8 Best Grammarly Alternatives — Free Options That Work (2026)

Are you tired of paying a premium for Grammarly? You're not alone. Thousands of writers, students, bloggers, and professionals are searching for Grammarly alternatives that are free or far more affordable — without sacrificing quality.

Whether you're writing blog posts, academic papers, business emails, or social media content, having a solid grammar checker is no longer optional. But Grammarly's premium plan can cost up to $30/month, which adds up fast.

The good news? There are several powerful, free Grammarly alternatives available in 2026 that can handle grammar correction, plagiarism detection, style improvements, and even AI-powered rewriting — for little to no cost.

In this guide, we'll break down the 8 best Grammarly alternatives, compare their features, and help you find the best fit for your writing workflow. We'll cover both free and budget-friendly paid options, along with tips to improve your overall SEO content strategy.

Why Look for Grammarly Alternatives?

Before diving in, let's be clear about why people leave Grammarly:

• Cost: Grammarly Premium costs $12–$30/month depending on the billing cycle
• Feature limitations on free plan: The free version blocks plagiarism checking, tone detection, and advanced suggestions
• Privacy concerns: Some users are uncomfortable with Grammarly reading all their typed content
• Better tools for specific niches: Some alternatives are purpose-built for academic writing, coding docs, or SEO content
• Bloatware: The desktop app can slow down older systems

Understanding these pain points helps us evaluate alternatives more objectively. Let's explore your best options.

1. LanguageTool — Best Free Grammarly Alternative Overall

Website: languagetool.org

LanguageTool is arguably the most powerful free grammar checker available today. It supports over 30 languages, which immediately puts it miles ahead of Grammarly's English-first approach.

Key Features

• Checks grammar, punctuation, and style errors
• Available as a browser extension, desktop app, and API
• Works with Google Docs, Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, and more
• Supports 30+ languages including Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and Arabic
• Personal dictionary to add custom words
• Open-source core (great for developers)

Free vs. Premium

The free version is genuinely generous. You get unlimited grammar and spelling checks, style suggestions for common errors, and multilingual support. The premium version ($4.99–$19/month) adds picky mode, advanced style improvements, and team features.

Who Should Use It?

LanguageTool is ideal for multilingual writers, academics, students, and developers who need a reliable, open-source-friendly grammar checker without breaking the bank. It integrates well with your existing workflow whether you write in Google Docs or any major word processor.

Verdict: 🏆 Best overall free alternative to Grammarly

2. ProWritingAid — Best for Long-Form Writers and Authors

Website: prowritingaid.com

ProWritingAid is a comprehensive writing improvement tool that goes far beyond basic grammar checking. It's built specifically for authors, novelists, bloggers, and content marketers who need deep-level feedback on their writing style.

Key Features

• Over 20 in-depth writing reports (readability, style, pacing, repetitiveness)
• Grammar and spelling checker
• Integrations with Scrivener, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Final Draft
• Contextual thesaurus and word explorer
• Plagiarism checker (premium)
• Works offline with the desktop app

Free vs. Premium

The free version is web-based and limited to 500 words per check, which is a significant restriction for long-form content writers. The premium plan (starting at $20/month or $79/year) removes all word limits and unlocks all reports.

Why ProWritingAid Beats Grammarly for Writers

Unlike Grammarly, ProWritingAid doesn't just flag errors — it helps you understand your writing patterns. For instance, the sticky sentences report flags sentences that are hard to read, while the diction report catches weak word choices. These insights are invaluable if you're focused on content optimization.

Verdict: ✍️ Best for serious writers, authors, and long-form bloggers

3. Hemingway Editor — Best for Readability and Clarity

Website: hemingwayapp.com

Named after the famously concise writing style of Ernest Hemingway, this tool is all about making your writing bold, clear, and direct. If you've ever been told your writing is too dense or complex, Hemingway Editor is your solution.

Key Features

• Color-coded readability highlights (yellow = complex sentence, red = very complex, blue = adverbs, green = passive voice)
• Readability grade level scoring
• Word and sentence count
• Web-based and desktop app versions
• Export to WordPress, Markdown, and Word

Free vs. Paid

The web version is completely free with no account required. The desktop app ($19.99 one-time) works offline and adds publishing integrations.

When to Use Hemingway Editor

Hemingway Editor is perfect when you're writing landing pages, SEO-friendly blog posts, or any content where user engagement and readability are critical ranking factors. Google's algorithm increasingly rewards content that's easy to read, and Hemingway Editor helps you hit that sweet spot.

It's worth noting that this tool doesn't provide grammar checking — it focuses purely on style, readability, and sentence structure. Use it alongside another tool on this list for best results.

Verdict: 🎯 Best for improving content clarity and achieving lower Flesch-Kincaid reading levels

4. Ginger Software — Best AI-Powered Free Grammar Checker

Website: gingersoftware.com

Ginger Software is a veteran in the grammar-checking space, offering AI-powered writing assistance with a solid free tier. It's one of the best alternatives for users who want Grammarly-like features without the Grammarly price tag.

Key Features

• Real-time grammar and spell checking
• Sentence rephrasing suggestions
• Text reader (reads text aloud for proofreading)
• Personal trainer for learning from mistakes
• Browser extension for Chrome and Firefox
• Supports Windows and Mac

Free vs. Premium

The free version includes grammar and spell-checking, sentence rephrasing (limited), and the browser extension. The premium plan ($13.99/month or $89.88/year) unlocks unlimited rephrases, translation in 60+ languages, and the personal trainer feature.

Ginger vs. Grammarly

Where Ginger stands out is its text-to-speech feature, which helps writers catch awkward phrasings by listening to their work read back. This is particularly useful for non-native English speakers or those who write a lot of dialogue.

Verdict: 🔊 Best for non-native English speakers and audio-based proofreading

5. Slick Write — Best Minimalist Free Grammar Checker

Website: slickwrite.com

Slick Write is a completely free, no-account-required writing tool that offers surprising depth for a web-based app. It's fast, clean, and packed with useful writing statistics.

Key Features

• Grammar and style checking
• Detailed writing statistics (sentence length variance, word frequency, readability scores)
• Passive voice and adverb detection
• Customizable feedback settings
• API available for developers
• 100% free with no premium upsell

Who Is Slick Write For?

Slick Write is perfect for minimalists, students, and casual bloggers who need quick grammar feedback without signing up for anything. It's also a great secondary tool to run alongside your main writing platform.

If you're working on keyword-rich content and need a fast way to check readability and sentence variety, Slick Write delivers excellent results at zero cost.

Verdict: 💡 Best truly free option with no account required

6. QuillBot — Best AI Paraphrasing and Grammar Tool

Website: quillbot.com

QuillBot has exploded in popularity and for good reason — it's one of the most powerful AI writing assistants available today. While it's primarily known as a paraphrasing tool, its grammar checker, summarizer, and citation generator make it a complete writing suite.

For a deep dive into QuillBot's features, check out this comprehensive QuillBot Review & Complete Guide on BrightSEOTools.

Key Features

• AI-powered paraphrasing (7 modes: Standard, Fluency, Formal, Simple, Creative, Expand, Shorten)
• Grammar checker
• Plagiarism checker (premium)
• Summarizer tool
• Citation generator
• Chrome extension and Google Docs add-on
• Integrations with Microsoft Word

Free vs. Premium

QuillBot's free plan is genuinely impressive:

• Paraphrase up to 125 words at a time
• 3 paraphrasing modes
• Grammar checker (unlimited)
• Summarizer (1,200 words)

Premium ($9.95–$19.95/month) unlocks unlimited paraphrasing, all 7 modes, faster processing, and the plagiarism checker.

Why QuillBot is a Top Grammarly Alternative

QuillBot approaches writing assistance differently — instead of just flagging what's wrong, it rewrites your content to be better. This makes it incredibly useful for content marketers, students working on essays, and SEO writers looking to create original content that ranks.

Verdict: 🤖 Best for AI-powered paraphrasing and content rewriting

7. Writer.com — Best for Business Teams and Brand Voice

Website: writer.com

Writer.com is a team-focused writing assistant that goes beyond grammar to enforce brand consistency, style guides, and terminology across an entire organization. It's a serious Grammarly Business competitor — and it has a robust free tier.

Key Features

• AI-powered grammar and style checking
• Custom style guide creation
• Brand terminology enforcement
• Readability and inclusive language suggestions
• Integrations with Google Docs, Figma, Contentful, and more
• Team collaboration features
• Chrome extension

Free vs. Team Plans

Writer's free tier (for individuals) includes grammar checking, style suggestions, and the Chrome extension. Team plans start at $18/user/month and include style guides, terminology management, and admin controls.

Writer.com vs. Grammarly Business

If you run a content team, agency, or SaaS business and need consistent brand voice across all your communications, Writer.com is arguably superior to Grammarly Business. It lets you define your own rules rather than relying solely on generic grammar conventions.

This is especially powerful when combined with a solid content marketing strategy and on-page SEO techniques.

Verdict: 🏢 Best for content teams, agencies, and brand consistency

8. WhiteSmoke — Best for Business Writing and Translation

Website: whitesmoke.com

WhiteSmoke is one of the oldest grammar checking software solutions still actively developed. It focuses specifically on business and professional writing, offering grammar, style, punctuation, and spelling corrections alongside a built-in translation feature supporting 55 languages.

Key Features

• Advanced grammar and style checking
• Plagiarism detection (premium)
• Built-in translator (55 languages)
• Works with web browsers, email, and documents
• Suitable for ESL learners and business professionals

Free vs. Premium

WhiteSmoke offers a limited free trial. The paid plans start at $5/month (Web plan) and go up to $11.50/month (Premium), which is significantly more affordable than Grammarly Premium.

Who Should Use WhiteSmoke?

WhiteSmoke is ideal for ESL learners, international business writers, and anyone who frequently needs to translate content between languages. Its multilingual grammar support paired with translation features makes it unique among grammar tools.

If you manage multilingual SEO content or work with international SEO strategies, WhiteSmoke's translation and multilingual grammar support can be a real asset.

Verdict: 🌍 Best for multilingual content and ESL writers

Comparison Table: Grammarly vs. 8 Best Alternatives

How to Choose the Right Grammarly Alternative

With so many options, picking the right tool comes down to your specific needs:

Choose LanguageTool if: You write in multiple languages or need a powerful free tool with no word limits.

Choose ProWritingAid if: You write long-form content like novels, blog posts, or reports and need deep stylistic feedback.

Choose Hemingway Editor if: Your primary goal is improving readability and sentence clarity for SEO content.

Choose Ginger Software if: You're a non-native English speaker or want text-to-speech proofreading.

Choose Slick Write if: You want a completely free, no-sign-up grammar and style checker.

Choose QuillBot if: You frequently need to paraphrase, rewrite, or summarize content.

Choose Writer.com if: You manage a content team and need brand voice consistency.

Choose WhiteSmoke if: You write in multiple languages and need translation capabilities built in.

Tips for Getting the Most From Free Grammar Tools

Even the best free grammar checker has limitations. Here's how to maximize your results:

1. Combine Multiple Tools

No single tool catches everything. Use Hemingway Editor for readability, LanguageTool for grammar, and QuillBot for rewriting in a complementary workflow.

2. Write First, Edit Later

Don't let grammar checkers interrupt your writing flow. Write a complete draft, then run it through your tool of choice. This prevents the "editing while writing" trap that kills productivity.

3. Don't Accept Every Suggestion Blindly

Grammar checkers — even Grammarly — get things wrong. Always use your own judgment before accepting a suggestion, especially for stylistic choices or technical terminology.

4. Optimize for SEO Simultaneously

Good grammar and SEO go hand-in-hand. While your grammar checker improves quality, use tools like the BrightSEOTools keyword research tool to ensure your content is also optimized for search engines.

5. Check Your Website's Overall SEO Health

Grammar and readability are just part of the equation. Use a website SEO score checker to audit your site's overall performance — including technical factors that impact rankings.

6. Use Paraphrasing Tools for Avoiding Duplicate Content

If you're repurposing content across platforms, tools like QuillBot can help you rewrite content to avoid duplicate content issues that could hurt your SEO.

Browser Extensions: Grammar Checking on the Go

All major Grammarly alternatives offer browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Here's what to look for in a grammar checker extension:

• Real-time corrections as you type
• Works across platforms — Gmail, Google Docs, social media, CMS editors
• Minimal performance impact on browser speed
• Privacy-conscious data handling

Most tools on this list offer solid browser extensions, with LanguageTool and QuillBot having particularly well-reviewed Chrome extensions as of 2026. You can also pair these with the BrightSEOTools meta tag analyzer for a complete content QA workflow.

Grammar Tools and SEO: The Connection You Need to Understand

Here's something many writers miss: grammar quality directly impacts SEO performance.

Google's algorithms have grown sophisticated enough to reward well-written, clear, and engaging content — and penalize content that's hard to read. Here's how grammar tools help your search rankings:

Improved Dwell Time

Clean, readable content keeps visitors on your page longer. Google tracks dwell time as a quality signal, so polished writing can indirectly boost rankings.

Lower Bounce Rate

Poorly written content frustrates readers and increases bounce rate. Fixing grammar issues — especially for mobile users — keeps them engaged.

Better Backlink Potential

High-quality content that reads well is far more likely to earn backlinks from authoritative sites. Nobody links to content that's riddled with errors.

Voice Search Optimization

Voice search queries are conversational and natural-sounding. Grammar tools help you write in a natural, conversational tone that matches how people speak their searches.

E-E-A-T Signals

Google's Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) framework values high-quality content. Grammatically correct, well-structured writing signals expertise and builds trust with both readers and search engines.

Using AI Grammar Tools for Content Marketing

In 2026, AI-powered writing assistants have become essential tools for content marketers. Here's how smart marketers are integrating grammar tools into their content workflows:

Content Brief → Draft → Grammar Check → SEO Optimization → Publish

This four-step process ensures every piece of content is both readable and discoverable. Tools like QuillBot and ProWritingAid fit naturally into the grammar-check phase, while tools like those on BrightSEOTools handle SEO optimization.

For teams producing high volumes of content, consider integrating grammar tools with your CMS using APIs. LanguageTool's API is especially popular for custom integrations, as it's open-source friendly.

Bonus: Free Tools to Pair With Your Grammar Checker

To truly level up your writing workflow, pair your grammar checker with these free tools:

• BrightSEOTools Keyword Research Tool — Find the right keywords before you write
• BrightSEOTools Paraphraser — Rewrite content quickly for uniqueness
• BrightSEOTools Online Text Editor — Edit and format content in the browser
• BrightSEOTools Case Converter — Fix title case and formatting issues instantly
• BrightSEOTools Website SEO Score Checker — Audit your site's overall health
• BrightSEOTools Article Rewriter — Automatically rewrite content for freshness
• Hemingway Editor — Check readability grade level
• Google Search Console — Monitor SEO performance after publishing
• Copyscape — Check for plagiarism before publishing
• Readable.com — Advanced readability scoring for SEO content

Common Grammar Mistakes That Hurt Your Credibility

Even with grammar tools, it's worth knowing the most common mistakes writers make — because understanding the error helps you learn from it:

1. Its vs. It's — "Its" is possessive; "It's" is a contraction of "it is"

2. Your vs. You're — "Your" is possessive; "You're" is "you are"

3. There, Their, They're — Location, possession, and contraction respectively

4. Affect vs. Effect — "Affect" is usually a verb; "effect" is usually a noun

5. Fewer vs. Less — "Fewer" for countable things; "less" for uncountable things

6. Passive voice overuse — "The report was written by John" vs. "John wrote the report"

7. Dangling modifiers — "Running down the street, the dog bit me" (was the dog running?)

8. Oxford comma confusion — "I love my parents, Madonna and the Pope" vs. "I love my parents, Madonna, and the Pope"

All the grammar tools on this list will catch most of these errors. But understanding why they're wrong helps you become a better writer over time — and reduces reliance on tools.

Final Verdict: Which Grammarly Alternative Should You Use?

After testing all 8 tools, here are our definitive recommendations:

• 🥇 Best Free Overall: LanguageTool — Most generous free plan, multilingual support
• 🥈 Best for Content Writers: QuillBot — AI rewriting + grammar combo
• 🥉 Best for Authors: ProWritingAid — Deepest writing analysis
• Best for Readability: Hemingway Editor — Simple, focused, free
• Best for Teams: Writer.com — Brand voice + grammar together
• Best for ESL Writers: Ginger Software — Translation + text reader
• Best Truly Free (No Signup): Slick Write — Zero friction, zero cost
• Best for Multilingual Business Writing: WhiteSmoke — 55-language support

The best approach? Start with LanguageTool or QuillBot for your day-to-day writing, add Hemingway Editor for readability passes, and combine everything with a solid SEO strategy to maximize your content's impact.

Don't forget to also regularly audit your website's technical health using tools like BrightSEOTools' SEO score checker and monitor your keyword rankings with the SERP checker.

10 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the best free alternative to Grammarly?

LanguageTool is widely considered the best free Grammarly alternative. It offers unlimited grammar and spell checking across 30+ languages with no word count limits on the free plan. Its browser extension works across Gmail, Google Docs, and most web-based editors.

2. Is QuillBot better than Grammarly?

It depends on your use case. QuillBot is better for paraphrasing and rewriting content, while Grammarly is stronger for detailed grammar explanations and real-time suggestions. QuillBot's free grammar checker is also quite solid. For a full comparison, QuillBot wins if you need AI content rewriting; Grammarly wins for comprehensive real-time grammar feedback.

3. Can I use multiple grammar checkers at once?

Yes, and it's actually recommended. Many professional writers use Hemingway Editor for readability, LanguageTool for grammar, and QuillBot for paraphrasing in a combined workflow. Each tool has different strengths, so using them together gives you more comprehensive coverage.

4. Is Grammarly really worth the price?

Grammarly Premium is worth it for heavy writers who need real-time suggestions across all platforms. However, for casual writers, bloggers, or students, a combination of free tools like LanguageTool and Hemingway Editor delivers comparable results at zero cost.

5. Does grammar quality affect SEO rankings?

Yes, indirectly. Well-written content improves dwell time, reduces bounce rate, and increases the likelihood of earning backlinks — all of which are positive SEO signals. Google's E-E-A-T guidelines also reward authoritative, well-crafted content. Learn more about how SEO impacts website traffic.

6. What grammar checker works best with Google Docs?

LanguageTool and ProWritingAid both have excellent Google Docs add-ons. QuillBot also offers a Google Docs integration. For real-time suggestions directly within Docs, LanguageTool's add-on is the most seamless and free experience available.

7. Are free grammar checkers safe to use?

Most reputable grammar checkers (LanguageTool, QuillBot, Hemingway Editor) are safe to use. However, always review the privacy policy of any tool before pasting sensitive content. For truly private documents, consider Hemingway Editor's desktop app, which works offline, or LanguageTool's self-hosted API option.

8. What is the best grammar checker for non-native English speakers?

Ginger Software is specifically designed with ESL learners in mind, offering sentence rephrasing and text-to-speech functionality. WhiteSmoke is also excellent for non-native speakers, especially those who need built-in translation support. Both tools explain errors in context to help users learn from their mistakes.

9. Does ProWritingAid have a free version?

Yes, ProWritingAid offers a free version that checks up to 500 words at a time via the web editor. While limited, it gives you access to most of the core grammar and style reports. The premium version removes word limits and unlocks all 20+ writing reports — making it a worthwhile investment for prolific writers.

10. Which grammar tool is best for blog writers and SEO content?

For SEO-focused blog writing, the ideal combination is:

1. LanguageTool or ProWritingAid for grammar and style
2. Hemingway Editor to improve readability and achieve ideal reading levels
3. QuillBot to rephrase and tighten sentences
4. BrightSEOTools keyword research tool to ensure content is optimized for the right search terms

This multi-tool approach covers all bases — from grammar and readability to keyword optimization and search visibility.

Related Resources from BrightSEOTools

Looking to level up your writing and SEO game further? Explore these helpful guides:

• How to Write SEO-Friendly Meta Descriptions
• How to Optimize Title Tags for SEO
• On-Page SEO Checklist: The Complete Guide
• How to Improve Content Readability for SEO
• How to Avoid Duplicate Content on Your Site
• How to Update Old Content for SEO
• Best Free Grammar Checkers
• Grammarly Review & Beginner's Guide
• SEO Checklist for Beginners: Step-by-Step Guide
• How Content Marketing Boosts SEO