Is free Grammarly even worth it? Is it any better than the checker that comes in your document processing software or, in fact, any other grammar checker software? Does Grammarly nag you about upgrades?
These questions will be answered in this article. Likewise, you’ll find out if the basic edition is enough for professionals, plus the difference between the free version and the paid ones. The goal is to help you decide which version of Grammarly is right for you.
Grammarly is one of the most popular and useful tools in the field. However, you can still check how Grammarly compares to other leading writing solutions. But does the Grammarly free edition cut it? Let’s find out.
What does free Grammarly do and doesn’t do?
If you find yourself rushing many writing assignments, then you know how your work suffers from that hectic approach. To save accumulating sloppy copies and verbal reprimands from bosses and teachers, your only recourse is getting a grammar checker tool work for you. Better still, these types of software are not only capable of correcting grammar but also detect plagiarism, saving yourself and your company potential litigation risks.
Professionals in the IT and Finance industry make more writing mistakes. Grammarly can help correct errors and deliver powerful and bold writing.
Running a grammar or writing enhancement software in your computer makes sure that the number of typos in your document decreases outstandingly.
Grammar checkers save time and educate users on all grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, all the while teaching them how to avoid errors in the future. With this, your written work will never get indecent evaluations. With top brass writing solution Grammarly, you can easily create a positive image because a correctly composed work reveals professional capability.
Grammarly has four kinds of subscriptions: Free, Premium, Business, and EDU (for education). Whatever version you plan to get, you start with getting the free edition and scale your way to premium features. You can easily do so when you sign up for Grammarly free edition here.
Grammarly Free Edition
Grammarly has two main types of services: grammar check and plagiarism check. Grammarly’s grammar check is not just a probe on whether there is an incorrect use of grammar. It helps users by flagging potential punctuation errors, misuse of words, and spelling mistakes. Students and professionals alike spend a good amount of time in figuring out where to put commas or when to use semicolons. Grammarly allows you to concentrate on the content of what you are writing and helps you clean up typing errors especially when you type fast. You can also opt to learn more about how Grammarly helps you put more power in your writing.
Grammarly dashboard.
Grammar Checks
You can use Grammarly in different ways. One way to use it is to go to the company’s website as mentioned. But if this is much of a hassle—having to copy and paste material from Word to the site—then you can also install a Grammarly add-in for Windows, Mac, and MS Office. In this way, you can run it via your desktop. You can also download the add-in for MS Office to have Grammarly appear on MS Word. You can also download the browser extension. This will be helpful when writing emails, blog posts, and content. You can enable a neat feature in the extension that shows definitions and synonyms when you double click on a word. You don’t have to open up a dictionary app or a tab to search for definitions.
Grammarly is being billed as a writing assistant more than just some grammar, spelling, and plagiarism checker. When you create an account, you will have access to weekly updates on your top writing mistakes, productivity, and even vocabulary. The platform tracks your improvement for you. It also lets you add words in your very own personal dictionary. Also, Grammarly does not rely on rigid grammatical rules like other systems. It has its own AI system dedicated to the analysis of English sentence—words and their contexts. In this way, it can let you know whenever you have correctly spelled words but may have used them in the incorrect context. Grammarly does not just correct you but it encourages you to learn and improve.
Plagiarism Checks
The plagiarism checker on Grammarly.com allows users to catch plagiarism but does not really give out details. It just notifies you of the occurrence but does not really pinpoint the problematic parts. The full-fledged service is only available to paying users. Once signed up for it, Grammarly will test your documents against 16 billion webpages. It also checks for plagiarism in all ProQuest databases. This is useful for personal, business, and academic use.
Is Grammarly Free Even Worth a Try?
A free trial is the best route to take if you want to check Grammarly’s compatibility with your writing workflow. With it, you are provided with basic tools for checking grammar and punctuation errors and all of Grammarly’s core features, including MS office add-in and a 256-bit AES and SSL/TLS encryption. What is good about this route is that you get unlimited grammar checking without any hefty costs or monetary commitment. To get the app now at no cost, you can easily sign up for Grammarly free edition here.
A grammar checker helps you improve your writing seamlessly.
Grammarly Premium and its Perks
Like most freemium services, Grammarly’s paid versions have more features than its free edition. But is the free version worth having to begin with? Well, if you wish to keep track of your writing mistakes and performance stats, it is worth a shot. This is especially when your job requires you to write business correspondence such as formal letters, emails, and even create web content. You do not want to put out materials that would embarrass you and your company. For this purpose, Grammarly Free is enough.
Once you’ve created a Grammarly account and have downloaded the add-in for MS Office, you’ll soon notice that it can detect more issues than your document processing software. It just doesn’t find the misspelled words but also points out punctuation errors and helps you cut down on wordiness. Plus, it gives you reasons as to why words, phrases, or sentences have been flagged. Again, it does not just correct errors but it also teaches you why it is incorrect and how you should go about it next time.
You have total freedom on how you can integrate Grammarly to your workflows.
Here are the key features for Grammarly Premium:
- Critical grammar and spelling checks and correction suggestions
- Access your documents using different devices
- Integrate with MS Office on Windows devices
- Use native Windows and MacOS apps
- See definitions and synonyms via double clicks
- See grammar rules and their explanations
- Add words to your personal dictionary
- Get email updates of your performance statistics
- Get notified of contextual spelling and grammar mistakes
- Get access to a personal editor at Grammarly.com
Another thing that you would immediately notice when you have the free version is that it does not have the plagiarism check feature. You will also notice that there would be “advanced issues” that are not critical enough but if resolved would allow you to have a better-written piece. But these are not accessible for free users. You would need to scale up your subscription for these. This is part of the freemium scheme and Grammarly never forgets to bring this up.
The software also features an admin panel to monitor software usage and other key statistics.
Just like how well Grammarly helps users improve your writing, it does really well in reeling users towards paid plans. If you are already resolved that you are a Grammarly Free person and you will never upgrade, you can just unsubscribe from being a part of the email promotions loop for Premium or Business.
Grammarly Business and Education
Grammarly has also offerings for teams. This is perfect for your marketing departments, social media departments, PR departments, and those who create contracts. Communication can be made clearer and to the point. Wordiness would be cut out. Embarrassing errors would be eliminated. Who wants to do business with a company whose official materials contain silly errors?
If you are part of academia, a Grammarly EDU account for your department can also be beneficial. For your administrative staff, communications will be clearer and will contain fewer errors at least. For faculty and research, the plagiarism feature will help you identify duplicate copies. Remember, the plagiarism feature checks against 16 billion webpages and, more importantly, ProQuest databases. This will help you identify article parts that are unattributed, lacks citation, or needs more paraphrasing.
The paid versions include style checks which are genre specific. This is perfect for informative or descriptive business communication materials and marketing materials where you aim to convince.
The same benefit is also available to those with EDU accounts. There are group plans available and the price starts out at $500 for 5 users annually. Ten users will be billed for $800 yearly and a group plan for 20 users is for $1,200 per year. For more than 20 users, you can get a quote from the vendor.
Is Grammarly safe to use with sensitive information?
Data security is a significant concern when using any online tool, particularly one that processes written content. Grammarly, as a widely used writing assistant, takes privacy seriously. However, users may still wonder about the safety of inputting sensitive information. Here’s an overview of how Grammarly handles security and what users should know:
- Data Encryption: Grammarly uses encryption protocols such as SSL (Secure Socket Layer) to protect data while it is being transmitted between your device and Grammarly’s servers. This means your text is encrypted, reducing the risk of unauthorized access while in transit.
- Privacy Policy and User Data: Grammarly’s privacy policy states that it collects data to improve its services, but this data is anonymized. For example, Grammarly may use writing data to train and refine its algorithms but does not share personal or private content with third parties. However, it’s important to note that Grammarly can access the content you type, so users should avoid inputting highly sensitive information like personal identification numbers or passwords.
- User Control Over Data: Grammarly lets users delete their data from its servers. You can remove documents or content from your account anytime through your settings. This helps users retain control over their information and privacy.
- GDPR and Compliance: Grammarly complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), ensuring that European users’ personal data is handled according to strict privacy standards. This includes providing users with the option to request access to or deletion of their data.
- What Grammarly Doesn’t Do: Grammarly does not sell your data or use your content for advertising purposes. However, users should be cautious when entering highly sensitive or confidential information (such as legal documents or medical records), as no online service can be entirely risk-free.
Is it for you? You decide.
In previous sections, we have outlined ways on how individual professionals, departments, and academics can benefit from Grammarly free edition. For many, the free version is already enough and beneficial. You will be able to improve your writing performance, communication, and understanding of the ins and outs of grammar. But you should also compare the different Grammarly subscription plans to see how far this tool goes.
For instance, if you want a plagiarism checker, you really should upgrade. The upgrade comes with notifications of potential advanced issues that can help you improve your materials even better. If you work with a team, you want that team to grow and, thus, Grammarly Business is a good option. For those in academic institutions, Grammarly subscriptions are also a boon.
So, it is up to you. Better give the free version a try first and see whether it fits your needs and liking. You can easily sign up for Grammarly free edition here.
Key Insights
- Growth in Popularity: Grammarly has become one of the most popular tools for grammar and writing enhancement, widely used by students and professionals.
- Basic Features: The free version of Grammarly offers essential grammar, spelling, and punctuation checks, making it a valuable tool for improving basic writing skills.
- Premium Benefits: Upgrading to Grammarly Premium provides access to advanced grammar checks, plagiarism detection, enhanced vocabulary suggestions, and style improvements.
- Integration and Accessibility: Grammarly integrates seamlessly with various platforms, including web browsers, MS Office, and mobile devices, ensuring consistent writing support across different applications.
- Educational and Business Applications: Grammarly offers specialized plans for educational institutions and businesses, providing tools for plagiarism detection, improved communication, and professional writing.
- User Feedback and Learning: Grammarly not only corrects mistakes but also provides explanations and learning opportunities to help users understand and avoid future errors.
- Plagiarism Detection: The premium version includes a robust plagiarism checker that scans documents against billions of web pages and academic databases, ensuring originality in writing.
- User-Friendly Experience: The software is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, with features like personal dictionaries and weekly writing performance updates.
FAQ
- What does the free version of Grammarly offer? The free version of Grammarly offers basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation checks. It also provides suggestions for improving sentence structure and writing clarity.
- Is Grammarly’s free version enough for professionals? The free version can be sufficient for basic writing needs, but professionals who require advanced features such as style improvements, vocabulary enhancements, and plagiarism detection may benefit more from the premium version.
- How does Grammarly integrate with other platforms? Grammarly integrates with web browsers, MS Office, and mobile devices through add-ins and extensions, allowing users to access writing assistance across various applications and platforms seamlessly.
- What additional features does Grammarly Premium offer? Grammarly Premium includes advanced grammar checks, plagiarism detection, vocabulary enhancement suggestions, style improvement recommendations, and access to explanations for corrections.
- Can Grammarly help with plagiarism detection? Yes, the premium version of Grammarly includes a plagiarism checker that compares your text against billions of web pages and academic databases to ensure originality.
- Is Grammarly useful for educational institutions and businesses? Yes, Grammarly offers specialized plans for educational institutions and businesses, providing tools to improve writing quality, detect plagiarism, and enhance overall communication within teams or classrooms.
- How does Grammarly help users learn from their mistakes? Grammarly provides detailed explanations for each correction, helping users understand the reasons behind their mistakes and learn how to avoid them in the future.
- What are the costs associated with Grammarly’s premium and business plans? Grammarly Premium offers individual plans starting at approximately $30 per month, while business plans start at $12.50 per user per month. Educational plans vary based on the number of users and specific needs.
- Does Grammarly offer any customization options? Yes, Grammarly allows users to add words to a personal dictionary, customize writing style preferences, and receive weekly updates on their writing performance and common mistakes.
- Is it worth trying the free version of Grammarly before upgrading? Yes, trying the free version first can help you determine if Grammarly fits your needs and writing workflow. If you find the basic features helpful and require more advanced tools, you can then consider upgrading to the premium version.
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