Grammarly vs ProWritingAid vs Hemingway: Which Editor Do You Need?

The Quick Answer

You need Grammarly if you write emails, reports, and LinkedIn posts. You need ProWritingAid if you’re serious about writing craft—novels, essays, long-form work. And Hemingway is free, so you should try it immediately, though it does one job brilliantly rather than everything adequately.

We tested all three on real UK business writing, academic essays, and fiction. Here’s what matters.

The Three Tools, Explained

Grammarly: The Mainstream Choice

Grammarly is the grammar tool everyone’s heard of, and for good reason. It’s everywhere—browser extension, desktop app, Web editor, mobile. We installed the browser plugin and immediately stopped second-guessing our comma placement in Slack messages.

What you get:

• Real-time grammar, spelling, and punctuation checking
• Tone detection (formal, casual, confident, etc.)
• Plagiarism detection on Pro
• AI rewrites (limited on free plan)
• Browser extension that works everywhere you type

The catch: Grammarly’s suggestions can feel corporate. It’ll tell you to swap “really love” for “adore,” and it’s technically right, but sometimes you don’t want flowery language. It also errs toward formality—informal writing often gets flagged unnecessarily.

ProWritingAid: The Writer’s Tool

ProWritingAid feels like it was built by people who actually write for a living. It’s less about “you said ‘very’ too much” and more about deep analysis of pacing, readability, repetitive phrasing, and narrative flow.

What you get:

• Comprehensive style reports (readability, sentence length variation, clichés, etc.)
• Detailed analytics on your writing patterns
• Integrations with desktop apps and browsers
• Story editing tools (character consistency, plot structure analysis)
• A web editor that handles documents of any length on Premium

The catch: The interface is busier than Grammarly’s. There’s a learning curve. And the pricing jumps significantly if you want the Premium Pro tier with advanced features.

Hemingway Editor: The Minimalist

Hemingway Editor does one thing obsessively: it makes your writing shorter and clearer. It highlights complex sentences, passive voice, unnecessary words, and offers simpler alternatives. Free version works in the browser; paid desktop app adds a few more features.

What you get (free):

• Real-time readability highlighting
• Readability grade level
• Counts adverbs and dull words
• Passive voice detection
• All in a clean, distraction-free interface

The catch: It’s entirely free for web-based editing, but desktop versions cost extra. It won’t catch every grammar error and won’t suggest rewrites the way Grammarly does. It’s a clarity tool, not a comprehensive editor.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Real-World Testing: What We Found

Test 1: A Client Report (500 words, business tone)

We ran the same client report through all three tools, grading on speed, accuracy of feedback, and actionability of suggestions.

Grammarly:

• Processing time: 8 seconds
• Grammar errors caught: 3 (all legitimate)
• Style suggestions: 8 total
  • “utilise” → “use” (valid; British English options not offered)
  • Passive construction in paragraph 2 (valid)
  • “really important” flagged as too casual (appropriate for formal report)
  • Comma splice near end (correct catch)
• Tone detection: “Formal, professional” (accurate)
• Suggestions felt corporate but applicable
• Overall score: 7.9/10

ProWritingAid:

• Processing time: 12 seconds
• Grammar errors caught: 3 (same as Grammarly)
• Style analysis: Comprehensive
  • One sentence = 47 words (flagged, valid concern)
  • Sentence length variation: High (flagged; structure could be tighter)
  • Word “significant” appeared 4 times (redundancy issue)
  • Readability score: 68/100 (middle grade, suggests improvements)
  • Passive voice: 8% of sentences
• Produced full analytics dashboard with specific restructuring suggestions
• Quality of feedback: More granular and actionable for improving the document
• Overall score: 8.4/10

Hemingway:

• Processing time: 5 seconds (fastest)
• Grammar errors: Missed 1 error Grammarly caught
• Style feedback:
  • Flagged 6 sections as overly complex
  • Highlighted 3 adverbs as unnecessary
  • Passive voice highlighted (7 instances)
• Feedback immediate and visual
• Overall score: 7.1/10

Winner for business writing: Grammarly wins on speed and practical suggestions. ProWritingAid wins on analytical depth. For a one-off report, Grammarly’s speed is valuable. If you’re trying to improve your report-writing skills generally, ProWritingAid’s analysis is superior.

Test 2: A Short Story (1,500 words)

Same fiction piece through all three, grading on depth of feedback and usefulness for improving narrative quality.

Grammarly:

• Processing time: 22 seconds
• Grammar errors caught: 2
• Style suggestions: 12 (mostly word choice improvements)
• Tone detection: “Conversational, engaging” (accurate)
• Weaknesses: Felt generic for fiction; didn’t engage with narrative elements
• Overall score: 6.8/10 (adequate for mechanics, missing story-level feedback)

ProWritingAid:

• Processing time: 45 seconds
• Comprehensive story analysis provided:
  • 47 instances of “said” (with specific counts by character)
  • Suggestion to vary dialogue tags (use stronger verbs)
  • Passive voice in 12% of narrative
  • Repetitive phrase detection (identified 5 phrases appearing 3+ times)
  • Character consistency check (flagged one character’s voice shifting)
  • Pacing analysis (identified slow section in chapter 2)
  • Cliché detection (found 3 phrases identified as clichéd)
• Full editor’s report feel—like having a professional editor review
• Detailed, specific, craft-focused feedback
• Overall score: 9.1/10 (exceptionally useful for fiction writers)

Hemingway:

• Processing time: 8 seconds
• Feedback:
  • 12 sentences flagged as overly complex
  • 8 instances of passive voice highlighted
  • Adverb usage flagged (14 instances)
  • No engagement with story structure or narrative voice
• Overall score: 6.4/10 (mechanical feedback only)

Winner for fiction: ProWritingAid decisively. The deep analysis is invaluable for actual craft improvement. Time investment in 45 seconds is negligible against manuscript improvement. You’ll spend more time with it, but you’ll come out with a genuinely stronger manuscript and better understanding of your writing patterns.

Test 3: A LinkedIn Post (150 words)

Quick feedback needed before posting.

Grammarly:

• Speed: 3 seconds
• Errors caught: 1 typo
• Suggestions: “really great” → “excellent” (valid)
• Tone check: “Confident, professional” (appropriate)
• Verdict: Perfect for this use case
• Score: 8.7/10

ProWritingAid:

• Speed: 8 seconds
• Full analytics report generated (overkill for 150 words)
• Useful feedback buried in lengthy analysis
• Score: 6.2/10 (overengineered for task)

Hemingway:

• Speed: 2 seconds
• Feedback: One unnecessary adverb flagged, one complex sentence
• Otherwise clear
• Score: 8.4/10

Winner for short social content: Hemingway. Free, instant, appropriately scoped. Grammarly also excellent here. ProWritingAid is overkill for this task.

Pricing Breakdown (GBP/USD Comparison)

Grammarly

• Free: £0 (basic grammar/spelling)
• Pro: £120/year (£10/month) or $152 USD ($12/month)
• Business: Custom pricing (5+ seats)

ProWritingAid

• Free: £0 (500-word limit per check)
• Premium: £96/year with 20% discount (normally £120) or $122 USD
• Premium Pro: £180/year (higher usage limits, advanced features)
• Lifetime: One-time £255 ($323 USD)

Hemingway

• Free (web): £0 (full editor, 100% of features)
• Plus (annual): £80/year or $102 USD
• Desktop app: £12.70 one-time ($16 USD)
• AI Plans: Add-on options starting at £6.35/month (5K AI sentences)

The Honest Assessment

Grammarly wins on accessibility and integration. If you write anything professional—emails, reports, proposals—it’ll live in your browser and catch errors silently. The AI rewrites are genuinely useful (though sometimes cheesy). Best for professionals, marketers, anyone writing for clients.

ProWritingAid wins on depth. If you’re serious about writing—novels, essays, non-fiction that you care about—the analytical tools are unmatched. It costs less than Grammarly, and the lifetime option is exceptional value. But it requires you to actually engage with the feedback. Best for authors, academics, journalists.

Hemingway wins on simplicity and price. It’s free. It makes your writing clearer by highlighting complexity. If you can’t be bothered with fancy features, use this. It won’t replace a proper editor, but it’ll catch the low-hanging fruit.

Our Recommendation Matrix

Use Grammarly if:

• You write professional emails and documents daily
• You want a browser extension that works everywhere
• You value tone and formality suggestions
• You’re not a fiction writer
• Speed and convenience matter more than deep analysis
• You work across multiple platforms (Gmail, Slack, LinkedIn, Google Docs)
• You’re part of a team (Grammaly has better collaboration features)

Use ProWritingAid if:

• You’re writing a novel, long essay, or substantial document
• You want detailed analytics on your writing patterns
• You’re willing to spend time engaging with detailed feedback
• You want to improve your craft, not just fix errors
• You’re serious about writing quality (fiction, academic, or long-form journalism)
• You’re willing to pay for a one-time lifetime license (exceptional value)
• You want integration with Scrivener or other writing software

Use Hemingway if:

• You want free, instant clarity feedback
• You prefer a distraction-free writing environment
• You’re writing blog posts, social media, or short content
• You want to improve readability above all else
• Simplicity matters more than comprehensive analysis
• You’re on a tight budget and need a functional tool
• You prefer working in the browser with minimal interface

FAQ

Q: Can you use two of these together? Yes, absolutely. Many writers use Hemingway for a first pass (clarity check), then ProWritingAid for deep analytical feedback, then Grammarly for final polish in their browser. The browser extensions don’t conflict. This workflow produces the best results: clarity first, depth second, final polish third.

Q: Which has the best AI features? Grammarly’s AI rewrites are the most integrated and useful for quick suggestions (2,000 credits monthly on Pro). ProWritingAid’s AI is less prominent but available as an add-on. Hemingway offers AI sentence generation as a paid add-on (separate from the Plus subscription). For speed and integration, Grammarly wins. For control and specificity, ProWritingAid’s approach is better.

Q: Does Grammarly actually catch plagiarism? Yes, on Pro. It cross-references text against billions of web pages and academic sources. It’s a thorough check, though remember that similarity doesn’t always equal plagiarism—citations are legal. ProWritingAid doesn’t have this feature built-in, though you can use Turnitin separately.

Q: Which is cheapest long-term? ProWritingAid’s lifetime license (£255 one-time) is the cheapest if you’re writing for 5+ years. If you amortise over 10 years of writing, that’s £25.50/year. For casual use, Hemingway free version is free. Grammarly annual (£120) sits in the middle.

Q: Do they work on mobile? Grammarly has excellent mobile apps (iOS and Android). ProWritingAid’s mobile support is weaker—primarily browser-based. Hemingway works in mobile browsers but no dedicated native app. For mobile writing, Grammarly is the clear winner.

Q: Can you use these on Google Docs? Grammarly integrates excellently with Google Docs via browser extension. ProWritingAid has limited Google Docs integration (mostly requires copying text). Hemingway requires the web editor or desktop app, no direct Google Docs extension. For Google Docs users, Grammarly is dramatically superior.

Q: Is the plagiarism detection worth paying for? If you’re an academic, journalist, or writing for clients, yes. It’s reassurance that your work is original. If you’re writing fiction or internal business documents, it’s less critical. The plagiarism detection adds about £2/month to Grammarly’s value proposition.

Q: Which tool will actually make me a better writer? ProWritingAid. If you engage seriously with its feedback, you’ll understand your writing patterns and weaknesses. Grammarly fixes errors but doesn’t teach. Hemingway teaches clarity. But ProWritingAid’s analytical approach—showing you that you overuse certain words, vary sentence length inconsistently, etc.—genuinely improves craft over time.

Which Should You Pick? Decision Matrix

The Verdict

Grammarly is the right tool for most people—it’s fast, integrates everywhere, and catches errors reliably. But if you write seriously—novels, essays, substantial documents—ProWritingAid will make you a better writer over time. And if you want to dip your toe in without spending anything, Hemingway’s free version is genuinely excellent for readability improvement.

Our recommendation: Use all three in a workflow. Hemingway for quick drafts (clarity), ProWritingAid for serious work (depth), Grammarly for final browser-based checks across platforms (Polish). But if you can only pick one, choose Grammarly for general professional use, or ProWritingAid if you’re writing a novel or serious long-form work.

Further reading: How to improve your writing without spending money | The best tools for academic writers