Best Grammarly Alternatives in 2026

Grammarly is the most popular writing assistant, but its Premium pricing ($12-30/month) pushes many to seek alternatives. Here are the best Grammarly alternatives offering grammar checking, style analysis, and AI writing for less.

Related: Grammarly review, Grammarly vs ProWritingAid vs Hemingway, best AI grammar checkers.

Top Alternatives

Tool	Free Tier	Pro Price	Best For
ProWritingAid	500 words	$10/mo or $399 lifetime	Authors & long-form
LanguageTool	Unlimited	$4.99/mo	Multilingual writing
Hemingway	Full web editor	$10/mo	Readability & clarity
QuillBot	125 words paraphrase	$9.95/mo	Paraphrasing & rewrites
Wordtune	10 rewrites/day	$9.99/mo	Sentence rewrites
Ginger	Yes	$7.49/mo	ESL writers
ChatGPT / Claude	Yes	$20/mo	AI-powered editing
Vale	Free (OSS)	Free	Developers & docs

1. ProWritingAid

The deepest writing analysis tool with 20+ reports on style, structure, pacing, and readability. The lifetime license ($399) makes it the best long-term value.

• Best for: Novelists, bloggers, and content creators writing long-form content
• Standout: Scrivener integration, lifetime pricing, detailed style reports

2. LanguageTool

The best multilingual grammar checker supporting 30+ languages. Open-source foundation with a strong privacy policy — your text is not stored.

• Best for: Non-English writers, privacy-conscious users, multilingual teams
• Standout: 30+ languages, no word limits on free tier, privacy-focused

3. Hemingway Editor

Focuses purely on readability. Color-coded highlights show complex sentences, passive voice, and adverb overuse.

• Best for: Making writing clear and concise, complement to grammar checkers
• Standout: Free web editor, instant readability score, visual feedback

4. QuillBot

The paraphrasing specialist. QuillBot rewrites sentences in different modes (Formal, Casual, Creative) while maintaining meaning.

• Best for: Academic writing, avoiding plagiarism, ESL students
• Standout: Multiple rewrite modes, summarizer, citation generator

5-8: More Options

Wordtune — AI rewrites at the sentence level. Ginger — Good for ESL with translation and learning features. ChatGPT/Claude — Powerful editing via conversation but no real-time integration. Vale — Open-source linter for developers enforcing style guides in documentation.

Which Should You Choose?

Best overall alternative: ProWritingAid (depth + value)

Best free: LanguageTool (unlimited, multilingual)

Best for clarity: Hemingway (readability focus)

Best for rewriting: QuillBot (paraphrasing modes)

Best for developers: Vale (open-source, CI-friendly)

FAQ

What is the best free alternative?

LanguageTool — unlimited grammar checking in 30+ languages with no word limits.

Is ProWritingAid better than Grammarly?

For deep style analysis and long-form writing, yes. Grammarly has better UX and more integrations.

Can ChatGPT replace Grammarly?

Not fully. ChatGPT lacks real-time checking and browser integration that make Grammarly useful passively.

Final Verdict

ProWritingAid is the strongest all-around alternative. LanguageTool is the best free option. Use Hemingway alongside any grammar checker for readability. Most writers benefit from combining two tools.