StyleWriter vs. ProWritingAid: How Do They Compare?

You're on the ProWritingAid blog, so we're guessing you've heard of us before. But have you heard of StyleWriter? It's another piece of software aimed at helping writers improve their work.

If you're wondering which is right for you, read on!

1. The Cost

ProWritingAid offers both free and paid license subscriptions. The free plan allows users to access our web editor and scan up to 500 words at a time. Our Premium licences start at $120 for a year and $399 for a lifetime license. Additionally, we offer two-year and three-year plans. You can also demo our Premium features free.

StyleWriter offers a free 14-day trial, but they do not offer a free plan. Their cheapest plan starts at $90, but you'll need to pay an additional $30 to use it on more than one computer. This starter plan does not include access to all of the features. Next up is the standard edition, which is $150 a year for one computer or $180 for multiple computers. The professional plan adds in "Editor's Lists" for things like jargon and wordiness. It costs $190 per year, with an additional $30 for multiple devices. Also, you only get free technical support for one year. After that, it's an extra $30 a year.

If money is an obstacle, ProWritingAid is your best option. For just a little more than StyleWriter's most expensive yearly plan, you can purchase lifetime access to ProWritingAid for use on the web and multiple devices. And we don't charge for tech support!

2. The Features

ProWritingAid offers 25 different writing reports, including Style, Grammar, Overused Words, Readability, Cliché, Sentence Structure, and more. We believe we offer the widest range of reports on the market at the best cost. Plus, starting at just $70, you have access to our House Style Report, which allows you to create and check your own custom rules.

StyleWriter offers 33 different reports. Yes, that's more than we do. However, you'll need to purchase their Professional Edition for access to all 33, and that costs $190, minimum. Plus, they don't allow you to create your own reports.

ProWritingAid offers all its reports to free users in the browser editing tool. There is a 500-word limit, but you're still getting the full functionality of ProWritingAid. StyleWriter offers more reports, but you have to sign up to their most expensive option to try them out!

3. The Platforms

No matter where you write, we're sure we have an integration for you. In addition to our web and desktop apps, we also offer extensions and add-ins for the following programs: Google Chrome, Safari, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, and Scrivener. You can find the full list of ProWritingAid integrations here. All of these integrations become available with any Premium license. The Chrome and Safari extensions also work on thousands of websites, including Facebook, Gmail, and Mailchimp.

StyleWriter is not so versatile. Their product exists only for Microsoft users, which leaves a whole lot of other writers behind. If you write on a Mac or Chromebook, you can't use StyleWriter at all. There is also no web-based platform for StyleWriter. It requires a digital download, which can be a problem for people concerned about conserving space on their computers.

4. The Extras

In addition to our editing software, here at ProWritingAid we also offer plagiarism checking for an additional cost. It's one of the cheapest and most comprehensive plagiarism checkers on the internet. We have a free word cloud creation too. And we offer the largest, free collocation dictionary on the web. Collocations are words that are commonly found together, and analyzing them can be a great boon for your writing.

At ProWritingAid, we firmly believe in supporting our community of writers, so check out our motivational writing quotes and this wonderful blog. We've started adding online events, such as this outstanding webinar with veteran novelist Jerry Jenkins, and we offer a writing prompt generator to get those creative juices flowing. Additionally, our Premium users can download our eBooks for free! Our eBooks cover topics from novel planning to marketing on a shoestring.

With the exception of a paid writing course, StyleWriter does not offer any extras beyond their core product.

Which Is Right for You?

The choice is yours! Weigh the pros and cons and decide which complements your writing best.

To make it a little easier, we'd love for you to try ProWritingAid free. Test it out and see what you think!