3 Free & Open Source Alternatives to Grammarly (2026)

Compare 3 free and open-source alternatives to Grammarly: Hemingway Editor, LanguageTool, and Vale. Pros, cons, pricing, and screenshots tested 2026.

Grammarly

Freemium ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.0

Grammarly is an AI-powered writing assistant that checks grammar, spelling, punctuation, clarity, and tone across emails, documents, and social media posts in real time.

Freemium
3 free options
AI Tools
4 / 5
Why people look for alternatives Grammarly has a free tier with limitations. Many users seek fully free or open-source alternatives that offer the same capabilities without paywalled features or usage caps.
Gramm Visit Grammarly →

Quick Comparison

Tool Pricing Best for Rating
Hemingway Editor
Freemium — ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.0
LanguageTool
Freemium (Open Source) — ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.0
Vale
Free & Open Source — ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.0

Detailed Reviews

Hemingway Editor

A writing tool that highlights complex sentences, passive voice, and readability issues to help you write clearly and concisely.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.0
Freemium

Free to use in the browser at hemingwayapp.com with full functionality; one-time $19.99 purchase for the desktop app.

1 screenshot — click to enlarge

Hemingway Editor homepage screenshot Screenshot 1

✓ Pros

  • Free to use in the browser with no account or sign-up required
  • Focuses on clarity and readability rather than rigid grammar rules

✕ Cons

  • Not open source; works only within its own editor with no integrations or API
  • Does not check grammar or spelling — purely style and readability feedback

LanguageTool

An open-source grammar, style, and spell checker supporting over 30 languages, available as a browser extension, desktop app, and self-hosted service.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.0
Freemium (Open Source)

Free tier with core grammar and spell checking; Premium at ~$5/month adds advanced style, clarity, and plagiarism detection.

3 screenshots — click to enlarge

LanguageTool grammar Screenshot 1
LanguageTool Windows Screenshot 2

✓ Pros

  • Open source under LGPL — self-host for unlimited checks with complete privacy
  • Supports over 30 languages, far exceeding Grammarly's language coverage

✕ Cons

  • AI-powered style and clarity suggestions require the paid Premium plan
  • Writing tone and engagement scoring is not as polished as Grammarly Premium

Vale

An open-source command-line prose linter that enforces custom style guides for Markdown, AsciiDoc, HTML, and other markup formats.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 4.0
Free & Open Source

1 screenshot — click to enlarge

Vale writing Screenshot 1

✓ Pros

  • Fully open source under MIT — extend, fork, or self-host with no restrictions
  • Highly configurable via custom rules; supports Google, Microsoft, and Write Good style guides

✕ Cons

  • Command-line only — no GUI or browser extension; not suitable for non-technical users
  • Requires setup and configuration before use; not a drop-in replacement for Grammarly

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