Grammarly Review 2026: The Essential Writing Assistant for Everyone

TL;DR

Rating: 4.5/5 | Grammarly is the gold standard for grammar and spelling checks with near-universal integration across devices and platforms. The free tier catches most basic errors, while Premium adds tone detection, advanced style suggestions, and plagiarism checking. GrammarlyGO (AI writing) was added in 2023 but still lags behind specialized tools like Jasper. Best for: Anyone who writes professionally—the free tier alone is worth installing. Premium is worth it if you write high-stakes content (proposals, articles, emails to clients). Skip Premium if: You only need basic grammar checks or already have a dedicated AI writing tool.

What is Grammarly?

Grammarly has been the default writing assistant since 2009, with over 30 million daily users. Unlike AI content generators (Jasper, Copy.ai), Grammarly’s core strength is editing and improving existing text rather than generating new content.

The platform works across:

• Browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge): Works in Gmail, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google Docs, WordPress, and any text field
• Desktop apps (Windows, Mac): Standalone editor and system-wide spell check
• Mobile keyboards (iOS, Android): Real-time checks as you type on your phone
• Microsoft Office add-ins (Word, Outlook)

In 2023, Grammarly added GrammarlyGO, their AI writing assistant. While this brings them closer to Jasper/Copy.ai territory, their core value remains error detection and stylistic improvement.

Key Features

1. Grammar & Spelling Checks (Free + Premium)

Grammarly’s AI detects:

• Basic errors (Free): Spelling, punctuation, basic grammar mistakes
• Advanced errors (Premium): Comma splices, subject-verb agreement, wordiness, passive voice
• Clarity improvements (Premium): Suggests simpler alternatives for complex sentences
• Delivery adjustments (Premium): Recommends changes based on audience (formal vs casual)

Accuracy: In our research, Grammarly catches 95%+ of common errors. It occasionally flags correct but unusual constructions (especially in technical writing), but false positives are rare.

2. Tone Detector (Premium)

Grammarly analyzes your text and tells you how it might sound:

• Tone: Formal, casual, confident, worried, urgent, etc.
• Audience perception: How your reader might interpret the message

Real-world example: You write, “I need this by Friday.” Grammarly flags it as potentially “demanding” and suggests, “Could you please send this by Friday?” (more polite).

Value: This is underrated for email communication. Many miscommunications happen because the sender doesn’t realize their tone sounds harsh.

3. Plagiarism Checker (Premium)

Scans your text against 16+ billion web pages to detect:

• Direct plagiarism (copied text)
• Paraphrased plagiarism (reworded but not cited)
• Percentage of content matching other sources

Use cases:

• Academic writing: Ensure your essay doesn’t accidentally plagiarize
• Content marketing: Verify your freelancer didn’t copy content
• SEO: Avoid duplicate content penalties

Limitation: It only checks publicly indexed web pages. It won’t catch plagiarism from paywalled journals or internal company documents.

4. GrammarlyGO (AI Writing Assistant)

Added in 2023, GrammarlyGO offers:

• Rewrite suggestions: “Make this more confident,” “Shorten this,” “Sound more formal”
• Compose drafts: Generate emails, replies, or outlines from prompts
• Ideation: Brainstorm topic ideas or talking points

How it compares to Jasper/Copy.ai:

• For editing existing text: GrammarlyGO is excellent—integrated right where you’re writing
• For generating long-form content: Jasper and Copy.ai are still better. GrammarlyGO feels like a “light” AI writer, not a full content platform

Our take: GrammarlyGO is convenient because it’s embedded in your workflow, but if content generation is your primary need, dedicated tools are more powerful.

5. Universal Integration

This is Grammarly’s killer feature. It works in:

• Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail
• Google Docs, Microsoft Word
• LinkedIn messages and posts
• Twitter/X, Facebook, Reddit
• Slack, Discord, Notion
• WordPress, Medium, Substack
• Any text field in your browser

Why this matters: You don’t need to copy-paste into a separate app. Grammarly just…works. Everywhere.

Pricing Breakdown

Grammarly offers three tiers:

Important pricing notes:

• Monthly Premium is expensive ($30/month), but annual is much cheaper ($144/year = $12/month)
• Business plan requires minimum 3 users
• Students get 20% discount with a .edu email
• Free tier is genuinely useful—you can use Grammarly indefinitely without paying

Is Premium worth it?

• For casual writers: Probably not. The free tier catches most errors.
• For professionals (writers, marketers, managers): Yes. The tone detector alone saves you from embarrassing email miscommunications.
• For students/academics: Yes if you need the plagiarism checker.
• For teams: Business plan makes sense if 3+ people need Premium features.

Real-World Performance

Strengths

Grammarly’s grammar detection is unmatched. Side-by-side with competitors (ProWritingAid, Hemingway), Grammarly catches the most errors with the fewest false positives. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best.

The tone detector prevents real-world problems. We’ve all sent emails that came across wrong. Grammarly’s “This sounds slightly worried” or “This might sound demanding” warnings are lifesavers in professional contexts.

Integration is seamless. Install the extension once, and it’s there whenever you need it. No more copying text into a separate editor.

Weaknesses

Premium is expensive for individuals. At $30/month (or $144/year), it’s hard to justify if you’re a casual writer. The jump from Free to Premium feels steep.

GrammarlyGO is not a Jasper killer. If you’re comparing Grammarly’s AI writing to Jasper ($69/month) or Copy.ai ($49/month), the dedicated tools still win. GrammarlyGO is a nice bonus, not the main event.

It can be overly aggressive. Sometimes Grammarly flags stylistic choices that are intentional (sentence fragments for emphasis, starting sentences with “And” or “But”). You need to know when to ignore suggestions.

Industry jargon triggers false positives. Technical writers and specialists often see red underlines on correct terminology.

How Grammarly Compares

Positioning:

• Grammarly = Best all-around writing assistant with universal integration
• ProWritingAid = Slightly cheaper, focuses more on style and literary devices (better for novelists)
• Hemingway Editor = Simple, one-time purchase, focuses only on readability
• Jasper AI = Not a grammar checker; it’s a content generator

Who Should Use Grammarly?

Everyone should use the free tier. Even if you’re a confident writer, typos happen. The free browser extension catches them before you hit “send.”

Premium is worth it for:

1. Professional writers (bloggers, journalists, content marketers): The style and clarity suggestions pay for themselves
2. Business professionals: Tone detection prevents email disasters
3. Students and academics: Plagiarism checker is essential for essays and papers
4. Non-native English speakers: Advanced grammar checks help with tricky rules
5. Anyone writing high-stakes content: Proposals, job applications, important emails

Premium is NOT worth it for:

1. Casual writers: If you only write occasional texts and social media posts, free is fine
2. People who already have AI writing tools: If you’re paying for Jasper ($69/month), you probably don’t need Grammarly Premium too—Jasper can do basic editing
3. Creative fiction writers: Grammarly optimizes for clarity and correctness, which can conflict with stylistic choices in fiction

Final Verdict

Rating: 4.5/5

Grammarly is essential for anyone who writes in English. The free tier alone makes it a no-brainer to install, and Premium is worth it if you write professionally or in high-stakes contexts.

The addition of GrammarlyGO (AI writing) is nice but doesn’t change the core value proposition: Grammarly is still primarily an editor, not a generator. If you need to create blog posts, ads, or marketing copy from scratch, Jasper or Copy.ai are better tools.

But for editing, polishing, and ensuring your writing sounds professional? Grammarly is the gold standard.

Our recommendation:

1. Start with Free: Install the extension and use it for 2-4 weeks
2. Upgrade to Premium if: You catch yourself thinking, “I wish Grammarly would suggest better alternatives” or “I need the plagiarism checker”
3. Pay annually: $12/month is much more palatable than $30/month

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is Grammarly free?
A: Yes. The free version includes basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation checks. It’s limited compared to Premium but genuinely useful.

Q: How much does Grammarly Premium cost?
A: $30/month or $12/month if you pay annually ($144/year). Annual is the better deal.

Q: Is Grammarly Premium worth it?
A: If you write professionally or in high-stakes contexts (job applications, client emails, published articles), yes. If you only write casually, the free version is probably enough.

Q: Does Grammarly work with Microsoft Word?
A: Yes. Grammarly has an Office add-in for Word and Outlook. It also works system-wide on Windows and Mac via the desktop app.

Q: Can Grammarly detect AI-generated content?
A: No, Grammarly does not detect whether content was written by AI. For that, you need tools like Originality.AI or GPTZero.

Q: Is Grammarly safe? Will it steal my writing?
A: Grammarly is safe and has strong privacy policies. Your text is encrypted in transit and at rest. They don’t sell your data or use your writing to train AI models without consent.

Q: How does Grammarly compare to ChatGPT for editing?
A: Grammarly is faster and more accurate for grammar/style checks. ChatGPT is better for major rewrites or generating new content. Use Grammarly for polish; use ChatGPT for brainstorming.

Q: Can I share Grammarly Premium with family?
A: No, personal accounts are single-user. For families, you’d need multiple Premium accounts or a Business plan (3+ users minimum).

Last updated: February 5, 2026
Tested version: Grammarly browser extension & web app (2026)
Disclosure: This review contains affiliate links (Awin Publisher ID: 2760434). We may earn a commission if you purchase through our links. Learn more.