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Documentation · head to head

Grammarly vs Starlight

Grammarly logo

Grammarly

Documentation

Great writing, simplified

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Starlight logo

Starlight

Documentation

Documentation site framework built on Astro that ships no JavaScript to the reader by default

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Grammarly occasional false positives and grammatically incorrect suggestions that can introduce errors; Starlight there is no editing interface, so every correction requires a git client, a Node install and a CI run, which puts documentation changes out of reach for anyone who does not already work in a repository.
  • They diverge on capability: Grammarly covers Grammar checking, Starlight covers File based routing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Grammarly and Starlight actually diverge.

Attributes where Grammarly and Starlight differ
AttributeGrammarlyStarlight
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux
Founded2009Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Documentation).

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 Starlight

  • File based routing
  • Pagefind search
  • Internationalisation
  • Component overrides
  • Zero client JavaScript
  • Expressive Code blocks
  • Auto generated sidebar

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Grammarly

  • Email writingnot Starlight
  • Document editingnot Starlight
  • Academic writingnot Starlight
  • Business communicationnot Starlight
  • Content creationnot Starlight

Starlight

  • A developer tool whose docs live in the same repository as the code and are reviewed in the same pull requestnot Grammarly
  • A team that already runs Astro for its marketing site and wants one build pipeline for bothnot Grammarly
  • Documentation that must be served from a CDN or an air gapped static host with no search backendnot Grammarly
  • A multilingual open source project that needs per locale content trees and untranslated page fallbacknot 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

Starlight

  • There is no editing interface, so every correction requires a git client, a Node install and a CI run, which puts documentation changes out of reach for anyone who does not already work in a repository.
  • Starlight versions track Astro versions, so an Astro major release becomes a documentation site migration on someone else timeline rather than yours.
  • Pagefind builds the whole search index at compile time, so build duration and index size grow with page count and large documentation sets pay for it on every deploy.
  • There is no analytics, no feedback widget and no page level rating built in, so measuring which pages fail readers means wiring a third party script yourself.
  • Component overrides are limited to the slots the theme exposes, and anything outside those slots means forking the theme and inheriting the merge burden on every upgrade.

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

Starlight

Free
  • Open sourceFree
    • MIT licence
    • All features included
    • Self hosted on any static host

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.
Grammarly review

Choose Starlight if

  • You need file based routing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want pagefind search.
Starlight review

Questions people ask

Is Grammarly or Starlight better?
Neither clearly leads. Grammarly starts at Free and Starlight at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Grammarly or Starlight?
Grammarly starts at Free and Starlight at Free.
Does Grammarly or Starlight run on more platforms?
Grammarly runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. Starlight runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux.
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 Starlight is typically brought in for.
What can Grammarly do that Starlight cannot?
Grammarly covers Grammar checking, Spelling correction, Punctuation, Clarity suggestions. Starlight covers File based routing, Pagefind search, Internationalisation, Component overrides.

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.

Source
Starlight: Can a non technical writer publish a page without help?

No. There is no content management interface. Every change is a commit, a pull request and a build.

Grammarly: 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.

Source
Starlight: Do I need to know Astro to use it?

Not for basic use. Markdown files and a config file are enough until you want custom components, at which point Astro knowledge becomes mandatory.

Grammarly: 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.

Source
Starlight: Is search included or do I pay for it?

Included and free. Pagefind builds a static index at compile time. Algolia DocSearch is optional if you want hosted search instead.

Grammarly: 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.

Source
Starlight: What happens when Astro releases a major version?

Starlight follows it, and your site needs a migration. Read the upgrade guide before pinning a version for a long lived project.

Starlight: Can I self host with no external services?

Yes. The output is static HTML, CSS and a search index. Nothing calls out at runtime unless you add it.

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