Best Free Grammarly Alternatives in 2021
We have mentioned the top Grammarly alternatives that are available for both free and paid users. We have focused on services that do not have a limited set of features under the free tier and are compatible with many online services. You can click on the links below to read about these alternatives.
1. LanguageTool
LanguageTool is my favorite online grammar checker, and it is a perfect alternative to Grammarly. To clarify, the service is not free and has a similar freemium model as Grammarly. However, LanguageTool can check for errors more robustly under the free version, and you don’t even need to create an account. Also, it checks for punctuation and writing style like Grammarly, so that is great.
That said, LanguageTool has a limitation of 10,000 characters per text under the free version, so keep that in mind. Despite its hamstrung free version, the reason I recommend LanguageTool over Grammarly is its affordable price of the premium version. You can get the premium service for $4.92 per month in comparison to $11.66 per month for Grammarly (billed annually). And in India, the LanguageTool subscription comes down to just Rs. 92 per month, which is incredible. All in all, LanguageTool is one of the best free Grammarly alternatives, and you should give it a shot. Pros
Robust algorithm to check errors Web app Extension and add-ins available Quite affordable
Cons
Limitation of 10,000 characters per text
Check Out LanguageTool (Free, Premium subscription starts at $4.92/month)
2. ProWritingAid
ProWritingAid is another excellent Grammarly alternative that offers both free and paid services. It does not have many limitations in the free version. Just like Grammarly, it performs grammar and spell checking, reduces redundancies, improves readability, and much more. To get started with ProWritingAid, you need to install its extension and create a free account.
But, keep in mind, it does not have a web editor. That means you will have to either install its app or use its browser and app extensions. Note that some of the app extensions, like the ones for Google Docs or Microsoft Office 365, will only work with a paid subscription. To sum up, if you are looking for a free grammar checker but can move to a premium plan for more features, then ProWritingAid makes a lot of sense. Pros
Advanced proofreading Compatible with online services Readability score Extension available
Cons
Need to create an account Need a premium plan for Google Docs / Office 365 integration
Check Out ProWritingAid (Free, Premium subscription starts at $20/month)
3. Ginger
Ginger is a popular alternative to Grammarly that offers its services to both free and paid users. Just like Grammarly, it uses an AI-powered model to rephrase the sentences, offers contextual suggestions, synonyms, and more. Ginger can also help you get creative with your writing by suggesting new phrases rather than index words.
The best part about Ginger is that it is compatible with almost every text field. No matter if you are writing on Twitter, Facebook, or Google Docs, it will work. It checks your grammar, spelling, and punctuations to ensure a proper sentence structure. I think Ginger and Grammarly are pretty similar in terms of features, and you should give it a try. On top of that, Ginger is comparatively cheaper, coming at $6.24 per month (billed annually). Pros
AI-powered error checking Compatible with any text field on the web Smart suggestions for phrases Affordable premium plan
Cons
Some advanced features available to paid users only
Check Out Ginger (Free, Premium subscriptions starts at $6.24 per month)
4. Sapling.ai
Sapling.ai is not just a grammar checker, but it’s also an AI-based writing assistant that can help you improve your writing style by many folds. The best part is that it also offers a free service and offers spell and grammar checks, autocomplete suggestions, and more. What I love about Sapling.ai is that its Chrome extension works on almost every text field on the web, except for Microsoft Office 365. You have to install a separate add-on to make it work with your Office documents.
As for the technology, Sapling uses deep learning technology to suggest smart recommendations while you are writing on the web. And due to this tech, it can also detect the tone of the writing and recommend changes accordingly. To conclude, Sapling.ai is a worthy alternative to Grammarly that is free, and it works wonderfully well. Pros
Uses Deep Learning technology Autocomplete suggestions Adjust the tone of the writing Extensions available
Cons
Premium plan is quite expensive
Check Out Sapling.ai (Free, Premium subscription starts at $25/month)
5. Hemingway Editor
In a way, Hemingway Editor is a proper alternative to Grammarly because it allows you to edit texts and documents directly on the web without asking you to install an extension or add-on. Apart from that, it offers you six parameters to judge your writing. For instance, it detects adverbs in your content and asks you to limit it to a particular number. Similarly, it discourages the use of passive voice and underlines the text for quick assessment.
And if there is a simpler alternative to a phrase or a word, Hemingway Editor recommends that word as well. Not to mention, it also gives a readability score so you can get a fair idea of where your text stands in terms of natural reading and comprehension. All in all, Hemingway Editor is a great free grammar checker just like Grammarly, and you should give it a shot. If you are looking for a premium version, you can go for its dedicated application for Windows and macOS that costs $19.99. Pros
Offers web app Five parameters to judge writing Readability score Easy to use
Cons
Free version is limited
Check Out Hemingway Editor (Free, One-time purchase of $19.99)
6. Outwrite
Outwrite is a simple grammar checker that focuses on basic proofreading under the free version and has a robust algorithm to detect errors if you choose to get the premium version. Like Grammarly, the free version supports spell checking, basic grammar and punctuation checking, paraphrasing tool, and thesaurus. The best part is that you have a web editor as well, where you can paste your text and edit instantly.
Not to mention, you also have an extension for Chrome, a separate add-in for Microsoft Word, and more. And if you get the premium version, then you will get features like Eloquence improvement, sentence rewriting, experimental suggestions, and much more. So, to sum it all up, you are looking at one of the best free Grammarly alternatives in Outwrite. Pros
Offers web app Basic grammar check and some advanced proofreading Extensions available for various services Thesaurus support
Cons
Slow in identifying errors
Check Out Outwrite (Free, Premium subscriptions starts at $9.95 per month)
7. Writefull
Writefull is not your traditional grammar checker. Instead, it is meant for researchers working in academia to write sentences modeled on academic writing. It uses language models trained on thousands of journal articles to make your writing sound like academic writing. The best part is that Writefull is free for researchers but, if you run an institution or are a publisher, you will have to pay for the subscription plan.
Researchers can use Writefull on Microsoft Word Web or the desktop version for free. Apart from that, Writefull is also available on the web but only supports documents like DOC, DOCX, and TEX. And if you use Overleaf, the popular LaTeX editor, then Writefull can be seamlessly integrated. To conclude, Writefull is one of the best free alternatives to Grammarly if you are a researcher in the academic world. Pros
Best for researchers Web app available LaTeX integration
Cons
Limited to academic writing
Check Out Writefull (Free for researchers, Premium subscriptions starts at $5.46/month)
8. Grammark
If you are looking for a free open-source alternative to Grammarly, then you can opt for Grammark. It is a simple grammar checker tool that lets you paste the text into a web app and learn about errors in your writing. Unlike Grammarly, it does not offer smart suggestions and sentence restructuring inputs. But it does detect errors and explains what you need to change to make your writing coherent and comprehensive.
It focuses on passive voice, wordiness, sentence length, transitions, style of writing, and of course, grammar. So, go ahead and check out Grammark and see whether the service is helpful or not. I am pretty sure beginners will find this open-source Grammarly alternative pretty useful. Pros
Free and open-source Quickly identifies error Suggests recommendations
Cons
Does not offer smart suggestions
Check Out Grammark (Free)
Find Paid and Free Grammarly Alternatives From Our List
So, these are our eight best picks for the best free Grammarly alternatives. You can pick any one of them based on your need to get started with improving your writing. Personally, I like LanguageTool because it has a clean UI and offers a web-based text editor. Not to mention, it’s pretty affordable too. Anyway, that is all from us. In case you are looking for the best writing apps for Mac, then head over to our linked article. And if you have any questions, then do let us know in the comment section below.
