Grammarly alternatives: 4 free & open-source picks
Curated, verified, and actually free. No trials, no crippled tiers. Star counts and last-activity dates checked by hand, not scraped and forgotten.
A fast English grammar checker that stays on your device and mostly keeps its opinions to itself.
Select text anywhere, hit a hotkey, and fix, rewrite, summarize, or obey a custom instruction without opening another tab.
licenseGPL-3.0
runson your machine
installDownload the native or portable app, configure a provider or local model, then use the global hotkey
enginesGemini, OpenAI-compatible APIs, Ollama, llama.cpp, KoboldCPP, TabbyAPI and vLLM
dataAPI keys and settings stay locally; selected text goes to the chosen provider or local model, and transient history is cleared when the app closes
the catch vs GrammarlyIt is a manual select-text-and-hotkey workflow rather than Grammarly's continuous inline underlines and suggestions across supported apps.
setupA model API key or a separately running local model is required; some operating systems may warn about an unsigned or unrecognized binary
facts verified 2026-08-10
A LibreOffice extension with long-document checks, style statistics, profiles, and local AI; installing Java is the cover charge.
licenseLGPL-2.1
runson your machine
installInstall Java 17 or newer, LibreOffice 24.2 or newer and the WritingTool extension
enginesLanguageTool plus optional OpenAI-compatible services, especially a local LocalAI server
dataDocuments remain normal LibreOffice files; checking is local unless a remote LanguageTool or AI endpoint is configured
the catch vs GrammarlyIt is centered on LibreOffice rather than working continuously across browsers, email and arbitrary desktop apps like Grammarly.
setupJava and LibreOffice are mandatory, and optional AI needs a separately configured service
facts verified 2026-08-10
Proofread, rewrite, shorten, or change tone almost anywhere, assuming your Apple hardware made the guest list.
licenseproprietary, free
runsyour machine or their cloud
installBuilt into supported iPhone, iPad and Mac operating systems
enginesApple on-device foundation models, Private Cloud Compute for larger requests, and optional ChatGPT
dataText is processed on-device when possible; larger requests can use stateless Private Cloud Compute, while optional ChatGPT sends the selected text to OpenAI
the catch vs GrammarlyIt is restricted to supported Apple hardware and offers fewer continuous cross-app style, brand and writing analytics controls than Grammarly.
setupRequires Apple Intelligence-compatible hardware, a supported OS, language and region
facts verified 2026-08-10
last updated 2026-08-10 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
LanguageTool FreeThe engine is open source, but the browser extension went Premium-only in 2026; the free web checker no longer replaces across-app use.
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper | open source | one-click install | macos, android, browser-extension | 14,200 | 2026-08 |
| Writing Tools | GPL-3.0 | one-click install | macos, windows | 2,400 | 2026-05 |
| WritingTool | LGPL-2.1 | one-click install | macos, windows, linux | 65 | 2026-07 |
| Apple Writing Tools | proprietary, free | one-click install | macos, ios | — | — |
Se paga el subrayado en vivo mientras escribes, no el corrector de un párrafo. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $360 a year.
Is there a free alternative to Grammarly?
Yes: Harper, Writing Tools, WritingTool and 1 more. Every tool on this page is either open source or genuinely free to use long-term: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Should I just build my own Grammarly?
Our verdict is PARCIAL. Revisar un texto con un modelo sí. El plugin en cada caja de texto y el tono de marca no. If you'd rather build, the exact one-shot prompt is free at puedovibecodearlo.app/grammarly.
