This review compares the best grammar checkers and proofreading tools of 2022 including Grammarly and ProWritingAid.
Are you looking for the best grammar checker to use this year? As a writer who loves tools, I’ve thoroughly tested the most popular grammar checker software and proofreading tools for bloggers, authors, content publishers, business owners, and writers of all types.
Online grammar checker tools are also useful for those who want to write error-free emails, reports, presentations, or even social media posts.
In this post, I have carefully handpicked the best grammar checkers for you. I have also reviewed the most important aspects of the latest grammar checker software. Later, you’ll also learn some essential proofreading tips to help you get more from these grammar-checking tools.
Contents
- 1. Grammarly
- 2. ProWritingAid
- 3. Ginger
- 4. Linguix
- 5. WhiteSmoke
- 6. Microsoft Editor
- 7. Microsoft Word And Google Docs
- 8. SpellCheckPlus
- 9. Hemingway Editor
- 10. GrammarChecker
- 11. Reverso
- 12. Writer.Com
- 13. Quillbot
- 14. Style Writer
- 15. Wordtune
- 16. Language Tool
- 17. Chegg
- 18. Paper Rater
- 19. Outwrite
- Our Testing Criteria
- Paid Vs Free Grammar Checkers
- How to Use A Grammar Corrector
- How Grammar Checkers Support Proofreading
- What About After the Deadline?
- Why You Can Trust Us
- The Best Grammar Checkers You Can Buy
- Grammar Checker FAQs
- Writing Apps Resources
- Author
Best Grammar Checker For 2022
Product | Ease of Use | Accuracy | Insights | Free Trial | Get Discount |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Grammarly | Browser, web and desktop apps | Best in class online grammar checker | AI-powered writing assistant | Yes | GET 25% OFF |
![]() ProWritingAid | Desktop app | Over 20 powerful writing reports | Instructional videos and guides | Yes | GET 25% OFF |

1. Grammarly
Pricing: From free trial available, then $29.99 per month
Grammarly is a writing assistant that not only corrects grammar but also gives you comprehensive writing feedback.
You can use the Grammarly tool to proofread and check for grammatical errors and spelling errors in social media updates, emails, blog posts, articles, and even early drafts of book chapters. I’ve used the Grammarly free and AI premium versions since 2015.
If you're running a business, check out our Grammarly Business review.
Key Features
Grammarly Keyboard.
The Grammarly extension or browser add-on works as a punctuation checker and grammar checker Grammarly within your WordPress editor too. You can check grammar and punctuation online. You can also run a spell check on your blog post as you write it using the
The free grammar checker version of
Grammarly Premium is the paid version that checks spelling and grammar, and punctuation. It is useful if you want to improve your knowledge of English grammar as it provides more writing insights and the reasons behind common grammar mistakes.
Apart from grammar checks, the
- Checks for readability
- Corrects run-on sentences
- Gives you suggestions to enhance vocabulary and sentence structure
- Detects missing citations
How Much Does Grammarly Premium Cost?
- Grammarly Premium monthly subscription costs $29.95 per month.
- Grammarly Premium quarterly subscription costs $19.98 per month, billed as one payment of $59.95.
- Grammarly Premium annual subscription costs $11.66 per month, billed as one payment of $139.95.
Grammarly also offers human proofreader services.
You can also send extracts of your work straight to a human proofreader within

Using Grammarly as a Grammar Checker
The
Grammarly editor also indicates errors in sentence structure. Like other punctuation checker tools, it also recommended adding some commas in the text that Whitesmoke and Ginger ignored.
Apart from checking grammar and punctuation, the tool also has a plagiarism checker, which allows you to check your article against billions of web pages for unoriginal text.
If you don’t want to pay to check the originality of your content, try Dupli Checker – it is an efficient and free tool. However, Dupli Checker and all free plagiarism checkers place a limit on how much you can check.
If you're wondering what's better than Grammarly, check out that article or read on for more insights.
Grammarly is a top spelling, grammar and plagiarism checker. It'll help you find and fix errors fast, and it works everywhere. It's trusted by millions of writers for a reason.
2. ProWritingAid
Pricing: From free to $20+ per month

ProWritingAid is a London-based software firm founded in 2012. This software tool acts as your virtual writing tutor and grammar checker, as well as a personal writing coach.
Since writing this grammar checker review and recording the above video, I received several questions from readers and commenters about ProWritingAid. So I tested this spelling and grammar checker thoroughly.
Key features
The
You can use the browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari, to check your writing on any website, including Medium, Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, and Wattpad.
You can paste text and check for grammar and spelling errors in a web editor. Alternatively, you can upload a document containing your writing.
How Much Does ProWritingAid Cost?
ProWriting Aid offers a two-week free trial. After that, prices are as follows:

This makes ProWritingAid the cheapest grammar checker in this review.
Using ProWritingAid as a Grammar Checker

When I pasted my text into the
At first, I found the various types of reports overwhelming. But, they quickly made sense once I clicked through each suggestion or mistake. I particularly liked a feature called Echoes. This feature identified places where I overused turns of phrase and other words.
This is a useful feature for improving your writing skills. It also identified some clichés in my writing. This struck me as particularly useful for fiction writers who want to improve the quality of their sentences and sentence structure.
The
Grammarly and Ginger to identify these mistakes, and the user interface wasn’t as polished. Anyone who wants to write for the web like a blog post should try to write for an eighth or ninth grade audience (a Flesch reading score of above 70%).
The good news is, apart from specifying grammar rules, ProWritingAid will also help you figure out the readability of your articles based on the Flesch Reading Score. This is great for improving your web writing skills.
Why are readability and Flesch scores important?
Well, web readers have a shorter attention span than those consuming print (look a squirrel!). It is really easy to simplify and tailor your blog post for this audience with ProWritingAid. Although the WordPress plugin Yoast also gives you this feature, it’s useful if you write outside of WordPress.
ProWritingAid Works With Scrivener
The desktop version enables you to open Scrivener files directly in
This is a clever feature. But, I prefer to run the final exported books file from Scrivener through a grammar checker before moving to Vellum for self-publishing. I also only use Scrivener these days for long-form writing and instead rely on iA Writer for producing articles like these.
In short: your mileage may vary depending on your writing workflow.
If you’re on a tight budget and can’t afford the other premium grammar checkers in this review,
Grammarly and ProWritingAid are the two most popular grammar checkers available today. If you'd like to learn more about the right choice for your work, read our ProWritingAid vs Grammarly comparison.
ProWritingAid is a powerful, accurate grammar checker and style editor. It's suitable for non-fiction and fiction writers and doesn't require a monthly subscription.
3. Ginger
Pricing: $13.99 per month

An Israeli startup created Ginger in 2007, making it one of the more established spelling and grammar checkers on the market. Like
Key features
The quickest way to get started is by installing a Chrome extension or any other browser extension. It is also available for advanced tools like Slack. It provides apps for Windows and iOS… but none for Google Docs yet.
You can use a keyboard for Android. Or, you can paste extracts of your text into their web app. You can also use it as a punctuation checker to correct your text in Gmail.
Ginger reveals the character count, word count, and the number of sentences for your text. The tool also helps you find and fix synonyms for commonly overused words like make. Ginger identifies grammatical errors and spelling errors by highlighting them in blue.
Like
Interestingly, Ginger can translate extracts of your writing into 60 other languages, including Spanish, German, and even Yiddish. Sure, Google Translate also does this checking a document for grammar issues and translating it from within one app is useful.
A Ginger Premium subscription also includes a virtual writing tutor who provides video grammar lessons and tests. This English grammar checker feature should appeal to those learning or writing in the language for the first time
This makes Ginger online grammar corrector ideal for non-English native writers—you could write in Yiddish, translate to English, and then grammar check your writing all within Ginger.
You can also add words you don’t want to identify as mistakes to a personal dictionary within the Ginger grammar checking tool. I could see this appealing to fiction writers with unusual character names for their stories.
How Much Does Ginger Software Cost?
- A Ginger monthly subscription costs $13.99 per month.
- A Ginger annual subscription costs $7.49 per month if you pay upfront.
- A Ginger two-year subscription costs $6.99 per month if you pay upfront.
At the time of writing this best grammar checker review, Ginger was offering a discount of 30% on its premium plans. You can also avail of a 7-day, 100% money-back guarantee.
Ginger Review
For this Ginger review, I used the Chrome extension of this grammar checker software. Unlike Grammarly, Ginger doesn’t offer a Mac desktop app yet.
Like Grammarly, Ginger identified all of my grammar errors, spelling errors, and punctuation mistakes as well as the ones MS Word missed. However, Ginger was less insistent about fixing my inconsistent comma usage in the text.
Interestingly, Ginger Premium missed a spelling mistake in one of my headings. While you may wonder if it’s a spell-checker function is top-notch, this particular mistake can be attributed to a formatting issue.
I also had to hover over all grammar errors and punctuation errors with my mouse rather than reviewing them in a sidebar. This meant I spent more time correcting my grammar errors. It’s a small gripe, but I’m a little obsessed with workflows!
It also didn't suggest sentence improvements like Grammarly. And I ran into several other usability issues. As a Mac user, I couldn't get this app to fit into my workflow. To learn more, read our Ginger vs Grammarly comparison.
4. Linguix
Pricing: Linguix Premium costs $18.95 per month or $96 per year

Linguis is an AI-powered grammar checker created by Alex Lashkov, Vitaly Kukharenko, and Alex Buchmann in 2018. It includes several key tools writers may find helpful including a writing coach, style guide, content templates and shortcuts.
Like most best-in-class grammar checkers, it also includes plugins for Chrome, Safari and Microsoft Edge and apps for iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows. It also supports Office plugins. Linguix is mainly comparable to Grammarly Business in that it's aimed at a business audience.
It's relatively accurate. However, its writing assistant lags behind Grammarly in terms of usability and some reports. It's a good choice for your business if you're looking for an affordable grammar checker.
Read our Linguix review
5. WhiteSmoke
Pricing: From $5 to $11.50 per month
The software company, Whitesmoke, was set up in 2002 to sell affordable online proofreading software for Mac and Windows. You can use Whitesmoke to check your articles for spelling and grammar mistakes, punctuation mistakes, and more. It’s useful for writers and non-English speakers on a tight budget. It identifies errors in sentence structure.
Whitesmoke works in almost all browsers, including Chrome, Safari, Opera, and Firefox, depending on what version you subscribe to. You can also download apps for iOS and Android.
Whitesmoke Essential is a version that’s compatible only with your web browser. Whitesmoke Premium (what I tested) offers additional support and apps for Mac, Windows, Gmail, and MS Office.
The version of Whitesmoke I tested for this best grammar checker review features a translator, although it supports eight languages rather than 64 (no Yiddish!). Whitesmoke also offers several templates for writing projects like cover letters, grant proposals, thank you messages, and so on.
Whitesmoke is one of the cheapest online proofreading software that I’ve featured in this review. Like the
How Much Does WhiteSmoke Cost?
- WhiteSmoke Essential costs $5 per month, billed as one payment of $59.95
- WhiteSmoke Premium costs $6.66 per month billed as one payment of $79.95.
- WhiteSmoke Business costs $11.50 per month billed as one payment of $137.95.
Unusually, Whitesmoke doesn’t offer monthly subscriptions. You can save more money if you buy a three-year subscription, at the time of writing this best grammar checker review.
WhiteSmoke Review
WhiteSmoke is more affordable than Grammarly. It’s accurate, too (as you can see in my video comparison review). However, WhiteSmoke isn’t as fast or as easy to use as Grammarly.
Making changes to your documents also involves an extra step compared to Grammarly in that you must export the final version to a text document. Like ProwritingAid, it’s cheaper than
To learn more, read our Whitesmoke vs Grammarly comparison.
Whitesmoke is accurate, relatively easy to use and suitable for businesses. It's cheaper than other grammar checkers.
6. Microsoft Editor
Pricing: Included with Office 365

Microsoft is offering a grammar checker alternative for Microsoft Office 365 users. Released in March 2020, Microsoft Editor works well across multiple platforms including Mac, iOS, Linux, Android, and Windows. It's not as accurate or as insightful as Grammarly but a handy choice if you already use Microsoft Office 365 for work.
To find out more, read our Grammarly vs Microsoft Editor comparison.
7. Microsoft Word And Google Docs
Pricing: From $6.99 a month

Both Microsoft Word and Google Docs have grammar checking features built into them.
If you’re a writer on a budget, don’t worry about the premium grammar checker tools in this review for now. Both of these punctuation checker tools will work just fine.
Key Features
To use Word, you can install it on a select number of Windows and OS X computers once you buy the Microsoft 365 suite.
To use Google Docs, you can simply log in to your Google account from a browser and go to docs.google.com. You can use it on any computer and browser, including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Chrome OS.
You could use both tools to catch typos and other mistakes before hitting publish or sending your writing to someone else. As you type, you’ll find a red line under errors which you can click or right-click and correct quickly. Word offers suggestions for synonyms and readability and synonyms. Google Docs offers spelling suggestions, as well.
MS Word comes as part of the Microsoft 365 package (Office 365) that starts from $6.99 a month. This includes MS Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, and Access. Docs is free for use. You can also buy a G Suite “business” version at monthly plans that start at $5 per user.
Checking Grammar With Microsoft Word and Google Docs
You can check shorter articles using these tools. I recommend printing out longer articles and reading them aloud as another line of defence. You should also always hire a proofreader if you’re an author. That said, these in-built grammar checkers won’t help you find and fix clichés, redundant writing, and so on.
8. SpellCheckPlus
Pricing: Free

Like Ginger, SpellCheckPlus will help you learn more about writing in a second language and the intricacies of writing.
Key Features
It is a virtual writing tutor and grammar checker which allows you to paste extracts of your work – up to 2,000 characters at a time. It scans your extracts for complicated language, redundant words, and so on.
SpellCheckPlus Review
I liked how SpellCheckPlus summarizes errors and also provides context. Unlike the other grammar checker tools in this post, it’s a barebones grammar checker for finding and fixing errors on the go.
You can’t add custom words to a dictionary, specify writing styles, and so on. So, it’s less useful for fiction writers. You also can’t use it outside of a web browser.
I prefer using dedicated apps to checking longer pieces of writing as I get distracted easily. Anyhow, this grammar checker is free and effective if you want to check shorter pieces of writing.
If you want to check extracts longer than 2,000 characters, it costs $14.99 for a year. That’s an affordable price for most new writers.
9. Hemingway Editor
Pricing: From free to $19.99

The American author Ernest Hemingway famously said:
“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.”
Hemingway Editor is built to help you write that true sentence and discard everything else.
Today, I rely on this tool and
I use the highlights feature to identify what to find and fix while self-editing. Hemingway Editor doesn’t offer suggestions or provide context like the other grammar checker tools in this post. It does, however, help me write more clearly.
This virtual writing tutor is fast and efficient too. The desktop app doesn’t have any additional features. That said, I like using it as I get distracted when writing within a web browser.
To learn more, read our Hemingway app review.
10. GrammarChecker
Pricing: Free

GrammarChecker is an online grammar tool that analyses your writing for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and stylistic errors.
Key Features
It rewrites shorter pieces of writing automatically. It finds suitable synonyms, swaps out words, and so on. The result is supposed to be SEO-friendly, plagiarism-free text. It supports many different languages, including French, Spanish, German, and Arabic.
GrammarChecker Review
I was uncomfortable with this tool as I like to review and reject edits manually. I also found the accuracy off-putting. It didn’t catch some grammar mistakes and errors in my work and inserted some odd words. To be honest, I’m not sure what type of writer would consider a paraphrasing tool like this useful, except for simple text rewrites.
11. Reverso
Pricing: Free

Reverso is an online translator and spelling and grammar checking tool developed by Reverso-Softissimo.
Key Features
This tool can translate your text into different languages, including German, Italian, Arabic, Hebrew, Spanish, and more. Reverso works via a web browser, a Google Chrome plugin, and a Google Play and iPhone app. It works offline, and you can speak words into the app if typing isn’t for you. Reverso provides corrections and suggestions and more information via an in-built dictionary.
Reverso Review
As it has a word-count limit of 600 characters, this online writing tutor is useful for checking or translating shorter pieces of writing. Examples include a brief email or a social media post.
I liked how I could check the definition of certain words and their synonyms via one or two clicks within Reverso. This is a useful method for self-editing. Reverso also provides context that will help you learn English.
After some digging, I found out the tool is powered by Ginger Software, which explains its support for non-English languages. It’s a useful tool that works much like Ginger.
12. Writer.Com
Pricing: $11 per month

Writer.com is a newer entry. It's not an app for a novelist, a single writer maintaining a blog, or an essay writer, etc. Instead, it’s ideal for marketing teams, brand agencies, social media managers, sales and HR departments, PR, and similar business-related writing tasks.
Like Grammarly Business, the tool offers a dedicated style guide and supports secure collaboration. It's also cheaper than Grammarly.
Unlike other tools featured here, it works on nearly anything companies may use, including sales platforms, content management systems, everyday writing apps like Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
It also supports common email clients like Gmail, and all major social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook. It'll be interesting to see if Writer.com can capture the same market share as Grammarly.
Writer.com has the potential to compete with Grammarly. It's accurate and has some business security measures that other grammar checkers lack like SOC2 and HIPPA compliance.
I particularly liked its style guide and user interface. However, it's less well-known. It's also less suitable for fiction writers and lone writers. I recommend considering this tool if Grammarly business is too expensive for your company.
Read our Writer.com review.
13. Quillbot
Pricing: From $4.95 per month

Quillbot is a grammar checker available for Windows, Mac, and iOs.
It's a paraphraser tool developed by Rohan Gupta in 2017. It uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to find and fix grammar errors. It's a good choice if you want to rewrite or paraphrase existing copy quickly and easily. It lags behind Grammarly and some other selections here for proofreading and finding grammar errors. Don't expect the same type of writing assistant either.
Read our Quillbot vs Grammarly comparison.
14. Style Writer
Pricing: $120

Style Writer is proofreading software for Windows, IOS, Mac, and Android devices.
Although its reports are insightful, the interface is Style Writer looks like something from the early 2000s. Still, the jargon eliminator is beneficial for copyeditors. You try it for free and don't have to pay a monthly subscription.
Read our Stylewriter vs Grammarly comparison.
15. Wordtune
Pricing: $9.99 per month

Wordtune is a free web-based grammar checker. It also works as a Chrome plugin. It focuses on helping writers edit and revise sentences so they're clear and concise, much like Hemingway Editor. Unfortunately, our reviewers found it missed many grammar mistakes compared to ProWritingAid and Grammarly.
Read our Wordtune review
16. Language Tool
Pricing: $29.95 per month

Language Tool is a popular grammar checker that claims customers at Amazon, Blinkist and Fraunhofer SIT. We tested it extensively against Grammarly and found it missed some mistakes that Grammarly caught.
That said, it's a good choice if you write in different languages like Spanish, French and German. Very few premium grammar checkers support languages outside of English. It also has a Libre Office extension alongside the usual array of web plugins and apps. The company is also based in Germany and claims GDPR compliance. Only a few grammar checkers in this review called out GDPR.
Read our LanguageTool vs Grammarly comparison
17. Chegg
Pricing: $4.95 per month

Chegg offers a grammar checker and plagiarism checker, the latter of which is comparable to TurnItIn. It can also fix formatting issues, sentence structure problems, and improve readability. It also supports finding missing citations for essays and academic works, which is somewhat different from Grammarly. At $9.95 per month, it’s cheaper than most premium grammar checkers, but no free version is available
Read our Grammarly vs Chegg comparison
18. Paper Rater
Pricing: $7.95 per month

Paper Rater is a type of proofreading software owned by Barnes and Noble Education. Using artificial intelligence, it helps students write better essays, papers, and articles. Basically, you can paste in or upload your essay. Our reviewer found that Grammarly identified more issues than Paper Rater. He also preferred the way Grammarly enables writers to fix spelling errors and grammar mistakes with a click.
Read our Paper Rater vs Grammarly comparison
19. Outwrite
Pricing: Free to $24.95 per month

Outwrite, previously named GradeProof, relies on algorithms and machine learning to recommend suggestions that improve the fluency and clarity of your work. It was founded by Nick Hough and Craig Sketchley in 2015.
Our reviewer liked how its style improvement reports, and ability to rewrite sentences. However, he found the plagiarism checker lacking. He also said the free plan is limited compared to other free options in this grammar checker round-up.
To find out more, read our Grammarly vs Outwrite comparison
Our Testing Criteria
I started by using the most popular grammar checker tools today. I ran a small experiment to test different tools in this best grammar checker review.
I wrote a 600-word non-fiction article on the go in MS Word. It contained many grammatical errors and spelling errors. The MS Word online grammar checker found most of my errors, but it missed a few grammar mistakes, including a missing word in a sentence.
I bought the premium versions of these tools, and I pasted the article into the relevant app for Mac or Chrome. Then, I compared how each grammar checking tool treated the text.
Later on, I experimented with the other tools referenced towards the end of this review e.g. Reverso, SpellCheckPlus, and so on. That said, you can always go back to the old-school way of proofreading or hiring a writing tutor at any time – for a change. I also commissioned two freelance writers to test newer tools to the market. I've added their reviews to this piece.
Paid Vs Free Grammar Checkers
Most of these tools have free versions. Although they’ll have limited features, they will correct the most common grammar mistakes.
However, I recommend you go for a premium tool to ensure that you detect advanced instances of passive voice, subject-verb agreement, and other tricky errors. A free version might skip these. And, they’re hard to spot manually.
How to Use A Grammar Corrector
A grammar corrector is a useful writing tool for writers, bloggers, essayists, business people and anyone who communicates with the written word.
They are also helpful if you spend time editing the work of other writers or need to check something in a hurry, for example, at work or before a deadline.
Unlike the standard grammar checker in MS Word or Google Docs, these tools perform a more in-depth grammar check. You can even create downloadable editing reports! Basically, a good English grammar corrector should help you fix:
- Common spelling errors
- Instances of the passive voice
- Clunky and hard to understand language
- Other common grammar errors like misplaced apostrophes, a misused word or incorrect punctuation
To use one:
- Write your social media post, email, blog post, article or book chapter as normal.
- Fix any spelling errors as you go.
- Copy the text and paste into one of the grammar correctors in this round-up.
- Change the language of your tool to US or British english. Now, the checker will highlight potential localization issues.
- Review the highlighted grammatical mistakes and associated suggestions.
- Check if your work is properly cited with links and original content. Some of the premium tools in this guide include tools for this.
- Alternatively, download the grammar suggestions and localized spelling suggestions as a report and send it to a writer or editor on your team to fix.
Remember, these tools aren't a complete replacement for a human proofreader, particularly for longer projects. Most grammar checking tools have features comparable to Grammarly. But, there are some crucial differences as well. Let’s see what they are.
How Grammar Checkers Support Proofreading
As you know, proofreading is a different skillset from writing. It’s difficult to spend hours working on a draft and then find and catch errors by yourself. Much like the hiker who spends hours inside a forest, you won’t be able to see the woods from the trees.
These days, I use grammar checkers like the ones in this review to find errors fast. I also work with an editor who checks my articles and book chapters for errors and incorrect word choices. You can also proofread your writing using an old journalist trick! Here’s how:
- Change the font to Courier or Courier New.
- Change the spacing to double.
- Print your writing out.
- Get a red pen and mark it up.
- Read aloud, listening for clunky language.
- Edit as needed.
Thanks to this mono-spaced font and the extra white space, your eagle-eye will spot issues like run-on sentences easier, and your ear will catch them. If it’s a shorter piece of writing, you can read aloud from the screen. Ideally, you should:
- Let your manuscript rest for a few hours or even days before you proofread it so you can approach it with fresh eyes.
- Proofread in a quiet place with minimal noise, away from your computer.
- Mark up your manuscript with a pen rather than fixing it as you read.
- Read your manuscript backwards (this pattern interrupt will help you find more errors).
- Read your manuscript several times, each time looking for a different type of error e.g. numeracy, clumsy sentences, etc.
- Ask a colleague to proofread more important documents.
- Accept when you make a mistake: nobody is perfect, even newspapers print retractions and corrections.
Learn more about how to write without grammatical errors
What About After the Deadline?
After The Deadline offered a popular WordPress plugin, which is now discontinued. This software was good for writers who want a free, basic alternative for spelling and grammar checks. It doesn’t have the advanced features and suggestions offered by choices here. As it's no longer supported, I don't recommend it.
Why You Can Trust Us
I’ve written dozens of articles for newspapers, magazines, and online publications including, Forbes and Lifehacker. I'm also a best-selling non-fiction author, a trained journalist, and a copywriter.
Grammar checker software forms a key part of my writing workflow for non-fiction. I try and test the latest software regularly. I depend on it to improve my work and also to check work by freelance writers who publish content on this site.
The Best Grammar Checkers You Can Buy
Please remember, always work with a human proofreader for longer works, like a book chapter or a lengthy article. Having worked on a translation project for a large company, I’d also caution against solely relying on software to translate your writing from your language of choice to English.
A virtual writing tutor, much like any book editing tool, is useful. But, I don’t consider it as a replacement for common sense or a set of human eyes. Instead, these products are just one of many that belong in your toolbox.
That said… All of these grammar checkers will help you get the job done and fix issues in your work. And, my top pick is Grammarly.
I use
Well, many new writers email me to say they can’t afford to pay for Grammarly Premium. It’s hard to fault useful proofreading software that costs less than $7 a month. Your next best choice is ProWritingAid.
In short, test the free versions of any of these tools and then decide which fits best with the way you work—or write.
Grammar Checker FAQs
Who needs a grammar checker?
Any writer who takes their craft seriously should use a grammar checker. They will help you find and fix errors faster. Remember to hire a proofreader for longer pieces of writing.
Is a grammar checker safe to use?
Unless you’re writing something legally or commercially sensitive, then yes. A good grammar checker won’t monitor your content. As an example, check out Grammarly’s Privacy Policy. If your document is legally sensitive, a grammar checker is unlikely to help you.
Is Grammarly a reliable grammar checker?
Grammarly is regularly updated and accurate. It contains useful features for most writers.
What is a good free grammar checker?
The free version of Grammarly is a good grammar checker that works everywhere.
Does Microsoft Word have a grammar checker?
Yes! Use the Editor Button on the Home Tab. This writing tutor does the job if you’re on a budget. That said, consider printing out or hiring a proofreader for books or longer pieces.