Free grammar and tone checker that works in your browser, desktop apps, and phone keyboard. No credit card required to start, and it genuinely catches mistakes spell-check misses.
📑 Table of Contents
🙋 Why I Started Using It
Before I get into the features, here's my honest take: I don't love every AI writing tool out there, but this one earned a permanent spot in my browser. It started with a work email that went out with a typo in the subject line. Nobody said anything, but I noticed it after hitting send, and it bugged me for days. Regular spell-check in my browser wasn't catching things like mixed-up "their/there" or awkward sentence flow, so I went looking for something smarter.
That's when I installed Grammarly's free plan. This post covers what it actually does on the free tier (not the paid pitch you see everywhere), which features are genuinely useful, what's missing, and exactly how to set it up whether you write in a browser, in Word, or on your phone. If you've only ever seen the ads promising "genius-level" writing, this is the more grounded version: what the no-cost tier really catches day to day, and where you'd still need to proofread yourself.
🔎 What Is Grammarly?
Grammarly is a writing assistant that checks spelling, grammar, punctuation, and tone as you type, almost anywhere you write online or on your desktop. It runs as a browser extension, a standalone desktop app, a plugin for Microsoft Word and Outlook, and a mobile keyboard app.
- Supported platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, plus browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.
- Price: Free plan available forever, no credit card needed. Paid Pro plan starts around $12/month when billed annually (roughly $30/month if paid monthly), for advanced rewrites and higher AI usage limits.
- Free plan includes: real-time spelling and grammar correction, tone detection, and up to 100 AI writing prompts per month.
In other words, you don't need to pay anything to get meaningfully better proofreading than your browser's built-in spell-checker.
⭐ Key Features
Real-time corrections everywhere. Once it's installed, red and blue underlines pop up in Gmail, Google Docs, Slack, LinkedIn, and basically any text box in your browser. I stopped noticing it was even running until it caught something I would've missed.
Tone detector. This is the feature I use the most. It reads your draft and tells you whether it sounds "friendly," "formal," or even "irritated" before you hit send. I've rewritten more than a few emails after seeing that little tone label look harsher than I intended.
Free AI prompts. The free plan includes 100 AI writing prompts a month for things like generating a quick outline or rephrasing an awkward sentence. It's not unlimited, but it's enough for casual, everyday use.
Desktop and mobile coverage. The Windows/Mac desktop app catches text in native apps too, not just the browser, and the mobile keyboard means the same corrections follow you when you're typing on your phone.
Word count and readability stats. Every document gets a small performance panel showing word count, reading time, and an overall "score." It's not something I check constantly, but it's a nice sanity check before sending a longer piece, like a cover letter or a blog draft, out into the world.
👍👎 Pros and Cons
After using the free plan daily for a while, here's where it genuinely helps and where it falls short.
| 👍 Pros | 👎 Cons |
|---|---|
| Free tier works forever, no trial trap or forced upgrade | Free plan won't do full-sentence rewrites, only basic corrections |
| Covers browser, desktop, and mobile in one account | 100 AI prompts/month runs out fast if you draft a lot of content |
| Tone detector is genuinely useful for work emails | Extension needs access to text fields, which some people find uncomfortable on sensitive sites |
| Setup takes minutes, no technical knowledge needed | Can feel a bit "naggy" with underlines if your writing style is casual on purpose |
📥 Install and Setup
You don't need to download anything sketchy or hunt for a mirror link. Everything starts from Grammarly's own site.
🔗 Official browser extension page — grammarly.com Grammarly's own "Browser" page, with links to the official Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons, Edge Add-ons, and Safari extension listings. Free to install.Step by step: open the link above and pick your browser, click "Add to Chrome" (or the equivalent button for your browser) directly from the store page, then create a free Grammarly account with an email address. Once it's added, you'll see a small green "G" icon appear inside text fields as you type. For native apps like Word, go to grammarly.com/desktop instead and download the Windows or Mac app from that page, then sign in with the same account. On mobile, install "Grammarly: AI Writing Assistant" from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and enable it as your keyboard in your phone's settings.
💡 Tips and Cautions
A few things I wish I'd known on day one. First, if you're writing anything sensitive, like a password field or a confidential document, click the floating "G" icon and toggle Grammarly off for that specific site or field, it's a one-click switch, not a full uninstall. Second, don't accept every suggestion blindly. The free tier sometimes flags stylistic choices as "errors" that are actually fine for casual writing, so treat it as a second opinion, not a rulebook. Third, keep an eye on your monthly AI prompt count if you use the generative features often, it resets each billing cycle but caps at 100 on the free plan.
One more habit that helped me: if a suggestion pops up mid-sentence while you're still typing, it's usually faster to finish your thought first and review corrections afterward, rather than stopping every few words. Also, on shared or work computers, remember that Grammarly stays signed in until you log out manually, so if you're on a public machine, sign out from the extension menu when you're done.
| Plan | Best for |
|---|---|
| Free | Everyday emails, messages, and casual writing |
| Pro | Frequent writers who want full rewrites, higher AI limits, and plagiarism checks |
❓ FAQ
Is Grammarly really free forever?
Yes. The Free plan has no time limit and no credit card requirement. It covers spelling, grammar, punctuation, and basic tone detection indefinitely.
Does it work inside Microsoft Word?
Yes, once you install the desktop app for Windows or Mac, it adds a Grammarly tab inside Word and Outlook automatically.
Is it safe to use on private or work documents?
You can turn Grammarly off per site or per document using the floating icon, which is worth doing for anything confidential or containing passwords.
Can I use it on my phone?
Yes, the mobile app works as a custom keyboard on both iOS and Android once enabled in your device settings.
What's the real difference between Free and Pro?
Free covers correctness and basic tone feedback. Pro adds full-sentence rewrites, plagiarism and AI-text detection, unlimited personalized suggestions, and a much higher monthly AI prompt limit.
Will it slow down my browser?
I haven't noticed any real slowdown on a typical laptop. The extension only becomes active in text fields, so it's not constantly running in the background on every page you visit.
✅ Wrap-Up
If you send a lot of emails, write in a second language, or just want a second set of eyes before you hit publish, the free plan alone is worth installing. It's especially handy for students, non-native English writers, and anyone who sends professional messages regularly. Heavy content creators who draft long-form pieces daily will probably outgrow the free AI prompt limit and want to look at Pro eventually, but for everyday proofreading, the free tier does the job without asking for a single dollar.
#Grammarly #GrammarChecker #FreeTools #WritingTips #OnlineTools #ProductivityTools