Software · head to head
Grammarly vs Hemingway Editor
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Grammarly occasional false positives and grammatically incorrect suggestions that can introduce errors; Hemingway Editor no grammar or spelling corrections; tool focuses only on style, readability, and clarity, leaving grammatical errors unflagged
- They diverge on capability: Grammarly covers Grammar checking, Hemingway Editor covers Readability analysis.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Grammarly and Hemingway Editor actually diverge.
| Attribute | Grammarly | Hemingway Editor |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android | Web, macOS, Windows |
| Founded | 2009 | 2013 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Grammarly
- Grammar checking
- Spelling correction
- Punctuation
- Clarity suggestions
- Engagement feedback
- Delivery insights
- Plagiarism checker
- Citation generator
Only in Hemingway Editor
- Readability analysis
- Sentence complexity
- Passive voice detection
- Adverb highlighting
- Chrome support
- Firefox support
- Edge support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Grammarly
- Email writingnot Hemingway Editor
- Document editingnot Hemingway Editor
- Academic writingnot Hemingway Editor
- Business communicationnot Hemingway Editor
- Content creationnot Hemingway Editor
Hemingway Editor
- Checking readability and flagging dense sentencesnot Grammarly
- Grammar checking and proofreading a draftnot Grammarly
- Adjusting tone before publishingnot Grammarly
- Paraphrasing passages with the free web toolsnot Grammarly
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Grammarly
- Occasional false positives and grammatically incorrect suggestions that can introduce errors
- Privacy concerns about sending text to Grammarly's servers for analysis
- AI capabilities sometimes produce hallucinations and fabricated citations that appear grammatically correct
Hemingway Editor
- No grammar or spelling corrections; tool focuses only on style, readability, and clarity, leaving grammatical errors unflagged
- Cannot distinguish context for idioms and colloquialisms, sometimes suggesting inappropriate replacements that alter intended meaning
- Free version cannot suggest fixes for highlighted issues, only displays problems without solutions
- Not suitable for academic or formal writing where its simplicity bias penalizes legitimate complex sentence structures
Pricing, plan by plan
Grammarly
Free- FreeFree
- Basic grammar and spelling checks
- Tone visibility
- 100 AI prompts per month
- Pro$12/month
- Sentence rewrites
- Tone adjustment
- Plagiarism and AI detection
Hemingway Editor
Free- FreeFree
- Readability checking
- Sentence highlighting
- Adverb detection
- Hemingway Editor Plus Individual 5K$8.33/month
- 5,000 AI sentence rewrites monthly
- Advanced grammar fixes (unlimited)
- Unlimited document review
- Hemingway Editor Plus Individual 10K$12.5/month
- 10,000 AI sentence rewrites monthly
- Advanced grammar fixes (unlimited)
- Unlimited document review
- Hemingway Editor Plus Team 10K$12.5/month
- 10,000 AI sentence rewrites per user monthly
- Role-based admin controls
- Priority support
Which should you pick?
Choose Grammarly if
- You need grammar checking.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
- You also want spelling correction.
Choose Hemingway Editor if
- You need readability analysis.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, macOS, Windows.
- You also want sentence complexity.
Questions people ask
- Is Grammarly or Hemingway Editor better?
- Neither clearly leads. Grammarly starts at Free and Hemingway Editor at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Grammarly or Hemingway Editor?
- Grammarly starts at Free and Hemingway Editor at Free.
- Does Grammarly or Hemingway Editor run on more platforms?
- Grammarly runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. Hemingway Editor runs on Web, macOS, Windows.
- Can I use Grammarly for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Grammarly best used for?
- Grammarly is most often used for email writing, document editing, academic writing, business communication. Of those, email writing and document editing are not what Hemingway Editor is typically brought in for.
- What can Grammarly do that Hemingway Editor cannot?
- Grammarly covers Grammar checking, Spelling correction, Punctuation, Clarity suggestions. Hemingway Editor covers Readability analysis, Sentence complexity, Passive voice detection, Adverb highlighting.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Grammarly: Does Grammarly have a free version?
Yes, Grammarly offers a free tier with basic spelling, grammar, and punctuation checks, tone visibility, and 100 AI prompts per month. The Pro plan ($12/month annual) adds sentence rewriting, plagiarism detection, and 2,000 AI prompts.
SourceHemingway Editor: Is there a free version and what does it include?
Yes. The free web version at hemingwayapp.com includes readability scoring, highlighting of complex sentences, passive voice detection, and weak adverb flagging. No account needed. Hemingway Editor Plus ($8.33/month or $100/year) adds advanced grammar fixes, AI sentence rewrites (10,000 monthly on best value plan), and unlimited document feedback.
SourceGrammarly: What platforms does Grammarly work with?
Grammarly works across 1 million+ apps including Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Outlook, Slack, Gmail, and web browsers. It also integrates with productivity tools like Asana, Jira, Monday.com, Confluence, and HubSpot.
SourceHemingway Editor: Does Hemingway Editor work offline?
The free web version requires internet. The desktop version for Mac and Windows ($19.99 one-time payment) works fully offline after download, enabling distraction-free writing without network connectivity.
SourceGrammarly: Can I use Grammarly offline?
Grammarly requires an internet connection to function, though the browser extension works with some offline text areas. For offline use, the desktop app and browser extensions sync when reconnected.
SourceHemingway Editor: What writing metrics does Hemingway measure?
Hemingway grades readability level, highlights adverbs and weak words, flags passive voice constructions, marks complex or hard-to-read sentences in color (red for very hard, yellow for difficult), and suggests simpler alternatives for complex phrases.
SourceGrammarly: What is included in the Enterprise plan?
The Enterprise plan includes unlimited team members, dedicated support, custom roles and permissions, data loss prevention, bring-your-own-key encryption, and unlimited AI prompts. Pricing is custom and available by contacting sales.
SourceHemingway Editor: Can I collaborate with others or share documents?
The web version allows pasting text directly, but Hemingway Editor itself does not have native collaboration or team features. Team plans on Hemingway Plus support $12.50/user/month pricing and role-based admin controls, but are primarily for shared workspace management rather than live document collaboration.
Source