I used Grammarly for about 10 years before finally switching to LanguageTool. It wasn't the easiest switch since I had become accustomed to Grammarly's UI. I also couldn't take anything away from Grammarly's performance, which likely explains its popularity among many writers. There are several Grammarly alternatives, and I have used quite a few of them. However, after testing LanguageTool a couple of times, I realized that it's equally a great tool. And as a cherry on top, this relatively new app also has a free version.

A truly versatile writing tool

Supporting many languages

LanguageTool's versatility across multiple languages is exceptional, and this is an aspect in which it outperforms Grammarly. While Grammarly only proofreads one language, English, LanguageTool offers corrections in about 30 languages, ranging from French to Spanish and to Russian. While this might not seem like an advantage for someone who only writes in English, it actually is. Sometimes I need to use a phrase or quote in a different language for my writing, or I just want to add some creativity. For example, the phrase "déjà vu," written without the diacritics, will be flagged as wrong in LanguageTool since it is originally a French word. That's not the case with Grammarly, though, as it can't handle the term properly.

As regards English dialects, Grammarly only covers five standard varieties: British, American, Canadian, Australian, and Indian English. However, LanguageTool covers these and a little more. You also get to pick from New Zealand and South African English. For British speakers, this efficient editing tool also supports British Standard and Oxford Standard English.

An open-source and privacy-focused writing assistant

Securing your data

LanguageTool is open-source, and you can get its source code on GitHub. While you may not need to, it's good to note that you can self-host it for free with restrictions to premium features like paraphrasing. Maybe you won't, but I'd definitely opt for an open-source tool any day over a proprietary competitor.

Another central selling point for LanguageTool is how it handles your data. While your text is sent to their server for analysis, it is not stored for "content review". They also do not send your possibly sensitive information to any third party, unless you use the paraphrase feature. In that case, your text will be sent to OpenAI for processing. Grammarly, on the other hand, collects a lot more of your data.

Paraphrase feature

More options for writers

LanguageTool's AI-powered paraphrase feature suggests replacements for sentences. These suggestions give you options that make your writing better in terms of fluency or conciseness. However, free users can only rephrase three sentences per day. To have unlimited access, you'll need to subscribe to the premium.

You will love the way this feature doesn't auto-suggest. Instead, you get to generate suggestions when you need to. Also, it does not limit you to a singular suggestion but an array of suggestions, so you can choose the best option that conveys your thoughts. Many love the idea of multiple suggestions because they give more room for creative processes. Each time you ask for suggestions, you get different results, which is a good way to get a range of perspectives that make you feel that the final choice of word is yours, not just something shoved down your throat because you have no option.

Reasonable pricing

The budget-friendly option

The costs of these writing assistant tools are also a significant factor when deciding what to opt for. And yes, it influenced my eventual decision to go the LanguageTool route. Both Grammarly and LanguageTool have free and paid versions. Grammarly's premium subscription costs $144 per year or $30 per month. On the other hand, LanguageTool has a premium subscription offering of $5.53 monthly subscriptions and $66.40 yearly, which is just about half the cost of Grammarly. So, if budget is a key consideration, LanguageTool presents a more affordable option.

You can't check for plagiarism with LanguageTool

While LanguageTool has many rich features, it's not necessarily the best tool for writers. It might not even be the best writing assistant out there. For example, I love how Grammarly lets me select my writing goal (only Grammarly Premium). This way, suggestions are focused on the selected goal, whether formal, informal, creative, academic, or business. While LanguageTool also provides this feature, it’s less effective than Grammarly's. Also, LanguageTool does not have the plagiarism checker feature. Yet, for my needs, and those of many writers out there, it sure checks out plenty of things that I look for in a writing assistant.