Grammarly is an incredible editing software. And though it's capable of changing some authors’ lives, it has its limitations and isn't for everyone. This Grammarly review will answer some of the most common questions people ask so you can find out if Grammarly is right for you.
Let me cut to the chase by saying that I am a big fan of Grammarly. It forces you to think about the way you write, which can only lead to improvement.
Speaking from personal experience, Grammarly has helped me:
- Identify weak adjectives and learn better alternatives
- Stop overusing certain words
- Shorten overly long sentences
- Avoid embarrassing typos in essential emails and blog posts
However, I'd be remiss if I didn't say that IMHO 95% of people should just use the free version of Grammarly. It's better than you think (and it's, you know, FREE).
And I say that as someone's who been in the author game for more than a decade. I’ve written multiple bestselling books, and for many of those books, I’ve used Grammarly along with its biggest competitor, ProWritingAid. And after using it for so long, I know that reviewing Grammarly isn't just about listing its features. It's about understanding the various nuances, strengths, and areas of improvement from a user's viewpoint. AKA, what works for me might not work for you.
Plus, I've conducted countless surveys to my community of authors, and interacted with some of the biggest heavy hitters in the industry. I've been blessed to interact with multiple of my heroes.
Bottom line?
Grammarly is #2 on our list of best proofreading software, but it might be the best for you (depending on your situation). However, if you’re like me and sometimes feel like Yoda with a grammar book, then I think you’re going to find a lot to love about this little tool.
So, read on to learn more about what makes Grammarly popular with so many writers.
What is Grammarly?
Developed in 2009, Grammarly is a spelling and grammar checker that detects grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice, and style mistakes as you write on websites, emails, Word documents, social media, and so much more.
Think of it as a little robotic grammar angel always looking over your shoulder.
The intuitive thing is you don’t have to upload your text into an online editor every time you need to check your grammar and spelling (although you can still do that). You just install Grammarly’s browser extension, and it works while you type in places like Gmail, Google Docs, social media, and more.
Grammarly also works outside the browser through Grammarly for Windows and Grammarly for Mac, which bring suggestions into a wide range of apps and websites, including tools like Microsoft Word and Apple Pages. Outlook support is still available on Windows, but Grammarly is moving away from the older Microsoft Office add-in.
Grammarly has a free version and a pro version. (We'll dissect the difference between the two later in this review.) Suffice it to say; the free version includes a lot of useful features.
Is Grammarly accurate?
Yes, Grammarly is accurate when it checks for grammar errors and spelling mistakes. It is more accurate than other comparable proofreading apps.
Although it is not a replacement for a human editor, Grammarly Pro also offers accurate recommendations for correcting writing style, passive voice, word choice, sentence structure, and comma placement.
Grammarly markets its high-quality accuracy towards people writing emails and social media posts over hardcore authors. However, if you’re an author who’s willing to overlook a few grammar checks that don’t apply to prose, then I’d recommend Grammarly for you as well.
Is Grammarly easy to use?
Yes, Grammarly is easy to use. Many critics and reviewers (read: me) will admit that Grammarly is the most user-friendly proofreading service on the market, even if Grammarly isn’t our ultimate favorite.
Grammarly’s creators know that ordinary people will be using Grammarly, so they made it easy to use for all sorts of people.
Who should use Grammarly?
Everyone should use Grammarly. It’s a proofreading app that will improve anyone’s writing — from non-native English speakers to best-selling novelists.
People who aren’t writers can get away with using the free version of Grammarly. Its spelling and grammar checker is far beyond what Word’s spell checker can offer. And it works on Outlook and Gmail, so your emails look as professional as possible.
You should use Grammarly if you:
- want to avoid embarrassing typos, misspellings, and grammar mistakes
- want to improve your writing to make it more clear, engaging, and concise
- want a tool that automatically checks your writing on virtually any website
- hire ghostwriters or want to check for plagiarism
- speak a native language that is not English, and you want to share content in English
Pricing Breakdown: How much does Grammarly cost?
The free version of Grammarly is entirely free — no hidden fees. I’ve found the free version is actually very robust and is all that most people need.
Grammarly Pro costs $30 per month if you go month-to-month. If you pay annually, Grammarly Pro is listed at $12 per month, billed annually.
Differences Between Grammarly Free & Pro (formerly Grammarly Premium)
The main difference between Grammarly Free and Grammarly Pro is that Pro gives you more advanced suggestions and rewriting tools, including full-sentence rewrites, tone adjustments, fluency help, plagiarism detection, AI detection, and more monthly AI prompts.
Is Grammarly Pro worth it? For a lot of writers, yes, especially if you use the annual plan. If you only need basic spelling and grammar checks, the free version may be enough. But if you want rewrites, tone adjustments, plagiarism detection, AI detection, and more AI prompts, Pro is much more useful.
Grammarly Pro is fantastic for writers, bloggers, marketers, students, academics, anyone in corporate America, etc. I use the pro version because I have many critical eyes on my website and books, and my blogging can go heavy on spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
Only the pro version of Grammarly offers you an invaluable Plagiarism Checker. The checker scours the Internet to ensure no plagiarism has occurred. This gives you peace of mind whenever you employ ghostwriters or are writing academically.
Grammarly Pro offers genre-specific suggestions concerning your writing style.
Grammarly Pro can also help with word choice, clarity, fluency, and sentence rewrites. Instead of only flagging mistakes, it suggests ways to make your writing clearer and more natural.
Did you notice there were some juicy words in that sentence? Thanks, Grammarly.
Check out the table below for the difference between Grammarly Free and Grammarly Pro:
Grammarly Free vs Grammarly Pro
| FREE | PRO | |
|---|---|---|
| Web Browser Extension |  | |
| Microsoft Outlook Plugin (Windows Only) | | |
| Microsoft Word Plugin | | |
| Personal Editor via Grammarly.com or Desktop App | | |
| See Definitions and Synonyms with Double Click | | |
| Get Performance Stats via Email | | |
| Monthly AI Prompts | 100 | 2,000 |
| Word choice, clarity, and fluency suggestions |  | |
| Advanced grammar, punctuation, and rewriting suggestions | | |
| Tone adjustments and full-sentence rewrites | | |
| Plagiarism detection and AI detection | | |
| Price | Free | $30/month, or $12/month when billed annually |
Differences Between Grammarly Desktop and Mobile
You can use Grammarly on both your computer and your mobile devices. It’s essential to know the differences between the two.
When you use Grammarly on your computer, it offers real-time suggestions by marking spelling or grammar errors with a colored underline. You can use Grammarly on your desktop, on grammarly.com, or with Microsoft Office.
To go into further detail, you can open the Grammarly sidebar, seen below:
On mobile, Grammarly works through its iPhone, iPad, and Android apps, including keyboard-based suggestions in supported workflows. It can offer spelling, grammar, and wording suggestions while you write on your phone or tablet.
It suggests corrections to spelling and grammar. When there is no grammatical error, it will offer you synonyms for whatever you’re typing.
11 Key Features of Grammarly
Let’s take a look at the 11 key Grammarly features and how each of them will improve your writing.
1. Spelling and Grammar Check
Of course, Grammarly checks your spelling and grammar. But it’s not just another proofreader. It works better than Word’s native spell checker. Its free version rivals any other free app out there.
Its spelling and grammar checker is highly accurate and helpful. It even helps with comma placement.
2. Suggestions
When Grammarly detects an error or issue with your writing, you can click on underlined words to see what the problem is. Grammarly’s suggestion will pop up with a concise but informative explanation.
3. Grammarly Cards
Besides just flagging where it detects issues, Grammarly also gives comprehensive explanations of grammar rules and tips for avoiding similar mistakes in the future.
4. Reporting
You can receive a report detailing your accuracy in grammar, spelling, plagiarism, and vocabulary. This is instrumental in helping you improve over time.
5. Language Preferences
Easily switch between English dialects by navigating to your profile and changing your language preference.
Which English dialects does Grammarly recognize?
- American English
- British English
- Canadian English
- Australian English
6. Grammarly Online Editor
Grammarly has an Online Editor that allows you to store all your documents and access them from any Internet-connected computer.
You can type within it or upload your documents to it.
Personally, I don’t use this much. The upload limit is 100,000 characters, including spaces, and the file size can’t exceed 4 MB. For shorter pieces, that’s fine, but for full books or long manuscripts, it’s not the most convenient option.
7. Browser Extension
Available for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, the Grammarly extension is intuitive, easy-to-use, and highly accurate.
The browser extension automatically checks your comments, blog posts, tweets, Facebook posts, and emails.
8. Grammarly for Microsoft Office
For those of you who write in Microsoft Word, Grammarly still has you covered, but the setup has changed.
Grammarly is retiring the older Grammarly for Microsoft Office add-in, and Grammarly for Microsoft Word on Mac has been discontinued. To use Grammarly in Word now, install Grammarly for Windows or Grammarly for Mac. Once it’s installed, Grammarly can show suggestions in supported apps and websites, including Microsoft Word.
Grammarly works in Microsoft Word through Grammarly for Windows or Grammarly for Mac. Outlook support is still available on Windows, but the older Microsoft Office add-in is being retired, and the Word-on-Mac add-in has been discontinued.
(To see why I never write my books in Microsoft Word, read this.)
9. Grammarly for Your Phone
If you want Grammarly to check all the writing you do on your phone, there's a keyboard for that!
Grammarly Keyboard for iOS or Android will check all your writing through your keyboard even when you're away from your computer.
Mobile keyboard behavior can vary by device and operating system, so check the current iOS or Android app details if swipe typing is important to you.
10. Grammarly for Your Desktop
If you’re lazy like me and have a lot of documents to check quickly, this is for you.
No more copying and pasting everything into a browser window if you don’t want to. Grammarly for Windows and Grammarly for Mac can bring suggestions into many apps and websites as you write. If you want to upload a full document, you can still use the Grammarly Editor.
11. Plagiarism Checker (Pro Only)
Grammarly Pro includes plagiarism detection, which can help you spot text that matches existing online sources. Grammarly also offers AI detection, but like all AI detectors, it should be treated as an estimate rather than proof that a passage was or wasn’t written by AI.
This is a super-powerful feature if you employ ghostwriters, are an academic writer, or you want to ensure your content isn't stolen.
This is what it looks like when Grammarly finds plagiarism:
This is what it looks like when you’re good to go:
How Grammarly Compares to Other Programs
Grammarly is an intuitive spelling and grammar checking machine, but there are other proofreading programs out there that do the same thing.
Let’s dive into the differences between Grammarly and other programs, like ProWritingAid or Word’s spell checker, and determine the best proofreading program for you.
Grammarly vs. ProWritingAid
When comparing free versions only, Grammarly is better than ProWritingAid. Grammarly is more user friendly and more accurate. Grammarly’s free version is easier to use and more generous for quick checks than ProWritingAid’s free option.
However, ProWritingAid’s paid plans offer more author-focused reports and integrations, including Scrivener support, which Grammarly still does not offer. And yet, it is more affordable than Grammarly Pro.
Check out my in-depth review of ProWritingAid to see how it stacks up compared to Grammarly. We also have an in-depth ProWritingAid vs. Grammarly guide that's packed with helpful insights, and video review of ProWritingAid (see below).
Grammarly vs. Word
Is my Word spell checker enough? No, MS Word’s spell checker is not enough to elevate your writing to that next level.
I did a little experiment to show you the difference between Word’s spell checker and Grammarly.
I took one of my articles on Kindlepreneur (over 2,000 words) and put it into Word, where it showed no grammar or spelling errors. I took the same article and put it through Grammarly Free and Grammarly Pro. Here are the results:
Grammarly vs. Ginger
While Grammarly excels in features, platform availability, and plagiarism checks, Ginger offers multi-language support and text-to-speech at a more affordable premium price, though Grammarly is the better choice for English-only users.
Grammarly vs. Whitesmoke
Grammarly is still the stronger choice for most everyday writers, especially if you want a modern interface, browser support, and a useful free plan. If you’re comparing it to older proofreading tools like Whitesmoke, check the current pricing and product availability before making a decision.
Grammarly vs. Turnitin
Grammarly is a better proofreader than Turnitin. But Turnitin is marketed to different people than Grammarly, so it’s hard to say which is better.
Grammarly is for writing emails, social media posts, blog posts, etc. while Turnitin is for teachers grading papers, checking for plagiarism, and providing feedback.
The main comparison is the plagiarism checker in Grammarly Pro and Turnitin. It’s hard to compare price tags since Turnitin is priced per student.
How To Use Grammarly (Web, Online, App, & More)
It’s really easy to use Grammarly, but there are several different ways to utilize the tool. So I broke it up into 5 sections:
- Browser extension
- Online editor
- Microsoft Office
- Desktop app
- Mobile app
Browser Extension
Download the Grammarly browser extension to use Grammarly for your online writing. They offer a Safari, Edge, Firefox, or Chrome extension.
When you’re writing an email, a LinkedIn post, or what have you, Grammarly will offer real-time spelling and grammar suggestions.
It’s intuitive, too. Grammarly will make stricter suggestions on sites like LinkedIn, where more professional language is expected over, say, Facebook.
Online Editor
Go to app.grammarly.com to use the online Grammarly Editor.
Upload a file, or drag and drop. Grammarly can only check 100,000 characters at once. That comes out to about 16,000 words or 60 pages.
Supported file formats for upload include:
- DOC
- DOCX
- ODT
- TXT
- RTF
Microsoft Office
Grammarly’s older Microsoft Office add-in is being retired, and Grammarly for Microsoft Word on Mac has been discontinued. To use Grammarly with Word now, install Grammarly for Windows or Grammarly for Mac.
On Windows, Grammarly can still work with Microsoft Word and Outlook. On Mac, Grammarly recommends using Grammarly for Mac to get writing suggestions in Microsoft Word and other supported apps.
After installing the desktop app, open Word and start typing. Grammarly should appear where supported and offer suggestions as you write.
Desktop App
Download Grammarly’s desktop app here (it will automatically recognize your operating system).
Once Grammarly for Windows or Grammarly for Mac is installed, it can check your writing across supported apps and websites. If you want to upload a document directly, use the Grammarly Editor.
Supported file formats include:
- DOC
- DOCX
- ODT
- TXT
- RTF
Mobile App
Download the Grammarly mobile app from the Apple Store or the Google Play store.
Open the app and go through the simple set up process. Here are resources based on your mobile OS.
Now, whenever Grammarly is active on your phone or tablet, it can help catch spelling, grammar, and clarity issues while you write.
Not only is what you type encrypted for your safety, but Grammarly also does not spell check what you write in fields marked sensitive, such as credit card information.
Can Grammarly replace human editing?
No, Grammarly cannot replace human editing and proofreading.
As you can see from this Grammarly review, it can do a lot. However, I often get questions from readers about whether or not Grammarly can replace hiring an editor or a proofreader for their books.
I'm sorry to break the news that, while Grammarly Pro and Free are valuable editing tools to have in your arsenal, Grammarly should not replace a human proofreader.
It will miss things that only a human editor can find, such as the way certain words or phrases are used in context. For authors writing dialogue-heavy scenes or using creative writing techniques, this proofreading application may highlight “errors” that are purposeful.
The feedback Grammarly gives is only so good. There are just certain things only a human can do, no matter how good the proofreading software is.
For someone like me who writes all the time in guest posts, blog articles, emails, comments, podcast notes, and social media, it can be an extra set of eyes. But don't think that it will help you to eliminate the editing costs for your books.
Before you publish your eBook to Amazon, hire a human editor. And don’t skimp. You get what you pay for.
Pros: What I Love About Grammarly
There’s a lot that I love about Grammarly, even the free version.
- Real-time spelling and grammar checker. Grammarly is a real-time checker. It’s just convenient to see a red underline and know you need to make a change.
- Easy to use. Grammarly works for everyday people. Even though it’s useful for authors and writers, it is designed to help ordinary people write social media posts, emails, etc.
- Simple explanations. Thank the makers that Grammarly gives you simple, easy-to-understand explanations behind their suggestions. You can choose between quick-view or “See More In Grammarly.”
- High accuracy rate. I don’t know how many times I have yelled at my Google Docs grammar checker because it doesn’t understand my perfectly reasonable sentence. Fortunately, Grammarly is highly accurate.
- Personal dictionary. Even the free version of Grammarly comes with your own personal dictionary, which you can customize while writing or on your account.
- Desktop and mobile capabilities. Conveniently, Grammarly offers desktop apps for Windows and Mac, along with mobile apps and keyboard-based suggestions for phones and tablets.
- Weekly report card. Grammarly tracks your overall weaknesses and points out areas you can work on over time. A weekly report card can let you know if you need to stop ending sentences in prepositions and stop using squinting modifiers. (Thanks to Grammarly, I now know what those are.)
Cons: What I Don’t Like About Grammarly
There are a few things I don’t like about Grammarly, so let me briefly discuss them here.
- No Scrivener integration. Grammarly works across many apps and websites through Grammarly for Windows, Grammarly for Mac, and its browser extensions. But it still does not offer the kind of direct Scrivener integration many authors want. Unlike ProWritingAid, Grammarly is not built around a Scrivener-heavy author workflow.
- Aggressive advertising. Grammarly really wants you to upgrade to the premium version — hey, I get it, they need to make money! And heck, I use Grammarly Pro, so this isn’t a problem for me. But I know other people who have gotten annoyed with the volume of emails they send you.
- Grammarly only supports English. Of course, you can switch between American English, UK English, Canadian English, or Australian English. But if you’re looking to proofread in another language, you need another proofreading tool.
These issues that make Grammarly problematic are not dealbreakers. Authors may get frustrated when Grammarly tells them their creative prose is incorrect. Non-native speakers may unfortunately listen to inaccurate comma suggestions. But ultimately, the pros of Grammarly are far more extensive than the cons.
Grammarly Review: Video Overview
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Verdict: Is Grammarly Right for You?
I think Grammarly is right for just about everyone who writes in English, even if you only write on Facebook.
Nobody’s perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, be they accidental or unknowing. Grammarly improves your writing, prevents embarrassing mistakes, and helps you learn tidbits of grammar you may not have known before.
I believe Grammarly Pro is more than worth it — when you save money by billing annually. However, the free version is leagues better than Word’s spell checker, so it’s still worth a free download if you don’t want to spend the money.
Is Grammarly worth it for college students? Yes, Grammarly can be useful for students who have writing assignments to turn in. The free version is stronger than a basic spell checker, and the pro version adds rewriting help, tone adjustments, plagiarism detection, and AI detection. Just remember that AI detection tools are estimates, not definitive proof.
Flashback: I used Grammarly to help correct my Master Thesis years ago!
Grammarly makes you a better writer. It’s as simple as that.
Here's a summary of what Grammarly can do for you:
- For most authors, writers, and bloggers, the free version of Grammarly is enough and should be a part of your proofreading arsenal.
- Grammarly should be your first line of defense, but not your sole proofreader. It should never replace a human editor for your book.
- Using Grammarly’s explanations, suggestions, and reports can strengthen your writing over time.
- Switching between American English, British English, Canadian English, and Australian English can save you a lot of hassle and time.
And be sure to check out our full comparison with the other best proofreading tools out there.
