Pros and Cons of Using Grammarly
Disclosure (full version- https://nikolaroza.com/affiliate-disclosure/): Some of the links you’ll encounter are affiliate links. If you click and buy something, I may get a commission. Thank you!
Misspelling, grammar mistakes, and unclear sentences negatively influence your image, whether you write articles for a PWA agency, blog posts for a personal blog, or emails to business partners. A proper grammar checker is essential to keep your texts flawless and clear.
One of the best apps of this kind is Grammarly. It’s an application or browser extension that instantly examines your writing for flaws on various websites. So when you write something in Google Docs, an email application, or a messenger, mistakes are underlined. When you click a Grammarly icon in the lower right corner, a tab with suggestions appears.
You can use the app for free or buy one of the advanced versions to get comprehensive suggestions on how to improve the piece.
In this article, you’ll find a detailed review of the app’s functions, possibilities, benefits, and drawbacks.
Free VS Premium
The free plan offers you only grammar and spelling checks, which might be quite enough for those using it for email or message checking. The app will also highlight the text parts where advanced edits could be applied, giving you a hint.
Apart from spelling, Premium Grammarly also checks and gives suggestions about consistency in spelling and punctuation, English fluency, clarity, word choice, and tone issues. Moreover, you’ll get access to the built-in plagiarism detector.
With a yearly subscription to a premium plan, you’ll need to pay 12$ a month. With quarterly and monthly options, it will cost 20$ and 30$ accordingly.
Another option is a Business plan. In addition to the benefits of Premium, you’ll get an opportunity to manage roles and permissions in the app. Among other unique features of the plan is an ability to predetermine style guide, snippets, and brand tones. Let’s say you write for a marketing agency network blog. Grammarly will scan your text for mismatches with the style guide and the company’s tone of voice. The minimum monthly pay is 15$, but the final figure will depend on the team size.
Screenshot taken on the official Grammarly website
Grammarly Pros
Grammarly has experienced an explosive increase in users in recent years and now has around 30 million daily users.
Given the variety of capabilities the app has, no wonder it has so many fans. These are just a handful of the multiple benefits that this app provides.
Highly Accurate
The grammar checker rarely overshoots. Although it occasionally misinterprets what you’re trying to say, accuracy is pretty good. It perfectly catches misspelling and punctuation errors.
Just read the suggestions carefully and try to get why it is requesting you to make a correction and only comply if necessary.
Easy to Understand
Grammarly does more than just correct mistakes. The application provides explanations so you can comprehend the mistakes and simultaneously study. This means that in addition to having your writing improved, you are also learning how to write better.
When it comes to mistake explanations, Grammarly offers two possibilities. You can either do a quick check to approve the changes or get a detailed explanation by clicking “Learn more.” The longer you use Grammarly, the more you learn to spot frequent mistakes and, as a result, improve your writing skills.
Screenshots taken on the official Grammarly website
Customizable
Although Grammarly’s free edition has fewer capabilities than the paid version, it is still relatively flexible. Choose the preferable variant of English and add new terms you frequently use to the dictionary.
It is convenient if you often utilize brand names, slang, or acronyms that aren’t technically “genuine” words. Just click “add to dictionary,” and you won’t need to address these mistakes anymore.
Applicable Everywhere
You can check writing almost everywhere. The Grammarly extension works in most browsers, websites, social networks, and email services.
Has a Built-in Plagiarism Checker
A plagiarism checker is a lovely addition to the app, as you can review the piece’s originality immediately after proofreading for grammatical correctness. Not to mention how hard it is to find a good application for a plagiarism check.
Grammarly Cons
Although Grammarly is a top application in its niche, there’s still room for improvement.
Not 100% Accurate
The app is not perfect. Sometimes it misses mistakes and sometimes marks the correct parts as flawed. But remember that it’s possible to improve its performance by adding words and constructions to the dictionary.
Too Expensive
One may claim that Grammarly Premium is too expensive. Indeed, compared to similar apps, Grammarly is quite costly. Analyze how often you’d like to use it and how much you need advanced writing suggestions. In many cases, a free plan is sufficient.
Aggressive Advertising
The free version of the application is loaded with ads. Indeed they have every right to try to upgrade you to a premium service, but some individuals may find their spam-like emails and advertisements irritating.
If you stick to a free plan, don’t forget to unsubscribe from the newsletter if you’re not interested in these emails.
Starting Using Grammarly
To start using Grammarly, you need to create a free account and install the software and extension for your browser.
When you first launch Grammarly, it will provide you with several questions so you can personalize and set it according to your needs. It could inquire about the type of writing you usually do, the English level, or the tone you prefer to stick to in the pieces.
Final Word
With a better understanding of Grammarly’s benefits and drawbacks, you’ll be able to use it more efficiently. A free plan would be sufficient for occasional writers and those who need to be sure of their messages, for instance. The Premium plan is a better fit if you write for a living. Although the price may seem unreasonably high, the number of features offered and perfect performance make it worth the money.
Nikola Roza
Nikola Roza is an affiliate marketer and blogger behind Nikola Roza- SEO for the Poor and Determined. He writes for bloggers who don't have huge marketing budgets and who still want to carve out a niche online and a better life for themselves. Learn about Nikola here, or read his blog posts and guides here.