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Writing & Productivity

Grammarly Alternatives — grammarly alternative

Grammarly Pricing

Grammarly Premium: $12/month (Monthly), $9.33/month (Quarterly), $7.50/month (Annual)

AI-powered writing assistant. $12/month for Premium. Excellent but expensive for students.

5

Free Alternatives

1

Open Source

0

Self-Hostable

$144

Est. Yearly Cost

Why Consider Grammarly Alternatives?

LanguageTool is 100% free and open-source

Hemingway Editor is free (with paid desktop app)

ProWritingAid has a free tier

Google Docs built-in grammar check is free

Microsoft Editor is free with Microsoft account

Common Grammarly Pain Points

These are the top reasons users look for alternatives

1

Expensive at $12/month for Premium

Impact: $144/year

2

Free version is very limited

Impact: Must pay to get real value

3

Works mainly in English

Impact: Non-English users get less value

4

Plagiarism checker requires $15/month add-on

Impact: Extra cost for students

5

Can be distracting with too many suggestions

Impact: Some users find it intrusive

All Grammarly Alternatives (5)

Compare features, pricing, and migration difficulty

(4.6)Easy to migrate
Free
Open Source

LanguageTool is a free, open-source grammar and style checker. It supports 20+ languages and works in browsers, Office, and more. Completely free with no limits.

Why it's a good alternative: 100% free and open-source grammar and style checker

BEST FOR

Users who want free, privacy-friendly grammar checking

KEY FEATURES

100% free and open-source
Supports 20+ languages
Works in browser, Office, Google Docs
No registration needed (browser extension)
Add-on for MS Office and Google Docs
Privacy-friendly (self-hosted option)

PROS

  • Completely free
  • Open-source
  • Supports many languages
  • Privacy-friendly

CONS

  • Less polished UI than Grammarly
  • Fewer AI-powered suggestions
  • Browser extension can be slow
(4.4)Easy to migrate
Free

Hemingway Editor is a writing tool that highlights complex sentences, passive voice, and adverbs. The web version is free; the desktop app is a one-time $19.99 purchase.

Why it's a good alternative: Free web version, one-time $19.99 desktop app

BEST FOR

Writers who want to improve readability

KEY FEATURES

Free web version
$19.99 one-time desktop app
Highlights complex sentences
Passive voice detection
Readability grading
Export to Markdown, HTML, etc.

PROS

  • Free web version
  • One-time purchase (no subscription)
  • Very simple and focused
  • Great for readability

CONS

  • Less grammar checking than Grammarly
  • No AI-powered rewriting
  • Desktop app is Windows/Mac only
(4.3)Easy to migrate
Free

ProWritingAid is a grammar and style checker with a free tier. Paid plans start at $10/month (cheaper than Grammarly). Good for fiction writers.

Why it's a good alternative: Free tier available, cheaper than Grammarly

BEST FOR

Fiction writers and editors

KEY FEATURES

Free tier available
$10/month for Premium (cheaper than Grammarly)
Deep editing reports
Integrates with Scrivener, Google Docs
Good for fiction writing
No plagiarism checker in free version

PROS

  • Cheaper than Grammarly
  • Free tier is usable
  • Great for fiction writers
  • Deep editing reports

CONS

  • Free tier is limited
  • Still a subscription for full features
  • Less AI-powered than Grammarly

Google Docs has a built-in grammar and spelling checker that's completely free. It's not as advanced as Grammarly but good for basic grammar checking.

Why it's a good alternative: 100% free, built into Google Docs

BEST FOR

Google Docs users who want free grammar checking

KEY FEATURES

100% free
Built into Google Docs
No installation needed
Real-time grammar checking
Works in browser
Supports many languages

PROS

  • Completely free
  • Built into Google Docs
  • No installation
  • Real-time checking

CONS

  • Less advanced than Grammarly
  • Only works in Google Docs
  • Fewer style suggestions
(4.2)Easy to migrate
Free

Microsoft Editor is a grammar and spelling checker that's free with a Microsoft account. It works in Word, Outlook, and as a browser extension. Completely free.

Why it's a good alternative: Free with Microsoft account, works in Word and browser

BEST FOR

Microsoft ecosystem users who want free grammar checking

KEY FEATURES

100% free with Microsoft account
Works in Word, Outlook, browser
Browser extension (Chrome, Edge)
Spelling and grammar checking
Clarity and conciseness suggestions
No subscription needed

PROS

  • Completely free
  • Works in Microsoft ecosystem
  • Browser extension available
  • No subscription

CONS

  • Less advanced than Grammarly
  • Requires Microsoft account
  • Fewer features than Grammarly Premium

Grammarly vs Free Alternatives — Detailed Comparison

ToolPriceOpen SourceSelf-HostedRatingMigrate
Grammarly
Paid
LanguageTool
Free
(4.6)Easy to migrate
Hemingway Editor
Free
(4.4)Easy to migrate
ProWritingAid
Free
(4.3)Easy to migrate
Google Docs built-in grammar check
Free
(4)Easy to migrate
Microsoft Editor
Free
(4.2)Easy to migrate

How to Migrate from Grammarly — Step by Step

  1. 1

    Install LanguageTool browser extension (free, open-source)

  2. 2

    Or go to Hemingwayapp.com (free, no registration)

  3. 3

    For Google Docs users: enable built-in grammar check

  4. 4

    For Microsoft users: sign in with your Microsoft account and use Editor

  5. 5

    Uninstall Grammarly extension and cancel subscription

Pro Tips

  • 💡LanguageTool is the best free, open-source alternative
  • 💡Hemingway Editor is best for improving readability
  • 💡Google Docs built-in check is fine for basic needs
  • 💡Microsoft Editor is best if you're already in the Microsoft ecosystem