Grammarly Alternatives for Mac in 2026: 7 Tools Worth Trying (2 Are Free)
Grammarly Pro is $12 a month, and a lot of what most people use it for is fixing commas in Slack messages and pull request descriptions. If that sounds like you, there are cheaper, lighter, or more specialized options o
Grammarly Pro is $12 a month, and a lot of what most people use it for is fixing commas in Slack messages and pull request descriptions.
If that sounds like you, there are cheaper, lighter, or more specialized options on a Mac now. Some check grammar, some rewrite, and one just finishes your sentences. Here is how I'd pick.
First: what do you actually want?
- Catch mistakes (typos, grammar, punctuation): Apple Writing Tools, Harper, LanguageTool
- Improve long-form writing (style, readability, structure): ProWritingAid, Hemingway
- Rephrase what you already wrote: Wordtune, Apple Writing Tools
- Write faster in the first place: DraftKey
Most people need one tool from the first group and maybe one from another. Not five.
1. Apple Writing Tools (built in)
If your Mac supports Apple Intelligence, you may already have a decent alternative. Select text, Control-click, choose Writing Tools, and you get Proofread, Rewrite (Friendly, Professional, Concise), Summarize, and a "Describe a change" box. Apple says it works in most places you write, including third-party apps and websites.
It is not available in every language or region, and usage limits may apply, but it costs nothing extra.
2. Harper
The one developers should look at first. Harper is a free, open-source grammar checker written in Rust, and its checks run locally with no LLM involved. There is a Harper Desktop app for macOS that works system-wide, plus extensions for VS Code, Neovim, Zed, Obsidian, Chrome and Firefox.
It focuses on the mistakes that matter (capitalization, spelling, awkward phrasing, broken grammar) and is built to be fast enough to keep up with typing. Great for READMEs and commit messages written in your editor.
3. LanguageTool
The best pick if you write in more than one language. The free version covers basic grammar and spelling; Premium adds thousands of extra style checks across English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Polish and Portuguese, up to 150,000 characters per text field, AI paraphrasing, and a custom style guide. The browser add-on works across most web apps.
4. ProWritingAid
Built for long documents: blog posts, docs, books. It goes beyond grammar with deep reports on style, pacing and repetition, plus manuscript-level tools. Premium is $30 a month or $120 a year (about $10 a month), with a lifetime option at $399.
Overkill for chat messages. Very good if you write long-form technical content.
5. Hemingway Editor
Paste in text and it highlights hard-to-read sentences, passive voice and unnecessary adverbs. It teaches you to write tighter instead of silently fixing things for you. Hemingway Editor Plus adds one-click fixes for highlighted issues, grammar checking and tone adjustment.
My favorite for tightening docs and announcement posts before they go out.
6. Wordtune
A rewriting tool first, grammar checker second. Select a sentence and get alternatives: shorter, longer, more casual, more formal. There is a free Basic plan with limited daily use, and paid plans start at $4.89 a month billed annually ($6.99 monthly).
Good when your grammar is fine but the sentence still sounds wrong.
7. DraftKey
A different angle from everything above. Instead of checking text after you write it, DraftKey suggests the next few words in gray as you type, and Tab accepts them. Keep typing and the suggestion just goes away.
It also does rewrites: press Command + Option, pick Fix writing, Shorter, Clearer or a tone, or ask for your own change, preview the result, then insert it. Nothing gets replaced until you review it. It works in compatible text fields in the apps you enable. Apple Silicon, macOS 14+, 8 GB of RAM. 500 free words per Mac, then $4.99 once for up to three Macs.
Pair it with Harper or Apple Writing Tools if you also want proofreading.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Free option | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Writing Tools | Proofread and rewrite anywhere | Built in | None |
| Harper | Local grammar checks, dev editors | Fully free, open source | None |
| LanguageTool | Multilingual writing | Yes | Premium |
| ProWritingAid | Long-form and manuscripts | Yes | $10/mo yearly, $399 lifetime |
| Hemingway | Readability | Web editor | Plus |
| Wordtune | Rephrasing | Basic, limited daily | From $4.89/mo yearly |
| DraftKey | Tab autocomplete and reviewed rewrites | 500 words per Mac | $4.99 once |
| Grammarly (for reference) | All-in-one | Free plan | Pro $12/mo |
Which one would I install?
On a new Mac: Apple Writing Tools (already there), Harper for editors and system-wide checks, and DraftKey for the part where I stall mid-sentence. If I were writing a book, ProWritingAid.
What are you using instead of Grammarly, and what made you switch?
Originally published by Dev.to AI. Aggregated on AIWithGhost for educational purposes — full credit and traffic to the original publisher.