Reverso	Translation and multilingual correction	Free (web) / $9.99/month	Yes

Our Top Pick: ProWritingAid

Before diving into individual reviews, our overall recommendation for most Grammarly users looking to switch is ProWritingAid. It offers deeper analysis, a lower annual price, and significantly better support for long-form content. If you write anything longer than an email — blog posts, reports, fiction, academic papers — ProWritingAid is the upgrade, not the compromise. See our detailed comparison of Grammarly vs ProWritingAid for a side-by-side breakdown.

1. ProWritingAid

The best overall Grammarly alternative for serious writers.

ProWritingAid goes further than most grammar checkers by analyzing your writing across more than 20 different dimensions: style consistency, pacing, dialogue tags, repeated sentence starts, clichés, readability by grade level, and more. Where Grammarly flags individual sentences, ProWritingAid reports on patterns across your entire document. That distinction matters enormously if you are editing a novel chapter, a long-form article, or a research paper.

Key Features

Over 20 in-depth writing reports (Style, Grammar, Overused Words, Sentence Length Variation, Readability, Pacing, and more)
Integrations with Scrivener, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and a standalone desktop app
Real-time suggestions as you type, plus a full document analysis mode
Style guide creation for teams (Premium plans)
Plagiarism checker included in higher tiers
Fiction-specific tools including a story tracker and character name database

Pricing

Free: Available with a 500-word limit per check, no time limit
Premium: $30/year (annual) or $10/month (monthly)
Premium + Plagiarism: $36/year
Lifetime: $399 one-time payment

Pros

Exceptional value at $30 per year — roughly one-fifth the cost of Grammarly Premium
Deeper analysis than any other tool in this list
Scrivener integration is unique and essential for many fiction writers
Reports help you understand your writing patterns, not just fix individual mistakes

Cons

The interface can feel overwhelming for new users due to the volume of reports
Real-time suggestions are not quite as seamless as Grammarly’s browser extension experience
Mobile support is limited compared to Grammarly

Best For

Long-form writers, novelists, bloggers, content professionals, and anyone who wants to understand and improve their writing style over time rather than just fix surface errors.

2. Hemingway Editor

The best tool for cutting clutter and improving readability.

Hemingway Editor takes a completely different philosophy from Grammarly. It does not try to catch every grammar error. Instead, it focuses relentlessly on one thing: making your writing clear and direct. It highlights long sentences, passive voice, adverbs, and phrases with simpler alternatives. The result is writing that hits harder and reads faster.

The web app is free with no account required. You paste your text, and the editor highlights problem areas with color-coded overlays. The desktop app — a one-time $20 purchase — adds the ability to write and edit directly inside the app without copying and pasting.

Key Features

Color-coded highlighting for hard-to-read sentences, very hard-to-read sentences, passive voice, adverbs, and complex phrases
Readability grade level score updated in real time
Distraction-free writing environment in the desktop app
Export to HTML, Markdown, Word, or PDF
No account required for the web version
Hemingway Editor 5 (released 2024) adds AI-powered sentence rewrites

Pricing

Web app: Free, no account needed
Desktop app: $19.99 one-time purchase
Hemingway AI rewrites: Subscription add-on in newer versions

Pros

The free web version is genuinely useful with zero friction
One-time desktop pricing is rare and appreciated
Forces good habits — you will write shorter, clearer sentences over time
No data retention concerns for the offline desktop version

Cons

Does not catch grammar errors (comma splices, subject-verb agreement, etc.)
No browser extension or native Google Docs integration
Not suitable as a standalone writing tool for catching technical errors

Best For

Journalists, content marketers, copywriters, and anyone whose writing tends to be wordy or passive. Best used alongside a grammar checker rather than as a replacement for one.

3. LanguageTool

The best Grammarly alternative for multilingual writers.

LanguageTool supports over 30 languages, making it the strongest alternative for non-English writers or anyone who writes across multiple languages. Its English grammar checking is genuinely competitive with Grammarly for standard use cases, and the free tier is meaningfully generous — it checks full documents with no word limit for basic grammar and spelling.

An important differentiator: LanguageTool offers a self-hosted option. Organizations with strict data residency requirements can run the tool entirely on their own infrastructure, which is something Grammarly cannot offer.

Key Features

Support for 30+ languages including German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and Polish
Browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge
Microsoft Word and Google Docs add-ons
Style and grammar suggestions beyond basic spell-checking
Self-hosted deployment option (open-source core)
Personal dictionary and custom rule creation on premium plans
Picky mode for advanced style suggestions

Pricing

Free: Full document grammar and spelling check, basic style suggestions
Premium: $4.99/month (annual) or $19.99/month (monthly)
Teams: Custom pricing

Pros

Best multilingual support of any tool in this list
The free tier is genuinely useful, not crippled
Self-hosting option for privacy-conscious organizations
Very affordable premium tier at under $5/month annually

Cons

Style suggestions in English are less nuanced than Grammarly Premium or ProWritingAid
The browser extension interface is less polished than Grammarly’s
Does not have robust long-form writing analysis features

Best For

Non-English writers, bilingual professionals, academic institutions, and organizations that require data sovereignty through self-hosting.

4. QuillBot

The best tool for paraphrasing, summarizing, and academic rewriting.

QuillBot built its reputation on its paraphrasing engine, and it remains the best in the market. If you need to rephrase text — for academic integrity, to avoid repetition, or to adapt content for different audiences — QuillBot is the tool to use. It has since expanded into a broader writing suite including a grammar checker, summarizer, plagiarism detector, citation generator, and AI writing assistant.

The free tier offers paraphrasing with two mode options. Premium unlocks all eight modes, including a Formal mode and a Creative mode, and removes word limits on the summarizer.

Key Features

Eight paraphrasing modes: Standard, Fluency, Formal, Academic, Simple, Creative, Shorten, Expand
Synonym slider for adjusting how aggressively the tool rewrites
Grammar checker built into the platform
Summarizer for condensing articles and documents
Plagiarism checker (add-on or included in some plans)
Citation generator supporting APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard
Chrome extension and Microsoft Word add-in

Pricing

Free: Paraphrasing with two modes, 125-word summarizer limit
Premium: $9.95/month (annual) or $19.95/month (monthly)
Teams: Custom pricing

Pros

Best paraphrasing engine available — significantly more natural than competitors
Strong academic writing toolkit (citations, summarizer, grammar check in one place)
The Chrome extension works across most web-based writing tools
Affordable annual pricing

Cons

The grammar checker is secondary to Grammarly for standalone grammar correction
Heavy reliance on paraphrasing can be a crutch for student writers
Plagiarism detection requires an additional purchase on some plans

Best For

Students, academics, content researchers, and writers who frequently need to rephrase, summarize, or adapt existing text.

5. Wordtune

The best tool for rewriting sentences to match tone and intent.

Wordtune approaches writing assistance differently from grammar checkers. Rather than flagging errors, it suggests complete rewrites of individual sentences. You highlight a sentence, and Wordtune offers multiple alternatives with different tones — Casual, Formal, shorter, or longer. It is closer to an AI writing coach than a proofreader.

The tool has expanded significantly since its initial launch, adding an AI writing assistant, a summarizer for articles and YouTube videos, and a “Spices” feature that lets you add examples, counterarguments, or statistics to your text.

Key Features

Sentence-level rewrite suggestions with Casual, Formal, Shorter, and Longer tone options
“Spices” feature for adding factual content, examples, or emphasis
AI summarizer for articles, PDFs, and YouTube videos
Full AI writing assistant for drafting new content
Chrome extension and Google Docs integration
Weekly article recommendations and content templates

Pricing

Free: 10 rewrites per day, limited Spices
Plus: $9.99/month (annual) or $13.99/month (monthly)
Unlimited: $14.99/month (annual)

Pros

Rewrite quality is consistently impressive and natural-sounding
The Spices feature is a genuinely unique way to enrich writing
Summarizer handles multiple content types well
Clean, intuitive interface

Cons

Not a grammar checker — it does not flag comma errors or subject-verb disagreement
Ten rewrites per day on the free plan runs out quickly
Less useful for technical or highly specialized writing

Best For

Marketing professionals, content creators, and business writers who need help refining the tone and clarity of their writing rather than catching grammatical errors.

6. Ginger Software

The best option for ESL learners and non-native English speakers.

Ginger Software has been in the grammar-checking space for over a decade and maintains a loyal base of users who are learning English or writing in English as a second language. Its correction engine is strong on contextual errors — the kinds of mistakes that spell-checkers miss because the word exists but is used incorrectly. Ginger also includes a text-to-speech feature that lets you hear how your writing sounds, which is particularly useful for ESL learners.

The sentence rephraser, translation feature (supporting over 60 languages), and personal trainer exercises for language learning set Ginger apart in this niche.

Key Features

Contextual grammar and spelling correction
Sentence rephraser with alternative suggestions
Text reader (text-to-speech) for pronunciation and flow checking
Translation support for 60+ languages
Personal language trainer with exercises
Browser extension and keyboard app (iOS and Android)
Microsoft Office integration

Pricing

Free: Limited corrections per session
Premium: $7.49/month (annual) or $20.97/month (monthly)

Pros

Text-to-speech is genuinely helpful for ESL users
Language trainer sets it apart from pure grammar checkers
Translation feature built directly into the workflow
Affordable annual pricing

Cons

The free tier is restrictive enough to be frustrating for daily use
The desktop app interface feels dated compared to modern alternatives
Less robust for advanced stylistic feedback

Best For

ESL learners, non-native English speakers, and language students who want grammar correction combined with active language learning features.

7. Writer.com

The best Grammarly alternative for enterprise teams.

Writer.com is not competing with Grammarly for individual users — it is competing for the enterprise contract. It is a full AI writing platform built around brand consistency, with features like custom style guide enforcement, terminology management, and AI content generation trained on a company’s own voice and guidelines.

For a team of content writers, marketers, or customer success agents who need to write consistently on-brand, Writer.com solves problems that Grammarly does not even attempt to address. Every suggestion is filtered through the organization’s style rules, approved terminology lists, and tone guidelines.

Key Features

Custom style guide creation and enforcement (snippets, terminology, inclusive language rules)
AI writer trained on company brand voice
Content templates for consistent document types
Team management and analytics dashboard
Integrations with Figma, Contentful, Chrome, Google Docs, and more
Compliance features for regulated industries (healthcare, finance)
API access for custom deployments

Pricing

Team: From $18/user/month (annual)
Enterprise: Custom pricing
No meaningful free tier for team use

Pros

The only tool in this list built specifically for enforcing brand consistency at scale
Compliance and data handling features make it viable in regulated industries
AI generation is trained on company voice, not generic internet text
Integrates with content management workflows

Cons

Not cost-effective for individual users or small teams
Requires significant setup to get full value from style guide features
No free individual plan

Best For

Marketing teams, content operations leaders, and enterprises that need consistent, on-brand writing across a large number of contributors.

8. Sapling AI

The best alternative for customer-facing teams and support agents.

Sapling AI is purpose-built for business communication — specifically for customer support, sales, and success teams. It integrates with CRM platforms and helpdesk tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, Zendesk, and Intercom, and it learns from your team’s past responses to suggest relevant completions.

Its autocomplete engine goes beyond grammar correction to suggest full sentences and responses based on the context of the conversation. For support teams handling high volumes of repetitive queries, this can meaningfully reduce response time.

Key Features

Real-time grammar and spell checking across web apps
Autocomplete suggestions based on past team responses
Snippet library for frequently used phrases and responses
CSAT and quality scoring for support conversations
Integrations with Zendesk, Salesforce, HubSpot, Intercom, and more
Team analytics and manager dashboard
Custom language model fine-tuning on enterprise plans

Pricing

Free: Limited grammar correction on the web
Pro: $25/month per user
Enterprise: Custom pricing

Cons

Pricing is oriented toward per-seat business plans, making it expensive for individuals
Overkill if you just need a standard grammar checker
Limited value outside of CRM-integrated workflows

Best For

Customer support teams, sales development representatives, and any business function that handles high-volume written communication through CRM or helpdesk platforms.

9. WhiteSmoke

A basic grammar checker for users who want simplicity.

WhiteSmoke is one of the older players in the grammar-checking space and has not evolved as aggressively as the other tools on this list. It covers the basics — grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style suggestions — and includes a translator supporting over 50 languages. The interface is straightforward, and there is a browser extension for checking text across the web.

It is not a top-tier recommendation for most users in 2026, but it earns a place on this list for users who want something uncomplicated without the feature density of ProWritingAid or the subscription complexity of other tools.

Key Features

Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and basic style checking
Translator for 50+ languages
Browser extension for Chrome and Firefox
Microsoft Word and Outlook integration
Pre-made templates for business documents, letters, and emails

Pricing

Essential (web only): $5/month (annual)
Premium (web + desktop + mobile): $6.66/month (annual)
Business: Custom pricing

Pros

Simple to use with no learning curve
Translator is a useful addition for international communication
Business document templates save time for routine writing

Cons

Grammar checking quality lags behind Grammarly, LanguageTool, and ProWritingAid
The interface and design feel significantly behind modern tools
No meaningful free tier to test before committing
Limited AI-powered suggestions compared to current alternatives

Best For

Casual writers, small business owners, and users who want a simple grammar checker with translation features and do not need advanced AI feedback.

10. Reverso

The best free option for translation-focused writing correction.

Reverso is primarily a translation tool that has expanded into grammar correction, context-based examples, and writing improvement. It is particularly strong for writers who frequently switch between languages or who need to verify how words and phrases are actually used by native speakers — the Context feature shows thousands of real-world sentence examples from translated texts.

The free version is genuinely functional for both grammar checking and translation, with no word limits on the core features.

Key Features

Grammar and spell checking with corrections and explanations
Translation for 20+ language pairs
Context examples showing how words and phrases are used in real sentences
Conjugator for verbs across multiple languages
Pronunciation audio for learning correct phrasing
Phrasebook for saving translations and word lists
Browser extension, mobile apps, and web platform

Pricing

Free: Grammar checking, translation, and context examples with ads
Premium: $9.99/month or $59.99/year — removes ads and adds advanced features

Pros

The free tier is one of the most functional of any tool in this list
Context feature is uniquely valuable for understanding natural language use
Strong for writers who work across multiple languages
No practical word limit on core free features

Cons

Grammar checking in English is not as deep as Grammarly or ProWritingAid
Primary focus on translation means writing feedback is secondary
Interface is less polished than dedicated grammar tools
Style improvement suggestions are limited

Best For

Translators, multilingual professionals, language learners, and writers who frequently need to cross-reference how terms and phrases are used in context across languages.

How to Choose the Right Grammarly Alternative

The right choice depends on what you actually need. Here is a quick decision guide:

If you write long-form content (books, essays, reports): ProWritingAid is the clear choice. The depth of analysis and the Scrivener integration are unmatched.

If your writing is too wordy or passive: Start with Hemingway Editor. The free web version is enough to change your writing habits.

If you write in multiple languages: LanguageTool is the only tool with serious multilingual support and the self-hosted option for sensitive data.

If you are a student or academic writer: QuillBot’s paraphrasing engine, citation generator, and summarizer form a practical toolkit for academic work.

If you need to adjust tone and rewrite sentences: Wordtune’s rewrite modes and Spices feature handle this better than anything else in the list.

If you are an ESL learner: Ginger Software’s language trainer and text-to-speech features serve this specific need.

If you manage a content team: Writer.com’s style guide enforcement is in a different category from individual grammar checkers.

If you run customer support or sales: Sapling AI’s CRM integrations and response autocomplete justify its business pricing.

Final Verdict

Best overall Grammarly alternative: ProWritingAid

At $30 per year, ProWritingAid offers more analytical depth than Grammarly Premium at roughly one-fifth of the cost. For any writer doing more than casual email, it is the stronger long-term investment. The learning curve is real, but so is the payoff.

Best free alternative: LanguageTool

No other free tool on this list matches LanguageTool’s combination of language coverage, correction quality, and lack of meaningful restrictions on basic use.

Best for simplicity: Hemingway Editor

If you want one thing — clearer, more direct prose — Hemingway’s free web app delivers it with zero friction and zero account setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a free alternative to Grammarly that is actually good?

Yes. LanguageTool offers full document grammar checking across 30+ languages on its free tier with no word limits for basic corrections. Hemingway Editor’s web version is also completely free and requires no account. Both are genuinely useful for daily writing, not just token free tiers designed to push you toward a paid plan.

Is ProWritingAid better than Grammarly?

For most writers doing substantial work, yes. ProWritingAid provides deeper analysis across more dimensions of writing quality, costs significantly less per year, and includes features like Scrivener integration and in-depth style reports that Grammarly does not offer. Where Grammarly has the edge is in real-time browser-based correction across more surfaces, and in interface polish. See our full Grammarly vs ProWritingAid comparison for a detailed breakdown.

Which Grammarly alternative is best for non-native English speakers?

LanguageTool and Ginger Software are the strongest options. LanguageTool supports over 30 languages with a genuinely useful free tier. Ginger Software adds ESL-specific features including text-to-speech, language exercises, and a personal trainer mode — making it the better choice if active language learning is part of the goal.

Can I use these tools with Google Docs or Microsoft Word?

Most tools in this list integrate with Google Docs and/or Microsoft Word. ProWritingAid, LanguageTool, QuillBot, Wordtune, Ginger, and Sapling all offer Google Docs add-ons or browser extensions that function inside Docs. ProWritingAid and LanguageTool have dedicated Word add-ins. Hemingway Editor is the main exception — it works through copy-paste or its own standalone desktop app.

Are Grammarly alternatives safe for sensitive or confidential writing?

This depends on the tool. Most cloud-based tools (Grammarly included) process your text on their servers. For sensitive documents, LanguageTool’s self-hosted option allows you to run the tool entirely within your own infrastructure. Hemingway Editor’s desktop app processes text locally. ProWritingAid and others have data processing policies worth reviewing if this is a concern, but none match LanguageTool’s self-hosting flexibility.

What is the cheapest paid alternative to Grammarly?

LanguageTool Premium at $4.99/month (billed annually) is the most affordable paid option that still delivers full grammar, style, and multilingual support. ProWritingAid at $30/year ($2.50/month) is slightly higher but offers substantially more analytical depth. Both are dramatically cheaper than Grammarly Premium at $12/month (annual).

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