Several strong free tools can replace or supplement Grammarly: LanguageTool catches grammar and style issues in many languages, the Hemingway App improves sentence clarity, and the free tier of ChatGPT can rewrite entire passages on request. All three are genuinely useful at zero cost.
Grammarly is the name most people know, but its free plan catches only the basics — and the constant "upgrade to fix this" nudges can feel frustrating. The good news is that several free tools do the same job well, and one of them (ChatGPT) goes much further than Grammarly ever could.
Here's a plain-language comparison, plus a test paragraph I ran through each tool so you can see the difference yourself.
The test paragraph
To compare these tools fairly, I ran the same poorly written paragraph through each one:
"The report was wrote by our team last week. It contains alot of important informations about the sales figures, which is very high this quarter. We should of included more details but ran out of time so the report is somewhat short."
The free tools, compared
| Tool | Best for | Works inside browser/Word? | Languages | Rewrites whole text? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LanguageTool | Grammar + style | Yes (browser extension) | 25+ | No |
| Hemingway App | Clarity and readability | No (paste in) | English only | No |
| ChatGPT (free) | Full rewrites + suggestions | No (paste in) | Most major languages | Yes |
| Microsoft Editor | Office + Edge users | Yes (built-in) | Many | No |
| ProWritingAid (free) | Detailed style reports | Limited | English | No |
LanguageTool
LanguageTool is the closest direct swap for Grammarly. It finds grammar errors, flags awkward phrasing, and has a browser extension that works inside Gmail, Google Docs, and most text fields.
On the test paragraph it caught "was wrote" (should be "was written"), "alot" (two words), "informations" (not countable in English), and "should of" (should be "should have"). That's a clean catch on the main errors.
What's free: Grammar and spelling in the browser extension and web editor, support for 25+ languages, personal dictionary.
What's paid: Style suggestions like passive voice overuse, advanced punctuation, and the ability to check longer documents are behind the paid plan.
Best for: People who write in multiple languages, or anyone who wants an always-on grammar checker similar to Grammarly without the cost.
Hemingway App
Hemingway (hemingwayapp.com) takes a different approach. It doesn't just catch errors — it highlights sentences that are hard to read, flags passive voice, and scores your text by reading level. Paste your writing in and the screen lights up in color: yellow means a sentence is complex, red means it's very hard to follow.
On the test paragraph it highlighted the passive construction and the run-on final sentence. It won't fix grammar errors the way LanguageTool does, but it makes you a better writer over time by teaching you to see your own hard sentences.
Best for: Emails, blog posts, and anything where plain, direct writing matters. Also great for anyone who wants to improve their own style, not just fix mistakes.
ChatGPT (free tier)
ChatGPT takes more effort to use — you paste your text in and type a request — but it's the most powerful option on this list. It doesn't just fix errors; it rewrites your text the way a human editor would.
On the test paragraph, a simple prompt like this works well:
Please correct all grammar and spelling errors in this paragraph,
and rewrite any awkward sentences in a clear, professional tone.
Keep the meaning the same.
Result: ChatGPT fixed every error in the test paragraph and rephrased "which is very high" to something more formal, smoothed out the final sentence, and tightened the whole thing.
Best for: Cover letters, emails you want to sound polished, rewriting a paragraph that isn't working, or checking writing when you're not sure what exactly is wrong.
Microsoft Editor
If you use Microsoft Word, Outlook, or the Edge browser, Microsoft Editor is already built in and free. It flags spelling, grammar, and basic style issues, and it integrates tightly with Office apps. It's not as thorough as LanguageTool on pure grammar, but if Microsoft products are your main writing environment, it's the path of least resistance.
ProWritingAid (free tier)
ProWritingAid has a powerful paid plan, and its free tier gives you a taste of the style analysis. The free version lets you run up to 500 words at a time through a web editor and shows you a summary report. For casual use it's fine; for regular use you'll hit the word limit quickly.
How to choose
- You write in more than one language → LanguageTool
- You want to improve your writing style over time → Hemingway App
- You need full rewrites or have irregular writing needs → ChatGPT free tier
- You live in Microsoft Office → Microsoft Editor
- You want deep reports on a specific document → ProWritingAid free tier for occasional use
What to try next
If you're using ChatGPT for writing help, you might be surprised how much more it can do. The guide on using AI to write professional emails has copy-paste templates for common workplace situations. If you're job hunting, writing a cover letter with ChatGPT walks through the whole process step by step.
