Best Grammarly alternatives, checked in 2026
Grammarly checks grammar, clarity and tone everywhere you write — email, docs, browser. People leave it for two opposite reasons: they want more than checking (a tool that drafts, not just corrects), or they want a specialist for one job like paraphrasing. Its free plan covers core checks plus 100 AI prompts a month; every alternative below was checked against its own record.
- QuillBot: The paraphrasing specialist: rewriting, summarising and citations alongside grammar — free plan, with limits.
- ChatGPT: The leap from checker to writer: full drafting, rewriting and ideas in one subscription.
- Claude: The careful editor-writer: long documents improved and drafted in a natural voice; free plan included.
Comparison table
| Tool | Free plan | Card needed | Pricing model | Checked | Reader rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuillBot | Free: 125 words per paraphrase, 2 modes; Premium $9.95/mo. | Not needed | Freemium | 2026-10-31 | – |
| ChatGPT | Free tier available with usage limits; paid plan offers higher limits | Not needed | Freemium | 2026-10-31 | – |
| Claude | Free plan with usage limits that reset periodically; no credit card required | Not needed | Freemium | 2026-10-31 | – |
| Google Gemini | Free tier with compute-based limits refreshing every 5 hours up to a weekly cap; 32K context window | Not needed | Freemium | 2026-10-31 | – |
| DeepSeek | Chat is free; generous limits with slowdowns possible at peak demand | Not needed | Freemium | 2026-10-31 | – |
| Jasper | No free plan — a short trial only | Required | Paid | 2026-10-31 | – |
1. QuillBot
The paraphrasing specialist: rewriting, summarising and citations alongside grammar — free plan, with limits.
Changed since last check: starting price moved from Paid to $0 (Oct 30, 2026).
- Free plan includes paraphrasing
- No credit card required
- Free paraphrasing is limited to 125 words per use
- Only two paraphrasing modes on the free plan
Choose QuillBot over Grammarly if rewriting is your main job — paraphrasing modes, summariser and citation tools in one place. Stay with Grammarly if you want checking inside every app as you type.
See the full Grammarly vs QuillBot duel →In-depth notes on QuillBot
QuillBot's free plan caps paraphrases at 125 words with two modes — a taster, not a workhorse. Grammarly's free tier is the broader everyday tool; QuillBot's paid tier is the deeper rewriter.
2. ChatGPT
The leap from checker to writer: full drafting, rewriting and ideas in one subscription.
The catch: The free tier has usage limits, and answers can sometimes be inaccurate, so check important information and expect advanced features to require a paid plan.
Changed since last check: starting price moved from Paid to Free tier (Oct 25, 2026).
- Free tier available
- Output rights are assigned to you on every plan, Free included
- API available
- Free tier has usage limits
- API use is billed separately
Choose ChatGPT over Grammarly if you want the text written, not just fixed — drafts, rewrites, versions, ideas. Stay with Grammarly if your writing is your own and you only want it cleaned.
See the full Grammarly vs ChatGPT duel →In-depth notes on ChatGPT
ChatGPT doesn't sit inside your email and docs the way Grammarly does; the workflow is copy-in, copy-out. Its free plan has usage limits; the paid plan lifts them.
3. Claude
The careful editor-writer: long documents improved and drafted in a natural voice; free plan included.
The catch: Free plan usage is limited and the exact limits are not published - they tighten when demand is high.
Changed since last check: starting price moved from Free tier to $0 (Oct 30, 2026).
- Free plan needs no credit card
- Output rights are yours on every plan, including Free
- Public API available
- Free plan has usage limits that reset periodically
- More usage needs the paid Pro plan ($20/mo)
Choose Claude over Grammarly for long documents: it reads whole drafts, critiques structure and rewrites in a natural voice. Stay with Grammarly for line-by-line checking as you write.
See the full Grammarly vs Claude duel →In-depth notes on Claude
Claude's free plan needs no card and resets periodically. Its exports (Markdown, files) suit writers; it has no browser-wide checker, which is Grammarly's home turf.
4. Google Gemini
Free writing help inside Google's apps, with a generous free tier that refreshes every five hours.
Changed since last check: starting price moved from Paid to $0 (Oct 30, 2026).
- Free tier limits refresh every 5 hours
- The Gemini API has its own free tier
- Paid plans start at $4.99/mo (Google AI Plus)
- Free tier has a weekly cap
- Free context window is 32K
Choose Gemini over Grammarly if your writing lives in Gmail and Docs and you want generation help free. Stay with Grammarly if you write across many apps, not just Google's.
See the full Grammarly vs Google Gemini duel →In-depth notes on Google Gemini
Gemini's free tier refreshes every five hours up to a weekly cap, and includes image generation Grammarly can't offer. Its checking, though, is a chat request — not Grammarly's always-on layer.
5. DeepSeek
The $0 writing desk: free drafting and rewriting chat, if you can live with its data terms.
Changed since last check: starting price moved from Paid to $0 (Oct 30, 2026).
- Chat is free — there is no subscription plan
- Terms assign output rights to you, commercial use included
- API available
- Free chat has no published numeric limits
- API use is pay-as-you-go
Choose DeepSeek over Grammarly if budget is zero and you mainly need drafting and rewriting help. Stay with Grammarly for private or sensitive text — DeepSeek is a Chinese company with its own data terms.
See the full Grammarly vs DeepSeek duel →In-depth notes on DeepSeek
DeepSeek's chat is free with unpublished limits. It won't check as you type, and it has no tone or clarity layer — it's a writing desk, not a proofreader.
6. Jasper
The marketing end of the road: if you need copy generated at team scale, not checked.
Changed since last check: starting price moved from Paid to $0 (Oct 30, 2026).
- 7-day free trial of the Pro plan
- API access available on the Business plan
- No free plan
- Trial lasts only 7 days
- Pro costs $59/seat/mo billed annually
Choose Jasper over Grammarly if the real gap is production: marketing copy generated in brand voice, at team scale. Stay with Grammarly if the writing exists and only needs polish.
See the full Grammarly vs Jasper duel →In-depth notes on Jasper
Jasper is paid-only with a short trial — the opposite pricing shape from Grammarly's free plan. Most Grammarly users who try it discover they needed a checker plus a chatbot, not a platform.
When to stay with Grammarly
Switching is not always the right call. Grammarly is still the better pick if:
- Always-on checking inside every app is the feature — no chatbot replaces that layer.
- The free plan covers your writing volume and AI prompts.
- Your team relies on Grammarly's shared style and tone consistency.
How to switch from Grammarly
- Note what you actually useIf it's mostly AI prompts and rewrites, a chatbot replaces Grammarly; if it's the in-app checking, nothing here fully does.
- Save your style rulesPersonal dictionary and style settings don't transfer; write them down before you move.
- Run both for a monthGrammarly's free plan costs nothing to keep while you test a chatbot for the drafting side.
How we check
Free-plan limits, card requirements and the catch come from the Free Reality Check on each tool. An editor checks the maker's pricing page by hand and records when. If a tool has no check date, we say so and show no numbers.
- Official pricing pages, with the date we checked each one
- Vendor documentation and changelogs
- SaaSListy editor testing notes on each tool page
- Reader reviews on SaaSListy
Some links are affiliate links. They never change a rating, a ranking or a verdict.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to Grammarly?
QuillBot for paraphrasing (125 words per use on free), or a chatbot's free plan — Claude or Gemini — for drafting and rewriting help. Nothing free matches Grammarly's in-app checking everywhere.
Can ChatGPT replace Grammarly?
For drafting and rewriting, yes. For silent checking inside every app as you type, no — that's a layer chatbots don't provide. Many people keep free Grammarly and add a chatbot.
Why do people leave Grammarly?
Usually they outgrow checking: they want text generated, scenes rewritten, or whole documents handled — jobs for QuillBot or a chatbot, not a proofreader.
Is QuillBot better than Grammarly?
For paraphrasing, yes — it's the specialist, with modes and a summariser. For everyday grammar and tone across all your apps, Grammarly is broader. They solve different halves of writing.
What is the best Grammarly alternative?
QuillBot is listed first on this page. The paraphrasing specialist: rewriting, summarising and citations alongside grammar — free plan, with limits.
Which Grammarly alternatives are free without a credit card?
Our editors verified that QuillBot, ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, DeepSeek do not ask for a card on the free plan. The free plan box under each tool lists the limits.
How do you check free plans and prices?
Editors check the maker's official pricing page by hand and record the check date. Tools that are not verified yet are labelled that way instead of showing guesses.
How does SaaSListy make money?
Some links are affiliate links. They never change a rating, a ranking or a verdict.