Is Grammarly Free? – Expectations and Usage Limits (New Guide)

There are times when you need the services of a resourceful application like Grammarly, but we probably don’t have a few bucks to make a premium purchase.

Or you just heard about the application and wondering if it has a free version for users.

Thankfully, Grammarly runs an entirely free version.

And not a free edition that’s limited in trial period like a seven or 10-days free trial or any of those fluffs we randomly see on the internet but a 100% free version.

Now we’ve cleared this out of the way, the question is,

Is the free version of Grammarly worth any good?

What features are available in Grammarly free version?

Is Grammarly free better than the default Grammar Checkers on writing software like Google docs or Ms. word?

Can it be used to execute professional tasks?

I will provide answers to these questions and at the end of this article,

I’ll show you how to get Grammarly Premium at a much more discounted rate.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

Features of Grammarly Free

With Grammarly free, you can:

1. Eliminate Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation errors.
2. Make every sentence concise and easy to follow.
3. See and make changes to the tone of your messages with Grammarly tone detector.
4. Use the software across multiple device types for a single user.

✅ Eliminate Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation Error:

This is an essential feature of the Grammarly-free version.

Everyone needs a grammar checker irrespective of their grammar prowess.

Even a linguist or grammarian uses grammar checkers at a certain point in time to proofread their work.

There are times where you just completed a written piece waiting to upload or submit and you sit back wondering if there’s any vocabulary or tenses error.

You take a glimpse through your work and try to change the wrong spelling highlighted with a red line in Microsoft word.

And if you’re a student, you will be willing to go the extra mile to proofread your work before submission by giving it to your colleague just to read and help spot errors.

Typists also face similar typing errors when writing articles due to their typing speed.

Proper punctuation can also be a pain in the neck.

A typical example is deciding when to use:

• Semi-colons versus Colons
• Hyphen (-) versus Dash (–)
• Single versus Double Quotation marks
• Usage of Oxford Comma

If you are from an English-speaking country, you can relate to any of the grammar and spelling issues mentioned above, how much more non-English speakers.

Since English is an ambiguous language, we are posed with various grammar/tenses errors in every writing sphere.

Little wonders why roles such as editors and content writers are in high demand.

Consider it a good thing to be born in this era as we now have tools like Grammarly to take care of all our writing hurdles while we focus on the content.

Unlike your basic word editors, Grammarly offers more in-depth error analysis while making the best suggestion to improve your grammar and tenses.

In fact, Grammarly catches 10x more writing errors than Microsoft word.

✅ Make every sentence concise and easy to follow

Writing that’s easy to read is always easier to understand.

This is termed clarity.

Clarity exposes purpose by unveiling expectations.

Writing clearly and concisely means choosing your words deliberately and precisely.

By writing in a concise manner, you will get straight to the point in a way your audience can easily comprehend.

Grammarly’s free plan includes conciseness suggestions to tighten loose phrasing.

Grammarly is safe to use in any form of writing project because all user data are encrypted and the software does not run in any sensitive or read-only fields. 

✅ See and make changes to the tone of your messages with Grammarly tone detector

Have you ever written an email and asked a colleague to read it over before you sent it?

Maybe you wanted to make sure it sounded friendly but not too informal.

Or you were worried it sounded aggressive because you were a bit annoyed when you wrote it.

In short, you were concerned about your tone and you wanted to make sure your writing conveyed the tone you intended.

The message tone is the quality of a message that illustrates the attitude or emotional state of the writer.

But what happens when you need to send an important letter or email and your obliging colleague isn’t available?

Fear not! Grammarly tone detector is here to the rescue.

Grammarly’s tone detector relies on a combination of rules and machine learning to identify signals in a piece of writing that contribute to its overall tone.

The tone detector analyzes your words, phrasing, and punctuation so you can ensure your writing says what you mean—exactly how you mean it.

✅ Use the software across multiple device types for a single user.

Grammarly works on all top browsers and can be used across multiple device types for a single user.

This feature is available to both paid and free Grammarly plans.

Generally, you can use Grammarly wherever you love to write.

These includes:

• The Grammarly browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge
• In Microsoft Word and Outlook
• In Google Docs
• In Grammarly’s desktop apps for Windows and macOS
• The Grammarly Keyboard for iOS, on your iPhone, and the Grammarly Keyboard for Android
• Grammarly for iPad

I use Grammarly on Microsoft word and also have the browser extension installed.

If you are reading this article, it means you’re passionate about quality writing and I recommend you do the same.

You can also consider using Grammarly Keyboard on your mobile device if it interests you.

image from giphy

Is Grammarly worth it?

Since no payment is needed to get the free version of Grammarly, It’s worth your time and a resourceful writing companion.

With the free version of Grammarly, you can avoid embarrassing spelling mistakes, confusing grammar issues, and incorrect punctuation.

Grammarly Premium is worth your money as it further de-clutter your content from inconsistent grammar syntax and provides advanced writing error analysis.

And if you want to get serious with writing on a professional scale, then purchase Grammarly premium.

It offers over 400 types of checks and features, checks for grammatical errors, provides vocabulary enhancement suggestions, detects plagiarism, and provides citation suggestions. 

Grammarly premium is the apex of all writing editors.

Features of Grammarly Premium

With a monthly payment of $12, Grammarly premium is the best investment anyone can make in their writing career.

Since I work with a team, I’ve been using a special type of Grammarly Premium called Grammarly Business for over two years now, and it’s been nothing short of awesomeness.

If you’re a solo worker and want to increase your writing prowess, you should get Grammarly premium.

Grammarly premium offers you advanced writing suggestions and practices which includes:

1. Consistency in spelling and punctuation: Fix inconsistencies in punctuation, formatting, and spelling throughout your document.
2. Fluency: Ensure your word choices sound natural and fluent.
3. Clarity-focused sentence rewrites: Automatically rewrite hard-to-read sentences.
4. Formatting: Convert long lists to reader-friendly bullet points.
5. Compelling vocabulary: Find vivid words to enliven each and every message.
6. Lively sentence variety: Identify repetitive passages and rewrite sentences to add flavor and variety.
7. Confident writing: Eliminate hedging language or unnecessary qualifiers to sound more confident.
8. Politeness: Choose alternative phrases that come across less harsh or hurtful in writing.
9. Formality level: Write with the appropriate tone, even when you’re in a hurry.
10. Inclusive language: Ensure that the words you use are respectful and current.
11. Plagiarism detection: Ensure your work is fresh and original by checking it against 16 billion web pages.

Perks of Grammarly Business

Grammarly Business is suitable for a team size greater than 3.

It includes all features of Grammarly premium and added functionalities like:

• Company Style guide
• Writing snippets
• Brand tones
• Analytics dashboard
• Priority email support
• Account roles and permissions
• Authenticated logins with single sign-on provider (for accounts with 50+ users).

Is Grammarly free for students?

The free version of Grammarly is free for everyone including students and educators.

But Grammarly premium, which is the paid version, is not free for students.

As a student, you can only get Grammarly premium for free if your institution purchases a license of Grammarly@edu.

Introducing Grammarly@edu

Due to the growing need for Grammarly across educational institutions, Grammarly created a product solution specifically tailored for universities and schools called Grammarly@edu.

Ever since its launch, Grammarly@edu is used by over 1000+ recognized institutions all over the world.

With Grammarly@edu, students of affiliated universities have access to Grammarly premium for free.

If your university is affiliated with Grammarly, follow the steps below to get your free Grammarly premium account.

Student Guide to Set Up a Free Premium Grammarly Account

1. Go to https://www.grammarly.com/edu/signup
2. Enter your name, university-provided email, and preferred password.
3. Click on “Sign Up.” A verification email should be sent to your university email account.
4. Open your university email account, find the Grammarly verification email, and click on “Verify email.”

Once this is done, you should have free premium access to Grammarly.

Can’t find the verification email? Check your Junk/Spam folder within the “More” section of your university email account.

What if my institution doesn’t have Grammarly@edu license?

Worry less as we’ll also discuss how to get Grammarly Premium at a discounted rate.

Is Grammarly free on Chrome?

No payment is required when downloading the Grammarly for Chrome browser extension.

However, Free Grammarly users only get access to basic grammar suggestions like spelling checks, incorrect punctuations, writing clarity and Grammarly tone detector.

Premium users are equipped with professional features to take their writing to the next level when using the Grammarly Chrome extension.

Is Grammarly free for teachers?

Everyone can opt into Grammarly’s free plan including teachers.

But as a delegate of quality knowledge, all teachers and instructors should consider getting Grammarly premium which offers more writing flexibility, punctuation accuracy and advanced grammatical suggestions needed to instill knowledge in their students or wards properly.

Is Grammarly free for Outlook?

Not just for Microsoft word, Grammarly is also free to use in Microsoft Outlook app.

However, the features available on Grammarly depend on the nature of the users’ accounts.

While free users get access to basic writing suggestions, premium Grammarly users are availed with advanced writing suggestions, fluency and compelling vocabulary while using Grammarly on Outlook.

Is Grammarly free for Nonprofits?

Grammarly does offer seasonal discounts or free access to premium and business features to qualifying Nonprofits and NGOs for a limited period.

Since these offers don’t have a specific timeframe, it’s advised to get a free Grammarly account to stay informed of such special offers via mail.

Is Grammarly free for business use?

No. For business use, it’s recommended to purchase Grammarly business.

Grammarly business is ideal for a team of 3 to 149, a special premium version tailored specifically for business use.

With analytics dashboard and account management roles, Grammarly business remains the best-paid plan for any business organization in need of assistant writing services.

Is Grammarly free for Ms. word?

Grammarly plugin is free for Ms. Word.

But like every Grammarly add-ons, the free version is limited to only basic writing suggestions like spellings, punctuations and grammar checks.

While the premium version allows you to make changes to advanced writing issues and even offers a plagiarism detector to help make your work as original as possible.

Is Grammarly free for Plagiarism?

No, Grammarly is not free for Plagiarism. To make use of the Grammarly plagiarism feature, you need to purchase the premium version of Grammarly.

Grammarly plagiarism detection software makes sure your work stays fresh and original by checking it against 16 billion web pages.

Grammarly Premium Discount ✅

Another way to get Grammarly Premium Discount is to look out for promotional offers.

Grammarly constantly sends promotional offers to users’ email.

You might want to keep an eye on this for juicy offers.

The discount can be anywhere from 50% to 70% off and only available to users who have opted into the Grammarly Free plan.

Final Thoughts

At Website Hurdles, Grammarly has been our No. 1 recommendation for a writing assistant tool.

If you just want a feel of what the application looks like, you can try the free version.

If you intend to use Grammarly for professional tasks or you wish to get serious with writing and editing, get Grammarly premium.

If you are a business agency with a team size greater than 3, go for Grammarly Business.

And If you’re a proprietor or the administrator of an academic institution, then consider purchasing a license of Grammerly@edu.

This will grant your students and teachers access to Grammarly premium for free.

Regardless of the type of Grammarly product purchased, consistency in writing remains the key to better results.

And as Richard Bach outrightly points out, “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”.