Best Free Grammarly Alternatives in 2026 (Grammar Checkers)
Want to check your writing without paying for Grammarly? Here's my hands-on take on QuillBot, LanguageTool and ProWritingAid — with free allowances and multilingual notes, and which is best for free unlimited checks, many languages, or deep writing reports.
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Writing emails, reports or essays in English, a grammar checker saves you from awkward mistakes. Grammarly is famous, but its free tier is limited and the paid plan isn't cheap. There are a few alternatives that are genuinely strong for free. Here's my hands-on take.
What do you want?
- Free, unlimited checks, plus rewriting → QuillBot
- Many languages, multilingual accuracy → LanguageTool
- Deep writing reports (fiction, long form) → ProWritingAid
The alternatives at a glance (2026)
| Tool | Free tier | Best at | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| QuillBot | Unlimited grammar, 125 rewrites/day | Strongest free, plus rewriting | Yes |
| LanguageTool | 30+ languages, ~2,000 chars/check | Multilingual accuracy | ~US$4.99/mo |
| ProWritingAid | Limited | Deep writing reports | ~US$10/mo |
| Grammarly (itself) | Basic checks | Legacy, integrations | Pricier |
Free allowances and prices change often — check official sites.
My take
QuillBot: the strongest free tier
QuillBot's free grammar check is unlimited and needs no sign-up, plus 125 rewrites a day, a summariser and a co-writer — free, you can catch errors, polish and rephrase. For checking English on a budget, start here.
LanguageTool: multilingual and accurate
LanguageTool's free plan checks 30-plus languages (with a ~2,000-character per-check limit), and its multilingual accuracy even beats Grammarly in places, with paid around US$4.99/month (annual). If you write in more than just English, it's the best fit.
ProWritingAid: deep writing reports
ProWritingAid is closest to Grammarly Pro and adds 25-plus writing-quality reports (pacing, sensory detail, dialogue tags, comparison to published authors) — a favourite of novelists and long-form writers, around US$10/month. Overkill for basic grammar, but strong for honing craft.
A few reminders
- Understand the suggestion, don't blindly apply it. To improve, learn why it's recommended.
- For non-Latin proofreading, use an LLM. These lean English; for other scripts, ChatGPT/Claude do better — see free AI writing tools.
- Count length. For length-limited writing, use a word counter (English counts by word).
The bottom line
You don't need Grammarly to check English: QuillBot for free unlimited checks plus rewriting, LanguageTool for multilingual accuracy, ProWritingAid for deep writing reports. For most people QuillBot or LanguageTool free is plenty — understand the suggestions and learn as you go; for non-English polishing, lean on ChatGPT/Claude.
Editor's picks
Tools we genuinely recommend from this guide. Links are affiliate/partner links — buying through them costs you nothing extra, may earn us a small commission, and never affects our assessments.
The most mature English grammar and writing assistant; Premium adds rewriting, tone and plagiarism checks.
A paraphrasing and summarizing tool; paid plans unlock more modes and higher limits for heavy rewriting.
FAQ
Is there a free, capable Grammarly alternative?
Yes. QuillBot has one of the strongest free tiers — unlimited grammar checking, no sign-up, plus 125 rewrites a day, a summariser and a co-writer. LanguageTool is another solid free pick, especially for non-English, checking 30-plus languages on its free plan (with a per-check character limit). For checking your writing without paying, these free tiers are plenty.
QuillBot, LanguageTool or ProWritingAid — which should I pick?
By need. For free, unlimited checks plus rewriting, choose QuillBot. For writing in multiple languages with strong multilingual accuracy, choose LanguageTool. For deep 'writing quality reports' (pacing, word choice, dialogue — good for fiction and long form), choose ProWritingAid (around US$10/month). For everyday grammar, QuillBot or LanguageTool free is enough; only go ProWritingAid for deep analysis.
Can these tools actually improve my writing?
They catch errors and polish, but won't 'teach' you the language. They flag grammar, spelling and punctuation in real time and suggest more natural phrasing, which helps a lot with emails, reports and essays. To genuinely improve, understand why a change is suggested rather than applying it blindly — treat it as a real-time proofreading tutor and learn as you go.
Do these work for non-English writing?
These focus on English (and other Western languages). LanguageTool covers 30-plus languages with the broadest reach, though non-English support still trails English. To polish non-Latin text, large language models (ChatGPT, Claude) usually do a better job of proofreading and rewriting — see our [free AI writing tools](/en/blog/free-ai-writing-tools).