Where can I check my grammar online for free?

Whether it’s a simple email message or an entire manuscript, content swathed with grammatical and spelling errors can send the wrong message.

As a writer, you especially don’t want this kind of content for your readers. These days, there’s an abundance of online tools to supplement the proofreading and editing process. Most of them can be accessed easily and have free versions available.

In fact, two of the top writing and editing platforms for writers, Grammarly and ProWritingAid, can be accessed through a simple Google search. You can even add the basic versions of these tools to your Chrome browser without spending a penny.

Read on to find out more about these toolkits that can help you turn in foolproof content.

Free online grammar checkers

The best thing about online proofreading platforms is that they don’t just evaluate grammar and spelling, but they also analyze writing style and provide suggestions to improve content as a whole. Here are our top picks.

Grammarly

Oh, what would we do without you? You can get this as an add-on for FireFox, Google Chrome, and other major browsers. This tool highlights grammar and spelling mistakes on the spot so you can correct them instantly. It also reports the total possible errors in your post through an indicator at the page’s bottom-right section.

However, if you’re looking for more in-depth reports on elements beyond the technicalities of your prose, Grammarly might not be the best tool. As far as comprehensive assessments beyond grammar and spelling are concerned, ProWritingAid and AutoCrit are arguably better choices.

AutoCrit

AutoCrit offers a two-week trial for $1. This gives you access to everything the software offers, including almost 30 detailed reports addressing important aspects of the fiction-writing process. You also get insightful recommendations on how to improve each possible mistake in your manuscript.

If you can’t continue your journey without it, there are three subscription options to choose from: basic, professional, and elite. Each tier will cost you $10, $30, and $80 per month, respectively.

We realize that AutoCrit isn’t exactly free, but for the features offered for its monthly fees, it may as well be. As a fiction writer, this tool might prove an invaluable partner in your journey.

Aside from doing the basic grammar and spelling checks, it also compares your work to that of the most famous works of fiction. The professional and elite tiers, in particular, can match your work to popular works of the same fiction genre.

It then provides suggestions for achieving statistical parity with these masterpieces in terms of writing style, word choice, dialogue, pacing and momentum, and other areas.

One downside to AutoCrit is that it’s not a practical tool for editing works outside of fiction. If you’re looking to proofread non-fiction, essays, business articles, or even simple email messages, you’d be better off using some of the free proofreading platforms available.

ProWritingAid

This toolkit can give AutoCrit a run for its money. Sure, ProWritingAid may fall short where fiction assessment is concerned, but it does match its multi-assessing counterpart in the other proofreading categories.

The best thing about ProWritingAid is that you can access it for free. The free version, which you can add to Chrome, performs the standard spelling, grammar, and punctuation checks on the spot. It also addresses possible issues with your writing style, including POV inconsistencies and pacing and momentum.

Beyond these, you will need access to the paid version of the tool. Both free and paid versions allow you to turn on the app’s anti-distraction mode. This lets you concentrate on editing specific parts of your manuscript or post without getting dinged for real-time errors.

Hemingway

Hemingway is a web-based tool that checks for grammar, readability, and spelling mistakes. Beyond that, it also checks for style, spotlighting areas that don’t match your general writing method and providing suggestions on how you can keep content consistent.

After checking for readability, the app displays your work’s overall score, along with recommendations for improvement.

Hemingway has a clean and simple layout that’s easy to use. Once you paste content there, you’re made aware immediately of the possible areas that need correction.

There is also a paid version of this tool available. You can integrate it with both Mac and Windows operating systems.

So, can you check your grammar for free online? 

The tools mentioned above prove that not only can you check grammar online, but you can also assess other parts of your work that could be contributing to its poorly-written state.

Apps like Hemingway, ProWritingAid, and Grammarly come in both free and paid versions. Then, there are genre-specific proofreading tools, like AutoCrit, which have a regular monthly subscription but offer a two-week trial for $1.

You’ll be happy to know that these and many other grammar checker apps online are free and easy to test out. Plus, even if you end up not quite liking any of them, the internet still has more high-quality options to offer that might bring you success.