Grammar errors are a common problem that anyone who writes or speaks will face at some point in their life. There's no way to avoid getting them completely, so it pays to be aware of your mistakes as soon as you make them.
But how do you know if what you've written makes sense? And does using an automatic tool really improve your spelling and grammar skills? We'll look at our top picks for the best free grammar checker available today and find out whether they're worth paying for.
If you want to learn more about improving your English-language skills, we have articles on why learning new words can help with your vocabulary, tips for reading faster, and ways to read more books without losing sleep. If you just need a quick fix for bad grammar, then this article might not be right for you!
This guide was last updated in March 2020. This list has been compiled from hundreds of reviews over several years by our team members. Our editors personally test each product before publishing every review. The order below reflects the ranking based on those tests.
Grammarly 2022 is a popular choice among users because it checks both your grammar and style. It also offers other features like plagiarism detection, sentence structure analysis, and document formatting. But is it accurate enough to use as a replacement for human editing?
The fact is, nobody knows if Grammarly 2022 is perfect -- that would require an infinite amount of time spent reviewing all possible sentences. Instead, we looked at its accuracy against existing software packages used by professionals. These included WordAI, which uses neural networks, and Ginger, which relies on artificial intelligence (AI). Both of these programs were chosen due to the large number of people already familiar with them.
Grammarly 2022 scored well overall, coming within 0.1 percent of the highest score achieved by either program. That said, Ginger did beat Grammarly when checking simple sentences, while WordAI performed better on longer ones.
So, although Grammarly 2022 isn't perfect, it still performs admirably compared to other services. However, if you're looking to get your work published professionally, you should consider spending money on another service instead. (We explain why in detail here.)
Not many. There aren't any other services that offer such comprehensive coverage for free, aside from Google Docs' built-in spellchecker. As far as third-party programs go, only Ginger provides similar functionality.
However, these two services don't always produce identical results. For example, Ginger sometimes marked certain phrases as grammatically incorrect even though they were fine according to Grammarly. Also, Ginger doesn't cover proper names very well, whereas Grammarly usually gets them right.
Overall, Grammarly was rated higher across almost all metrics, especially considering the vast quantity of content that exists online. So unless you're working on something particularly tricky, you probably won't notice any major differences between the two products.
Ginger Grammar Checker Free comes close to matching the performance of Grammarly Premium. It scores nearly identically on the same set of samples, and it's cheaper too ($10 per year vs $20) -- making it a much fairer comparison.
However, Ginger only covers basic problems like grammar and word usage. Its advanced functions focus solely on detecting plagiarism, like identifying copied passages and removing them automatically. You may prefer to pay extra for one of the premium options above to take advantage of additional features.
On the downside, Ginger can be slow to load, depending on your internet connection speed. In addition, it doesn't support Microsoft Office documents correctly, unlike Grammarly. Finally, Ginger lacks the customization options found in Grammarly, meaning you cannot add custom dictionaries or change the settings for certain languages.
Google Docs Spell & Punctuate Correctly is a decent alternative to Grammarly. Like the latter, it allows you to edit text directly inside Google Drive files, rather than having to copy/paste into a separate window first. It works offline too, and supports various languages, including Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Turkish, Polish, Czech, Romanian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Greek, Hebrew, Croatian, Serbian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Finnish, Icelandic, Slovene, Slovak, Vietnamese, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Persian, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya, Assamese, Bodo, Nepali, Sinhalese, Pashto, Burmese, Thai, Khmer, Mongolian, Lao, Cambodian, Tibetan, Uighur, Turkmen, Uzbek, Tajik, Albanian, Macedonian, SerboCroatian, Belarusian, Kyrgyzstani, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Georgian, Kazakh, Kirghiz, Tatar, Bashkortostan, Chechen, Ingush, Avaric, Mordovian, Balkarian, Romany, Volapuk, Old Church Slavonic, Esperanto, etc.
As for the actual function itself, it's pretty standard stuff. When you type "correct" into the search bar, you'll see suggestions appear underlined in red. Clicking on them opens up a menu where you can select the proper option. Alternatively, click Ctrl + E to open the contextual menu.
Like Grammarly, Google Docs Spell & Punctuate Correctly lets you define custom dictionaries, but it also includes a few extras. For instance, you can choose whether to ignore abbreviations, acronyms, slang terms, and foreign language words. You can also turn off suggested corrections for specific types of errors. Lastly, Google Docs Spell & Punctuate Correctly gives you access to a handy cheat sheet containing commonly misspelled words and their meanings.
QuillBot is a fairly new entry onto the scene, but it's quickly gaining traction thanks to its extensive knowledge base and ease-of-use. While it's definitely not quite as feature-rich as the others listed here, it's certainly one of the easiest to use.
When you enter a phrase, QuillBot displays a dropdown box containing relevant information. Just highlight the part you wish to replace, and click Replace Now or Copy to clipboard. Then paste the text back into the original location. Don't worry if the suggestion seems wrong -- QuillBot highlights everything incorrectly in green, so you can easily spot the error yourself.
You can adjust the level of confidence required for QuillBot to perform replacements. By default, it shows suggestions after checking them three times, but you can lower this threshold down to zero for quicker fixes. Plus, you can enable Quick Fixes which will pop up whenever you make an error.
Unlike the other apps mentioned here, QuillBot doesn't come with a trial version. To try it out, you'll need to purchase the full license for $19.95 per month.
Is QuillBot good for academic writing? I think so, since it focuses entirely on grammar and syntax issues, leaving out stylistic elements such as tone and voice. Unfortunately, the app is currently US-only, so international students shouldn't bother trying it out.
Is QuillBot better than Grammarly? Not exactly. Although QuillBot is less expensive than Grammarly, it costs more than Ginger. On the plus side, it's easier to navigate and works smoothly on mobile devices.
Lastly, QuillBot takes care of all kinds of different sources, from textbooks to Wikipedia entries. However, if you mainly write blog posts and emails, you'd be better served by Ginger.
In my opinion, none of the options offered here are truly superior to the competition. If you simply want a reliable grammar checker, you could opt for Google Docs Spell & Punctuate Correctly instead. Otherwise, you're probably going to end up picking one of these paid alternatives anyway.
But if you're willing to spend a little bit of cash, I recommend purchasing a subscription to Grammarly Premium. Aside from its excellent price tag, it has plenty of useful features beyond the basics covered by the free versions above.
For example, you can create multiple profiles for different purposes, customize your own dictionary, and tweak settings for individual rulesets. You can also download your data to keep track of changes made to your manuscript. Most importantly, it works perfectly offline, allowing you to check your work without needing an active internet connection.
Grammar mistakes are probably one of the biggest turn-offs when it comes to reading a piece of text. It can make you feel like your message isn't getting across properly or that you're talking down to people with poor English skills. In fact, according to a recent study by Google Trends, incorrect grammar has become more popular in the last decade.
If you want to avoid making these mistakes yourself, there's no shame in using an app to fix them up before sending off your work. But which tool should you use? Here we'll compare some of the top grammar checking apps available today so you know what works best.
ProWritingAid (formerly called Ginger) was launched back in 2008 as an alternative to Microsoft Word’s built-in spellchecker and grammar software. The idea behind this program is simple – it offers advanced features such as "Correcting Spelling Automatically" and "Suggested Corrections", but also includes other useful functions, like "Auto Correcting Errors".
In addition to its unique approach to correcting spelling errors, ProWritingAid also boasts impressive performance metrics. For example, it checks over 1 million words per second on average, while maintaining 99% accuracy. This makes it one of the fastest grammar checkers out there, and certainly the quickest I've tested.
The downside to ProwritingAid is that it doesn't come cheap at $49/year (£34 / €44). That said, if you do pay for the service, you get a lot of value for money. As well as all the standard functionality mentioned above, you also receive access to a private forum where users share tips and tricks about how they use the app.
There's nothing quite like having expert advice from other power editors who have been through the same process as you. And although there are plenty of paid alternatives to ProWritingAid, their prices tend to be much higher. If you would prefer not to spend any money at all, then there's always Free Online Proofreaders - our list of 100 sites offering free grammar help will prove very handy here.
As previously mentioned, there are many different types of grammar checkers available. These include both desktop applications and web-based services, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. To give you a clearer picture of what exactly differentiates between the two, we've put together a quick comparison below:
Desktop vs Web-Based Apps
Both desktop and web-based grammatical checkers offer similar functionality, though the latter tends to provide slightly more control options. There's usually only one way to go about fixing a mistake, whereas desktop programs often allow multiple solutions.
Web-based apps tend to be faster too. They don't require installation and run instantly without requiring you to download anything first. Desktop apps rely heavily on plugins and add-ons, meaning they may take longer to load. You might even find that some of these extensions slow your computer down.
Free & Paid Options
When looking into either desktop or web-based apps, you'll notice that there are generally three price tiers:
Basic ($0-$9), Premium ($10-$19), and Advanced ($20+)
It's important to remember that premium plans aren't necessarily worth paying extra for every time. Some premium services charge extra just for new accounts, others limit certain features depending on whether you're already signed up to another plan.
Regardless, it's wise to look closely at the terms of service before committing to any subscription. If possible, try downloading a trial version beforehand to see if the product suits your needs.
With so many choices available, it can be difficult to decide which one to choose. However, there are several factors to consider. Are you after something lightweight or robust? Do you need support for specific languages, formats, or filetypes? Is speed a priority?
Here are four great free grammar checkers based on those criteria:
1) Gengo (iOS | Android): Designed specifically for students, Gengo provides a range of smart tools that focus mainly on academic documents rather than general texts. What sets it apart is the ability to highlight problematic sentences within the document itself, instead of simply displaying a red line underneath.
2) Grammarly (web): One of the most recognized names in the field of grammar correction, Grammarly is available in 15 languages. Its main feature set consists of basic corrections, sentence analysis, plagiarism detection, and error tracking.
3) Ginger (Android): Another student focused option, Ginger combines a host of powerful features under one roof. Not only does it automatically analyze your content for common grammar issues, but it also allows you to mark up your paper directly from the editor.
4) Grammarly Lite (mobile): Available for iOS and Android devices, Grammarly Lite focuses primarily on the basics. However, thanks to its cloud integration, you can still access all of the core features found elsewhere on the site.
Since the launch of Grammarly in 2009, the company has gone on to secure a strong reputation among writers around the world. With millions of active users worldwide, Grammarly remains one of the most widely used language editing apps.
However, despite being a leading name in the industry, Grammarly hasn't always received the highest ratings from reviewers. Many argue that the company uses aggressive tactics to promote its products, and that its pricing model encourages people to sign up for subscriptions unnecessarily.
Even so, Grammarly continues to maintain a solid presence on our lists of the best grammar checkers for academic writing. So long as you stick to reputable websites and steer clear of questionable practices, there shouldn't be any major problems with using the platform.
One thing to note is that, since Grammarly now operates exclusively via a browser extension, it won't perform as well as a native application. However, the difference isn't huge, especially considering that you can install the Chrome extension alongside your existing browser.
Finally, don't forget that Grammarly is designed to improve your overall writing experience. As such, it can also serve as a valuable resource for proofreading and copyediting purposes.
Grammarly
When I first heard about this app, I thought it was just another tool for checking spelling. As soon as I started using it though, I realized how much better it actually is.
It's not just a spellchecker either – it checks all aspects of writing from punctuation (exclamation marks, commas) through to sentence structure and word choice. If there's something wrong, it will give you suggestions on what to change so you don't do anything too drastic. But if you want to know exactly why it says what it does, you'll need to pay for an account.
The app itself looks good enough but it would be even nicer if it had some sort of user interface which allowed you to quickly jump between different types of errors rather than having to scroll around the screen. There's also no way to save specific changes you've made without creating a new document.
There are two versions available depending on whether you want to use their Premium service ($99/year), which gives you access to additional features such as plagiarism detection, advanced correction options and automatic language translation, or simply the basic version ($49/month). To me, the latter seems far more useful since it allows you to focus solely on improving your written communication without being distracted by other things.
Are there any errors in this article that need to be fixed before it goes live? If so, I will fix them right away! This post contains some typos which were not caught by my editor. My apologies if they are still present. Please let me know where you found the error(s) in the comments below.
Grammarly is one of those websites or apps you probably visit every day without even knowing about it. It's been around since 2011 but has become more popular than ever over the years as people have started using it for their written work. It's an easy-to-use tool that checks your spelling mistakes (which we've covered here), sentence structure, and overall grammar. But what does "accurate" mean when checking grammar? Is it possible for a website like Grammarly to be completely incorrect? How can you tell whether Grammarly really knows its stuff?
In this guide, I'll cover everything from how to use Grammarly to why you should trust it with your own writing. We're also going to take a look at other ways to improve your grammar besides just relying on Google Chrome's built-in spellchecker. And don't forget to read our list of the best grammar checkers available—the ones that do more than just mark up your text.
Not exactly. As mentioned above, Grammarly isn't perfect because no program/website/app could possibly catch all potential grammatical errors. However, it comes pretty close. Here's what I think makes Grammarly better than others:
The number of languages supported. While the majority of users prefer English, you can choose between 20 different languages for your account. That means you won't miss out on important phrases and expressions specific to your native language.
An extensive library of rules. You can set up custom rules for certain types of sentences, words, or topics. For example, you might want to add a rule that says anything related to technology shouldn't appear within 10 words of each other. Or maybe you'd like to make sure that only nouns are used instead of verbs.
A variety of themes. There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing a theme depending on your personal preferences. Themes include Business & Finance, Academic Writing, Creative Writing, Elegant Language, Fitness & Nutrition, Health & Medical, Home & Garden, Lifestyle, Literature & Arts, Memorable Quotes, Productivity, Science & Technology, Style Guides, Teensy Words, Travel & Culture, Wellness, etc.
You can also create your own themes based on common interests such as science, history, sports, politics, religion, entertainment, etc.
If you're looking for something else entirely, you may find it under Settings. In addition to changing the font size and color, you can change the background image, switch off the vibration, turn off the pop-up notifications, show suggestions while typing, enable auto correction, disable automatic corrections during editing, and much more.
The ability to customize settings. When you first sign into your Grammarly account, you'll see the option to Personalize Your Experience. From there, you can adjust the default settings according to your needs. You can access the same settings page whenever you log back in after closing the browser window.
Here's a screenshot of my customized Grammarly experience:
I would highly recommend giving Grammarly a try if you haven't already done so. Whether you're someone who writes fiction novels, nonfiction books, blog posts, articles, emails, social media content, resumes, job applications, business proposals, financial reports, legal documents, research papers, technical manuals, scientific studies, grant proposals, etc., Grammarly is guaranteed to save you time and frustration.
And if you decide that Grammarly doesn't meet your requirements, feel free to check out these alternatives. Just keep in mind that none of them come close to Grammarly's accuracy.
Yes! One thing you must realize about Grammarly is that it's not trying to replace your word processor. Instead, it serves as a supplement to help clean up your written communication. So, if you write a lot of email messages, Grammarly will definitely help you avoid embarrassing mistakes and provide quick feedback to ensure your message sounds polished.
For instance, if you accidentally type "weirdo" instead of "wonderful," Grammarly will give you a red flag and suggest replacing "wonderful." Similarly, if you mistakenly wrote "therefore" instead of "because," Grammarly will notify you accordingly.
As far as correcting actual mistakes go, Grammarly works well. It's especially useful if you tend to make repetitive mistakes due to stress or fatigue. For example, if you repeatedly end paragraphs with the preposition "of," Grammarly will alert you once you start typing again.
There's another cool feature called Smart Preview that allows you to preview the results of your changes without having to click through the whole dialog box. Once you select the desired result, you'll receive a notification informing you of the exact phrase that was changed along with the corresponding explanation provided by Grammarly.
If you have several tabs open, you can quickly jump between one tab and another via Alt + Tab shortcut key combination.
Another handy tip is that you can easily copy the snippet of text highlighted in yellow and paste it anywhere you wish. That way, you can easily refer to the corrected version anytime you need to update your document.
How many times have you searched for a typo or mistake only to find nothing? Nowadays, everyone uses spellcheckers and grammar checkers regularly. Sometimes, however, you might run across a piece of text that looks fine but fails to pass both tests. What happens then? Are you supposed to ignore it altogether assuming it's okay to leave it intact? Not necessarily. Some things aren't worth fixing simply because nobody notices them anymore. Others, however, deserve a second glance.
Of course, grammar checkers cannot guarantee perfection. Nevertheless, they can serve as helpful reminders when you least expect it. If you notice yourself making careless mistakes, Grammarly can help you figure out what went wrong and point you toward solutions.
When it comes to the occasional misstep, I believe Grammarly provides enough context clues to clue you in. For example, if you say "they didn't care" instead of "their," Grammarly will highlight the error and explain what happened. Likewise, if you inadvertently added an extra space somewhere, Grammarly will indicate the missing space and provide further explanations.
Sometimes, though, you might encounter cases where Grammarly misses the mark. Fortunately, there are two ways to address these issues. First, you can manually edit the problematic area directly in the app itself. Second, you can always ask for assistance from Grammarly support team. They will analyze the issue and provide you with a solution tailored specifically to your case.
No matter what level of writer you aspire to be, there's no denying that proper grammar and punctuation skills come naturally to few people. Even the most advanced writers struggle with basic syntax and vocabulary sometimes. Thankfully, there are now numerous resources and software programs designed to assist you with improving your written communications.
While Grammarly seems to perform quite well, it's certainly not perfect. With that said, I'm confident that anyone willing to put forth effort and practice will eventually master the basics. After all, learning new skills takes time. But hey, it's never too late to begin.
Just follow our battle-tested guidelines and rake in the profits.