These days, written communication is a critical part of any knowledge worker’s job. That includes entrepreneurs, consultants, and almost every other professional you can think of.
Oftentimes, they’re required to write documents that go above and beyond basic forms. They need to draft memos, write copy for websites, create social media posts, etc. Grammar is a big part of that and a grammar checker can save a lot of time (and embarrassment).
If you release a Twitter or Facebook post that’s full of grammar mistakes, it reflects poorly on the brand. There are many people that will judge based on how the brand is presented and never work with your company.
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In this guide, you’ll discover the best grammar checkers to help you avoid poorly crafted prose while putting your best foot forward.
The best grammar checkers
1. ProWriting Aid
ProWritingAid is a grammar checker but it combines many other features to give you a complete tool. It’s designed for serious writers to enhance their writing through clarity, better word choice, and a robust spell checker.
The platform provides multiple reports so you can get a clear understanding of your overall writing and areas where you can improve. These include the Writing Style Report, the Grammar Report, the Overused Words Report, and many more.
Within the application, there are multiple videos, explanations, and even quizzes designed to help you improve your writing. ProWritingAid also has integrations with the most common writing tools like Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Gmail.
Key features
- Ability to customize to your needs
- Multiple integrations
- Large library of grammar and spelling checks
- More than a dozen writing reports
- Multiple video tutorials and explanations about suggested changes
- Built-in thesaurus
- Data visualizations to better understand your writing
- Strong security and encryption tools
- Desktop application
- Free plan available
Cons
- The free plan only allows you to check 500 words at a time
- Lags with large documents
Pricing
ProWritingAid has a free plan with limited features and usage. The paid plans cost $79 and $89 a year. The $89/year plan comes with a plagiarism checker.
2. Grammarly
Grammarly is one of the most popular grammar checkers in the world. I use it personally to edit most of my documents. It will help you find out if you’re using the right words, sentence structure, and if there are issues with clarity. Of course, the tool comes with a spell checker as well.
You’re able to use a Grammarly extension for platforms like Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Google Chrome, etc. This enables you to work from almost anywhere while taking advantage of its features.
Grammarly has a sentiment analysis feature that’ll tell you if your writing is authoritative, neutral, hopeful, etc. which will allow you to better match it to the expectations of your readers.
Key features
- Conciseness checker for more writing clarity
- Spelling and grammar checker
- Rewriting prompt to adjust sentences for clarity
- Plagiarism detector
- Formality checker
- Fluency adjuster
- Integrations with major word processors
- Formatting suggestions
Cons
- The monthly plan is intentionally expensive to encourage yearly purchases
- Cannot change between different types of English (like US and UK spelling)
Pricing
Grammarly has two pricing plans – Premium and Business. The Premium plan is $24.99/m but only $11.66/m if you pay yearly. The Business plan is $25/m/user and requires at least three users. If you’re a student, Grammarly comes discounted for you.
3. Writer
Writer is billed as an AI-driven tool designed specifically for teams. That means people who are creating content for business purposes as opposed to book authors or some other type of writing pursuit.
Because of this focus, it allows you to set up a writing style guide that helps ensure writing is consistent across the entire company. For example, if you have a brand name with stylized spelling like GrowthBoost, Writer will correct anyone who uses Growthboost.
It’s possible to control which websites the Writer extension will provide corrections on and you can pause real-time notifications or set rules for when corrections will show up. All the features are tied together and powered by an AI writing assistant that learns as it works with more people.
Key features
- Create a writing style guide that everyone must adhere to
- Grammar and punctuation checker
- Serious focus on user security
- Chrome and MS Word extension
- Control websites it can be used with
- AI writing assistant
- Plagiarism checker
Cons
- Extensions are only available to enterprise users
- Only supports a single style guide on its regular pricing
Pricing
Writer has two pricing plans. One is called Starter and costs $11/m or $99/year. The second plan is Enterprise and its custom, based on your needs.
4. Ginger
Ginger is another AI writing checker that works to ensure you put your best foot forward. It takes the entire sentence or paragraph into consideration when it suggests changes. That way, the writing is more fluent and forms a cohesive whole.
In addition to the software, it has multiple resources to assist you in becoming a better writer. If for some reason, you don’t have access to Ginger, you’ll still be confident in your ability to deliver error-free work. Of course, there are multiple extensions and integrations that make it easy to use Ginger on almost any website.
Key features
- AI writing assistant
- Full sentence and paragraph adjustments
- Grammar and spelling checker
- Synonym generator
- Text translation
- Integrations with multiple word processors and browsers
- Desktop application
Cons
- It has a limited but focused feature set
- Cannot access Google Docs directly
Pricing
Ginger is free to use through the Chrome extension. It also has premium pricing that costs $13.99/m but reduces to $7.49/m when paid annually.
5. Hemingway App
Hemingway is a powerful tool with a simple premise. It wants you to write more action-oriented and shorter sentences just like the master himself – Ernest Hemingway. This isn’t the application for you if you need help with spelling and suggestions to enhance your writing.
Instead, Hemingway points out where there are mistakes and it’s up to you to fix them. It also shows the word count and the readability of the text based on the grade level. To use the application, just paste in the content you’ve written and it’ll be highlighted based on where it falls short. From there, adjust your work until your writing is concise and clear.
Key features
- Highlights long sentences and passive sentences
- Desktop application
- Shows word count
- Has a word processor
- Shows you the reading level of the text
Cons
- No integrations with other apps
- Has a limited feature set
Pricing
Hemingway is free to use.
6. WhiteSmoke
WhiteSmoke is a straightforward proofreading tool that lets you get in and out quickly. Even though the website looks like it was made at the turn of the century, don’t let that discourage you.
It has the tools you’d expect like a spell checker, grammar checker, punctuation alerts, and even a style checker. It’s geared towards the education market but it can, of course, be used for others.
For example, the style checker is great if you’re learning English because it helps you break up your sentences so they’re easier to read. This is something that anyone could use – whether English is your first language or not.
Key features
- Style checker
- Grammar checker
- Punctuation notices
- Translator
- Spelling checker
Cons
- The lowest pricing tier is only available through the online interface
- Extra charge for the mobile app
Pricing
WhiteSmoke offers three pricing plans and they’re all yearly. Web, Premium, and Business which cost $5/m, $6.66/m, and $11.50/m respectively.
7. Spell Check Plus
Spell Check Plus is a dead-simple application to help you become a better writer. It lives in the browser and is free for limited usage (about 250 words).
All you need to do is copy and paste your text in the area provided and it’ll highlight the places that have mistakes. If something is highlighted, hover over it and the error will be shown using a tooltip-like box. Unfortunately, you can’t click to implement the changes but it’ll show you what needs to be done.
It’s basic and may be missing the bells and whistles some of the other tools have but it gets the job done – especially if you don’t need the extra help.
Key features
- Grammar checker
- Spell checker
- Reading level display
- Desktop application
- Punctuation checker
Cons
- Free plan limited to 250 words of text
- Gives false positives
Pricing
Spell Check Plus is only $14.99/year.
Conclusion
There are many grammar checkers that will be more than enough to help you create error-free writing. The one you choose will depend on your goals.
Do you want a tool that works everywhere and gives detailed reports? Use ProWritingAid.
Are you concerned with the clarity of your writing and matching it to your audience? Use Grammarly.
Do you want to make sure you have a consistent brand voice? Use Writer for that.
Use this guide as a tool to shortlist the best options then do your own research to finally choose the best one.