The best free Grammarly alternative in 2026 is LanguageTool. Its free version checks grammar, spelling and punctuation in more than 20 languages and works in your browser, Word and Google Docs. If privacy matters most, Harper is free, open source and runs every check on your own device. For quick fixes in one tab, QuillBot’s free grammar checker needs no account.
Grammarly still has a free plan, so first, why switch at all? Grammarly’s free tier now caps AI writing at 100 prompts a month, and its Pro plan is listed at $12 a month on the official plans page. If you mainly want clean grammar without a subscription, or you write in a language other than English, the tools below cover most of what you need for $0.
How we ranked these tools
We checked each tool’s official site and pricing page in November 2026 and scored them on five things:
- What the free plan really includes: limits on words, characters and checks.
- Where it works: browser extension, Word, Google Docs, desktop apps.
- Quality of the free suggestions: grammar and punctuation, not just spelling.
- Privacy: whether your text is sent to a server.
- Languages: English only, or many.
No company paid to be on this list, and there are no affiliate links. (Writing up meeting notes is a different job: for that, see the best free AI note takers.)
Best free Grammarly alternatives at a glance
| Rank | Tool | Best for | Free plan | Works in | Paid upgrade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LanguageTool | Most people, multilingual writers | Grammar, spelling and style checks; character limit per text; 3 AI rephrases a day | Browser extensions, Word, Google Docs, desktop | Premium (bigger limits, all languages, picky mode) |
| 2 | Harper | Privacy, developers | Fully free and open source (Apache-2.0) | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, macOS app, VS Code, Obsidian, WordPress | None, it’s all free |
| 3 | QuillBot Grammar Checker | Quick one-off checks | Free grammar checker, basic fixes | Web, browser extension, Word | Premium $8.33/mo billed yearly |
| 4 | Google Docs built-in check | People who already write in Docs | Built into Docs | Google Docs | Not needed |
| 5 | ProWritingAid Free | Fiction and long-form editing reports | Suggestions on 500 words at a time | Web, browser, Word, Google Docs | Premium $10/mo billed yearly |
1. LanguageTool: the best all-round free Grammarly alternative
LanguageTool is the closest thing to “Grammarly, but free” for most people. Install the browser extension and it underlines mistakes in Gmail, web forms, social media and Google Docs, much like Grammarly does. It also has add-ons for Microsoft Word and desktop apps.
Where it beats Grammarly’s free plan is languages. LanguageTool’s own help centre says the free version supports more than twenty languages, and the Premium page lists 30+ languages and dialects. If you write in English and German, or Spanish and Portuguese, one tool covers both.
Free plan limits. The free version has a character limit for each text you check, so very long documents need to be checked in parts. Premium raises that limit a lot. The free plan also gives you 3 AI sentence rephrases a day and a limited “Picky Mode” for stricter style checks.
What Premium adds: all languages and dialects, a personal dictionary, text statistics, a personal style guide, team features, full Picky Mode and unlimited rephrasing. LanguageTool’s pricing page did not show prices when we checked, so look at the current price on the site before you buy.
Pros
- Strong grammar and punctuation checks on the free plan
- 20+ languages free
- Works almost everywhere you type
Cons
- Character limit per check on the free plan
- Stricter style suggestions need Premium
2. Harper: the free, private, open-source option
Harper is a grammar checker made by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com. Its site describes it as “the free, private, open-source grammar checker that runs on your device”. Every check happens locally, with no cloud round-trips, no telemetry and no large language model involved. That makes it the one to pick if you edit client work, legal text or anything you don’t want sent to a server.
Harper runs as a Chrome extension, a Microsoft Edge add-on, a Firefox add-on and a macOS desktop app that checks text fields system-wide. It also plugs into VS Code, Obsidian, Neovim, Zed and WordPress, so it is popular with developers and people who write documentation. The code is on GitHub under the Apache-2.0 licence.
The trade-off: Harper only supports English (American, British, Canadian, Australian and Indian). Because there is no AI model, it won’t rewrite whole paragraphs or change your tone. It fixes grammar, spelling and clarity, quickly.
Pros
- 100% free, no account, no limits
- Your text never leaves your device
- Very fast, even on long documents
Cons
- English only
- No AI rewriting or tone suggestions
- No Safari extension listed
3. QuillBot Grammar Checker: fastest for a quick check
QuillBot’s grammar checker is free and works in the browser: paste your text and it highlights errors you can fix one at a time or all at once. You don’t need an account to try it. QuillBot also has a Chrome extension and a Word add-in.
QuillBot is best known as a paraphrasing tool, and the free plan is generous for students. According to its Premium page, free users can paraphrase up to 125 words at a time, summarise up to 1,200 words and fix basic grammar errors. Premium, at $8.33 a month billed yearly, unlocks unlimited paraphrasing, advanced grammar suggestions and a plagiarism checker. We also ranked QuillBot in our list of the best free AI tools for students.
Pros
- No sign-up needed for the grammar checker
- Paraphraser and summariser in the same app
- Cheap Premium if you do upgrade
Cons
- Advanced grammar suggestions are Premium-only
- Copy-paste workflow if you don’t install the extension
4. Google Docs built-in grammar check: already on your account
If you write in Google Docs, you may not need another tool at all. Docs checks spelling and grammar as you type: misspellings get a red underline and grammar suggestions a blue one. It comes with every Google account, so there is nothing extra to pay for or install.
How to run a full check:
- Open your document in Google Docs.
- Click the Spelling and grammar check button in the toolbar (top left).
- For each suggestion, click Change to accept it or Ignore to skip it.
According to Google’s help page, grammar suggestions work in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Italian. The checks are basic compared with LanguageTool, and they only work inside Docs, but for emails you draft in Docs or school essays they catch most slips.
Pros
- Built in, nothing to install
- Works in six languages
Cons
- Only inside Google Docs
- Few style or clarity suggestions
5. ProWritingAid Free: best for in-depth editing reports
ProWritingAid goes further than grammar. It produces reports on overused words, sentence length, pacing, dialogue and readability, which is why novelists and bloggers like it. It works on the web and in browsers, Word and Google Docs.
The catch is the free limit. ProWritingAid’s FAQ says a free account only gets suggestions on 500 words at a time, plus 2 runs per line-editing report each day. That is fine for polishing a cover letter or a key section of a blog post, but slow for a whole chapter. Premium costs $10 a month billed yearly ($120) or $30 if you pay month to month, and there is a lifetime licence for $399.
Pros
- The most detailed style reports on this list
- Good for fiction and long-form content
Cons
- 500 words at a time on the free plan
- Premium is expensive if billed monthly
Two more free options worth knowing
Microsoft Editor. Microsoft describes Editor as a free grammar checker that works in more than 20 languages inside Word and Outlook. If you already write in Microsoft 365 apps, turn it on there. Its advanced refinements need a Microsoft 365 subscription.
Hemingway Editor. Hemingway doesn’t fix commas so much as point out long, hard-to-read sentences, passive voice and adverbs. Paste a draft into the web editor to see which sentences to shorten. It works well as a second pass after LanguageTool or Harper. A paid Plus plan adds AI features and has a 2-week free trial.
Which free Grammarly alternative should you choose?
- You want one tool that works everywhere: LanguageTool.
- You write in more than one language: LanguageTool, or Google Docs for its six languages.
- You handle private or client text: Harper, because nothing leaves your device.
- You’re a student who also paraphrases and summarises: QuillBot.
- You’re editing a novel or long article: ProWritingAid, in 500-word chunks.
- You’re polishing a resume or cover letter: check the text with any of the top three, then lay it out in one of the best free AI resume builders.
Many writers combine two: Harper or LanguageTool for everyday typing, plus Hemingway for a final readability pass. If you write for the web, pair a grammar checker with our guide to writing SEO-friendly content, because clean grammar alone won’t get a page ranked.
How to switch from Grammarly in 3 steps
- Remove or pause the Grammarly extension so two checkers don’t underline the same words. In Chrome go to Extensions → Manage extensions and switch Grammarly off.
- Install your new checker from the official site or the Chrome Web Store (LanguageTool, Harper or QuillBot).
- Add your own words such as brand names and jargon to the personal dictionary, or click “ignore” the first time, so the new tool stops flagging them.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a completely free alternative to Grammarly?
Yes. Harper is free with no limits and no account, and it’s open source. LanguageTool, QuillBot and Google Docs also have free grammar checking; LanguageTool and QuillBot keep some advanced features for paid plans.
Is LanguageTool better than Grammarly?
For multilingual writing, yes: LanguageTool supports 20+ languages for free, while Grammarly focuses on English. Grammarly’s free plan includes more AI writing (100 prompts a month), so if you mainly want AI rewriting in English, it may still suit you.
What is the best free Grammarly alternative for Chrome?
LanguageTool’s Chrome extension is the most complete free option. Harper’s Chrome extension is the best choice for privacy because checks run in your browser and your text is not sent anywhere.
Does Google Docs have a free grammar checker?
Yes. Google Docs has a built-in spelling and grammar check that underlines grammar issues in blue. Click “Spelling and grammar check” in the toolbar to review every suggestion. It works in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Italian.
Is QuillBot’s grammar checker really free?
Yes. QuillBot’s grammar checker is free to use in the browser and fixes basic grammar errors. Advanced grammar recommendations, unlimited paraphrasing and the plagiarism checker need QuillBot Premium.
Final verdict
For most people, LanguageTool is the best free Grammarly alternative: strong checks, 20+ languages and support in almost every app. Pick Harper if you care about privacy or want a tool with no limits at all, and keep QuillBot or Google Docs for quick checks. Prices and limits change often, so check each tool’s pricing page before you upgrade. Looking for more free tools? See our picks for the best free AI presentation makers and the best free Photoshop alternatives.
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