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Good writing takes time, which is in short supply when you’re launching or running a business.
Fortunately, there are excellent online tools that can streamline composition, check grammar, and even overcome disadvantages such as dyslexia. AI capabilities, while not perfect, make them more powerful than ever.
Writing Aids
Grammarly
Category leader Grammarly is an all-purpose workhorse that checks for errors and style faults and suggests corrections and improvements. It integrates with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and the top web browsers on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android platforms.
Grammarly offers a limited, free version and paid plans starting at $12 per user per month with a free trial.
Grammarly checks for errors and style faults and suggests corrections and improvements.
ProWritingAid
ProWritingAid goes beyond composition mechanics with features such as goal tracking, manuscript analysis, and the ability to compare your writing style to that of famous authors, such as Stephen King.
Subscriptions include a free basic version and paid plans starting at $120 per user per year.
Ginger
In addition to checking grammar and style across multiple platforms, programs, and devices, Ginger provides instant language translation into Spanish, French, German, and Japanese.
Ginger’s grammar checker is free. Paid versions start at $9.90 per month.
Language Tool
Language Tool caters to users who aren’t native speakers of the language they’re writing in. It claims to cover more than 30 languages, including Spanish, Dutch, German, Portuguese, Catalan, French, and six varieties of English.
A basic AI grammar and usage checker is free. Premium monthly plans start at $24.90 per user.
Hemingway Editor
Hemingway Editor tightens and simplifies prose and displays the changes with brightly colored highlights.
The basic online editor is free. Downloadable desktop versions for Mac and PC cost $19.99.
Otter
Otter is an automated notetaking tool that transcribes, outlines, and summarizes meetings and conversations. It integrates with popular platforms such as Google Workspace, HubSpot, Jira, Asana, and Zoom. In my testing, the raw AI-generated audio transcripts required a fair amount of cleanup, but it learns the voices of frequent speakers.
Otter offers a free, limited subscription. Paid plans start at $16.99 per user per month.
Reference Tools
AP Stylebook. Geared toward professional journalists, the Associated Press Stylebook offers usage recommendations, style suggestions, and grammar rules. The annual printed version is $34.95. The online Stylebook starts at $30 per user per year or $42 when bundled with Merriam-Webster Unabridged.
The Associated Press Stylebook offers usage recommendations, style suggestions, and grammar rules.
Merriam-Webster Unabridged. For a monthly subscription of $4.95, the authoritative dictionary-thesaurus is worthwhile for users needing more than built-in spellcheckers or free resources.
Chicago Manual of Style. Popular among professional editors and publishers, the Chicago Manual of Style from the University of Chicago Press delves into the fine points of grammar and usage. Various printed versions include a hardback book for $75. Subscriptions to the online version start at $48 per user per year.
Purdue OWL. Purdue University’s comprehensive, free Online Writing Lab is valuable for writers of all kinds. It includes grammar guides, plagiarism-avoidance tips, research and citation advice, overviews of subject-specific writing such as healthcare, and summaries of the most widely used style guides.