Grammarly vs ProWritingAid vs Hemingway (2026)
Grammarly fully merged Premium and Business into a single Pro plan at $12/mo annual — the same price now covers individuals and teams up to 149 seats. ProWritingAid monthly is $30 — the $10 figure many sites quote is the annual rate. Hemingway dropped its $20 desktop app as the main product; Editor Plus starts at $8.33/mo annual.
Find yourself first
Professionals
Writing emails, reports, and business documents daily. Grammarly's real-time inline suggestions fit this best.
Authors & novelists
Editing long-form manuscripts. ProWritingAid's 25+ reports and Scrivener integration are purpose-built for this.
Bloggers & content writers
Wanting clearer, more readable prose. Hemingway's instant visual feedback is unmatched here.
Teams needing brand voice
Consistent across multiple writers. Grammarly Pro now covers this at the same $12/mo price as individuals.
Anyone comparing free vs paid
All three offer meaningful free tiers — the gap between them matters more than it first appears.
Writers concerned about AI training
ProWritingAid explicitly does not train AI on your writing — a genuine differentiator.
Premium and Business are now one plan
The 10-second answer
Grammarly
Free plan + 100 AI prompts/mo. Pro $12/mo annual ($30/mo monthly) — one plan for individuals AND teams up to 149 seats, 2,000 AI prompts included for everyone. Works everywhere — browser, Word, Docs, Slack.
Free → $12/mo annual (all seat counts)ProWritingAid
Free (500-word limit). Premium $10/mo annual ($120/yr) · $30/mo monthly. Premium Pro $12/mo annual. Lifetime $399. Privacy-first — does not train AI on your writing.
Free → $10/mo annual → $399 lifetimeHemingway Editor
Free web app (readability only). Desktop $19.99 one-time. Editor Plus from $8.33/mo annual ($100/yr, 5K AI sentences). 14-day free trial on Plus plans.
Free → $8.33/mo annual → $19.99 one-timeMatch your situation
| Your situation | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You write emails, Slack messages, and reports all day | Grammarly | Real-time inline suggestions in every browser, Word, Docs, Slack simultaneously. |
| You're writing a novel or long-form manuscript | ProWritingAid | 25+ manuscript reports, Scrivener integration, 40+ genre presets. |
| Your grammar is fine but your writing is too wordy | Hemingway | Readability-focused — color-coded feedback on sentence complexity instantly. |
| You need a fully free grammar checker | Grammarly | Most capable free grammar checking — works in any text field, no word limit. |
| Privacy matters — unpublished manuscript or confidential content | ProWritingAid | Explicitly does not use your writing to train AI models. |
| You want a one-time payment with no subscription | Hemingway desktop or ProWritingAid lifetime | Hemingway: $19.99 desktop. ProWritingAid: $399 Premium lifetime or $699 Pro lifetime. |
| Team of writers needing consistent brand voice | Grammarly Pro | $12/mo annual per seat — same price as individuals, now includes style guides and team analytics. |
| Best value for a serious individual writer long-term | ProWritingAid lifetime ($399) | Pays for itself vs $120/yr annual after 3.3 years — unlimited access forever. |
Compare plans across team sizes
The biggest pricing trap in this comparison: ProWritingAid's $10/month is the annual billing rate — monthly billing is $30. Grammarly Pro now scales by seat at a flat $12/mo annual regardless of team size. Drag to your team size to see annual costs.
Assumptions: Grammarly Pro $12/mo/seat annual ($30/mo monthly) covers both individuals and teams — same rate regardless of headcount. ProWritingAid and Hemingway are individual, per-user licenses (no team pooling) — each writer needs their own subscription. All figures per-seat, multiplied by your team size.
The numbers that matter
not $10 — that's the annual rate
$12/mo — same for individuals AND teams
$8.33/mo effective — not $10/mo (monthly rate)
breaks even vs annual in 3.3 years
same for every seat, individual or team
words per check on free plan
Three tools, three philosophies
Grammarly — Best All-Around, Now One Simple Plan
Free → $12/mo annual (all seat counts)Real-time inline suggestions everywhere — browser, Word, Docs, Slack, and 1 million+ apps.
- Works in every browser, Word, Google Docs, Slack, and 1M+ apps
- Real-time inline suggestions as you type — no copy-paste workflow
- Single Pro plan ($12/mo annual) now covers individuals AND teams up to 149 seats
- 2,000 AI prompts/mo included universally — no split between individual and team tiers
- Strongest free grammar checking of the three
- Style guides, brand tones, and team analytics included in the same price
- Free tier uses writing data for model improvement
- Less suited for manuscript-level structural analysis
- Can flatten distinctive writing voice with over-correction
- Enterprise (150+ seats) still requires custom sales quote
ProWritingAid — Best for Authors & Long-Form
Free → $10/mo annual → $399 lifetime25+ manuscript reports, Scrivener integration, and privacy-first policy — built for serious writers.
- 25+ specialized writing reports — pacing, overused words, dialogue tags
- Native Scrivener integration — best in class for novelists
- 40+ genre presets — fiction, academic, business, journalistic
- Privacy-first — explicitly does not train AI on your writing
- Lifetime plan $399 — breaks even vs annual after 3.3 years
- Still cheaper than Grammarly Pro annually ($120/yr vs $144/yr)
- Monthly billing is $30 — much more expensive than the commonly quoted $10 figure
- Report-based workflow — not real-time inline like Grammarly
- Free plan limited to 500 words per check
- Interface less polished than Grammarly
Hemingway Editor — Best for Readability
Free web → $8.33/mo annual → $19.99 one-timeColor-coded readability feedback — free web app, $19.99 desktop, or Editor Plus from $8.33/mo annual.
- Instant visual feedback — color-coded by issue type
- Flesch-Kincaid readability grade score
- Desktop app $19.99 one-time — offline, no subscription
- Editor Plus adds AI grammar checking + sentence rewrites
- 14-day free trial on Plus plans — no credit card required
- Unlimited grammar fixes on Plus — only AI rewrites use credits
- Free version has no grammar checking — readability only
- No browser extension — copy-paste workflow required
- Can oversimplify intentional stylistic complexity
- Not suited for manuscript-level structural analysis
Strengths at a glance
| Criteria | Grammarly | ProWritingAid | Hemingway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real-time inline suggestions | Best — everywhere | Report-based, not inline | Visual highlights, not inline |
| Free plan | Best — no word limit | 500-word limit | Full readability, unlimited |
| Team pricing | Best — same $12/mo as individual | No team dashboard | Team 10K available, per-user |
| Privacy (AI training) | Free tier used for training | Best — no AI training | Never trains on your data |
| Manuscript analysis | Basic | Best — 25+ reports | Better for short-form |
| Monthly billing price | $30/mo — same as annual-equiv rate | $30/mo — most expensive vs $10 annual | $10/mo |
🟢 STRONG · 🟠 ACCEPTABLE WITH CAVEATS · 🔴 WEAK / WATCH OUT
Feature by feature
| Feature | Grammarly | ProWritingAid | Hemingway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ✓ Grammar + 100 AI prompts/mo — no word limit | ⚡ 500-word limit, 2 report runs/day | ✓ Full readability analysis — unlimited, no account |
| Entry paid annual price | Pro $12/mo ($144/yr) — individual or team | ✓ $10/mo annual ($120/yr) — best annual value | ✓ Plus $8.33/mo annual ($100/yr) |
| Entry paid monthly price | $30/mo (same tier, monthly billing) | ✗ $30/mo — most expensive monthly here | ✓ $10/mo |
| Real-time inline suggestions | ✓ Best — as you type, everywhere | ✗ Report-based, not inline | ⚡ Visual highlights, not inline |
| Grammar checking (free) | ✓ Yes — best free grammar checking | ⚡ Limited on free plan | ✗ No — requires Plus plan |
| Readability analysis | ⚡ Basic clarity suggestions | ✓ Detailed readability reports | ✓ Best — primary feature |
| Manuscript analysis | ⚡ Works but not optimised | ✓ Built for it — 25+ reports | ✗ Better for short-form |
| Scrivener integration | ✗ No | ✓ Native | ✗ No |
| Privacy — no AI training | ⚡ Free tier used for training; paid better | ✓ Explicitly no AI training | ✓ Never trains on your data |
| Team plan | ✓ Same $12/mo/seat as individual — up to 149 seats | ⚡ Individual plans only — no team dashboard | ⚡ Team 10K $15/user/mo or $12.50 annual |
| Lifetime option | ✗ No | ✓ Premium $399 · Premium Pro $699 | ✓ Desktop $19.99 one-time |
Every plan, verified
Key corrections: ProWritingAid monthly billing is $30 (not $10 — the $10 figure is the annual rate). Grammarly's Premium and Business plans have fully merged into one $12/mo Pro plan for both individuals and teams. Hemingway Plus annual is $100/yr ($8.33/mo effective).
| Plan | Grammarly | ProWritingAid | Hemingway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Grammar + 100 AI prompts/mo — no word limit | 500 words/check · 2 reports/day · 3 Sparks/day | Full readability analysis — unlimited, no account needed |
| Entry paid (annual) | ✓ Pro $12/mo/seat ($144/yr) — individual or team, same price | Premium $10/mo annual ($120/yr) — 67% saving vs monthly | ✓ Plus 5K $8.33/mo annual ($100/yr) |
| Entry paid (monthly) | $30/mo — same tier as annual, monthly billing | $30/mo Premium — expensive on monthly | Plus 5K $10/mo monthly |
| Mid / higher tier | Enterprise — custom, 150+ seats, SSO/audit logs | Premium Pro $12/mo annual ($144/yr) · $36/mo monthly | Plus 10K $12.50/mo annual ($150/yr) · $15/mo monthly |
| Lifetime | ✗ No lifetime option | Premium $399 · Premium Pro $699 | Desktop app $19.99 one-time (readability + offline only) |
| Watch out for | Pro is now genuinely one plan for individuals and teams — no separate "$15/seat" tier exists anymore, despite some older guides still citing it. | $10/mo is the annual rate. Monthly billing is $30. Free plan only 500 words — unusable for real editing. | Free web has no grammar checking at all. Annual Plus is $100/yr not $10/mo (that's the monthly rate). |
Choose by fit
Choose Grammarly if…
- You write across multiple platforms daily — email, Docs, Slack, Word
- You want real-time corrections without a copy-paste workflow
- You manage a team needing consistent brand voice — same price as solo use
- You want the strongest free grammar checking
- You need AI generation and rewriting alongside grammar
Choose ProWritingAid if…
- You write novels, screenplays, or long-form manuscripts
- You use Scrivener as your primary writing tool
- Privacy matters — you don't want your writing used to train AI
- You want the best annual value ($120/yr) or lifetime plan ($399)
- You want deep structural feedback beyond grammar correction
Choose Hemingway if…
- Your grammar is fine but your prose is too dense or wordy
- You want instant visual readability feedback at zero cost
- You write blog posts or content marketing copy
- You want offline access with a one-time $19.99 desktop purchase
- You want to combine with Grammarly for grammar + readability
Match the tool to your job
Daily business writing
GrammarlyInline suggestions in every app — no workflow disruption.
Novel / manuscript
ProWritingAid25+ reports, Scrivener integration, genre presets.
Blog / content writing
HemingwayFree web app — instant readability check before publishing.
Free grammar checking
GrammarlyNo word limit, works everywhere — strongest free grammar tool.
Privacy-sensitive writing
ProWritingAidExplicitly no AI training — safe for unpublished manuscripts.
Best annual value
ProWritingAid $120/yrMost features per dollar annually — cheaper than Grammarly.
One-time purchase
Hemingway $19.99Desktop app — offline, no subscription, full readability.
Long-term investment
ProWritingAid $399Lifetime Premium — breaks even vs annual after 3.3 years.
Writing teams (any size)
Grammarly Pro$12/mo/seat annual — same rate whether solo or 149 seats.
What vendors won't lead with
🔄 Grammarly — pricing has simplified twice, verify which version you're seeing
Business was renamed Pro, then Pro's price fully merged with individual Premium. If you see a "$15/seat" figure anywhere (including older comparisons), it's outdated. Current price is $12/mo/seat annual for everyone.
📊 Grammarly — free tier data used for training
Grammarly's free tier terms allow use of writing data for AI model improvement. For unpublished manuscripts or confidential content, consider a paid tier or ProWritingAid instead.
💰 ProWritingAid — $10/mo is the annual rate, not monthly
This is the single most common pricing error across the web for this tool. Monthly billing is $30/month — three times the often-quoted $10 figure. Commit to annual or lifetime from the start if ProWritingAid is your choice.
📝 ProWritingAid — free plan is too limited for real use
500 words per check and 2 report runs per day is enough to evaluate the tool but not for regular production writing. Budget for at least the annual plan if you're serious about using it.
🖥️ Hemingway — free web has zero grammar checking
The free version is readability-only — no spelling or grammar correction at all. Grammar checking requires the Plus subscription, which then competes directly with Grammarly at a similar price point.
💵 Hemingway — annual is $100/yr, not $10/mo
The $8.33/month effective rate only applies on annual billing ($100/year upfront). Monthly billing is $10/month ($120/year) — a smaller but real gap worth knowing before you commit.
Quick answers
Yes. Grammarly's free plan includes real-time grammar, spelling, and punctuation checking plus 100 AI prompts per month, with no word limit. Grammarly Pro costs $12/month (annual billing) — this single plan now covers both individuals and teams up to 149 seats, with 2,000 AI prompts included for everyone.
ProWritingAid Premium on monthly billing is $30/month. Annual billing is $10/month ($120/year — a 67% saving). Premium Pro monthly is $36/month; annual is $12/month ($144/year). Lifetime plans: Premium $399, Premium Pro $699. The $10/month figure quoted on many comparison sites is the annual rate, not the monthly rate.
No — they're now the same plan. Grammarly fully merged its individual Premium plan and team Business plan into one "Pro" plan at $12/month (annual), covering 1 to 149 seats with 2,000 AI prompts included regardless of team size. Existing Premium or Business subscribers are being transitioned automatically at no change in price.
For long-form writing and manuscript editing, yes. ProWritingAid's 25+ specialized reports provide structural feedback — pacing, overused words, sentence variation, dialogue tags, readability — that Grammarly doesn't offer. Its Scrivener integration and 40+ genre presets are built for authors. Grammarly is better for everyday business writing where real-time inline suggestions matter more than deep analysis.
Not on the free web version, which focuses exclusively on readability. Grammar checking is available in Hemingway Editor Plus — Individual 5K at $10/month ($8.33/month annual, $100/year) or Individual 10K at $15/month ($12.50/month annual). A 14-day free trial is available with no credit card required.
Yes — many writers combine two tools. A common workflow: Grammarly for grammar and business writing, Hemingway for a final readability pass before publishing. For authors: ProWritingAid for manuscript-level structural feedback, Grammarly for emails and shorter content. The most cost-effective combination is Grammarly free plus Hemingway free web at zero cost.
Ready to try these writing tools?
All three offer free plans or trials — test before you commit. Grammarly and Hemingway free are genuinely useful at zero cost.