Best Proofreading Software

Proofreading is essential if you want your message to be understood quickly and easily. Traditionally, this has been a time-consuming process, but advancements in AI have swiftly removed this problem. 

Online proofreading tools instantly polish your writing, so it’s become widespread among professionals to have one. But with so many tools on the market, it’s difficult to know which is best. 

In this article, we’ll cover the most popular online proofreading tools on the market today. But first, let’s briefly cover what you should expect from one.

What is Proofreading Software?

Proofreading software is used by professionals to check their work for grammar, spelling, and style errors. Typically, an online proofreader underlines your mistakes and offers one-click suggestions to correct errors. 

Although all online proofreaders aim to catch errors and boost productivity, their capabilities are not all the same. Proofreading software is trained on different data sets and AI models, so the ability to detect errors and the quality of suggestions they provide can vary significantly. 

How to Choose an Online Proofreader

When choosing an online proofreader, first look at what you’re trying to achieve. Are you writing a book, creating copy for a marketing campaign, or preparing an essay for submission in college? Narrow your focus to creative, business, academic, or generalist online proofreading tools.

Next, consider what features you need. More advanced online proofreaders go way beyond simple grammar and spelling fixes. Some tools allow you to transform entire paragraphs of text to improve readability and may even help you to ideate. 

Of course, you need to consider your budget too. Some software is more expensive than others—and remember, many tools offer a free version, allowing you to test it first before buying. 

Finally, where do you want to use the tool? Some proofreading softwares offer extensions so you can work anywhere online. Others integrate specifically with Microsoft Word or Google Docs. This is more important than you might think because you can lose time formatting when you copy and paste.

Now that you know the criteria for judging a tool, let's explore the top online proofreaders available on the market today.

Best Online Proofreaders on the Market Today

In this section, we’ll cover features, pricing, and integrations, so you can make an informed decision about which tool is right for you.

ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid is an online proofreading tool used by over 3 million people. It’s built specifically for creative writers, though it supports other types of writing too. It offers features that go far beyond simple grammar and spell checking. This comprehensive editor offers AI features to enhance your text, help you generate ideas, and get constructive feedback on your narrative.

Features

• Real-time editing

• Comprehensive feedback on grammar, spelling, and style

• AI text enhancement 

• Writing analysis, including readability, narrative structure, dialogue, and word repetition

• Developmental critique to get feedback on your story 

• Plagiarism checker

Integrations 

Windows and Mac desktop app, MS Word, Google Docs, browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Scrivener, Final Draft).

Pricing

Available at $30 per month or $120 per year. The lifetime subscription is priced at $399, and there is also a free version available.

Rated 4.7* on Capterra with 400+ reviews.

Grammarly 

Grammarly is one of the most popular online proofreaders on the market for business professionals. The tool checks your writing in real time, so you can fix grammar, spelling, and style issues. Its AI generative features go a step further, enabling you to rewrite sentences, ideate, or even adapt your tone to make your writing more impactful.

Features

• Real-time editing

• Comprehensive feedback on grammar, spelling, and style

• AI text enhancement

• Mobile compatibility

• Clean, easy-to-use interface

• Plagiarism checker

• Tone checker

Integrations

Browser extensions, Windows and Mac desktop app, MS office and Google Docs, iOS and Android.

Pricing

Paid plans start at $30 per month or $144 per year. The Business plan costs $180/year.

Hemingway

Hemingway aims to improve your writing by addressing common writing issues such as grammar, spelling, readability, and passive voice constructions. Its AI capabilities focus on fixing entire sentences, as opposed to individual writing errors. The readability of your work will also be scored, giving you a clear indication of how easy it is to read.

Features

• AI text enhancement

• Clean, easy-to-use interface

• Readability scoring

• Import and export common file formats

• Works offline

Integrations

Web editor or desktop app only.

Pricing

Pricing starts at $10 per month or $99.96 per year. 

Ginger Software

Ginger Software is a versatile program that provides real-time checking for grammar, spelling, and style. It’s geared toward business professionals and enterprises. Ginger has AI capabilities to reword sentences, translate text into different languages, and it also functions as a text reader.

Features

• Real-time editing

• Grammar, spelling, and style checking

• AI text enhancement

• Clean, easy-to-use interface

• Translation into 40 languages

• Text reader

Integrations

Windows and Mac desktop app, iOS and Android, browser extensions (Chrome, Safari, Edge).

Pricing

Ginger Premium costs $19.99 per month or $149.76 per year.

PaperRater

PaperRater is best suited to academics. It corrects simple spelling and grammar mistakes, as you would expect, but it lacks advanced features and an easy-to-use UI that are now commonplace among professional proofreading software. It does, however, offer a plagiarism checker, so you can check your academic work before submitting.   

Features

• Grammar and spellchecker

• Plagiarism checker

• Budget friendly

Integrations

Online version only.

Pricing

PaperRater offers a Premium version for $14.95 per month or $95.40 per year.

LanguageTool

LanguageTool is useful for foreign language learners or businesses with teams that speak multiple languages. It offers one-click suggestions to fix grammar and spelling issues in different languages, and the tool is also available on mobile (iOS only). 

Features

• Real-time editing

• Grammar, spelling, and style checking

• Clean, easy-to-use interface

• Mobile compatibility (iOS)

• Supports 30+ languages

• Budget friendly 

Integrations

Desktop app for Mac and Windows, Microsoft Word, Google Docs, iOS, browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Opera). 

Pricing

Premium version costs $24.90 per month or $69.90 per year. 

QuillBot

QuillBot is a good option for academics. The tool thoroughly examines grammar and spelling, while also offering paraphrasing and plagiarism checking capabilities. The free version offers a lot, but to fully utilize the tool's potential, a paid plan is necessary. This allows you access to specific writing modes like Academic or Creative, which are valuable for paraphrasing text effectively. 

Features

• Real-time editing

• Comprehensive feedback on grammar, spelling, and style

• AI text enhancement

• Mobile compatibility

• Plagiarism checker

• Budget friendly

Integrations

Online editor, desktop app for Mac, MS Word, Extensions (Chrome and Edge), iOS and Android.

Pricing

Premium plan costs $19.95 per month or $95.95 per year.

Conclusion on the Best Online Proofreader

When choosing an online proofreader, it’s important to find one that caters to your specific needs. Evaluate the purpose of your writing—whether it's creative, academic, or business-related—and use the list above to narrow down your options. 

Think about your budget, as different online proofreaders have different price points—and remember, many offer a free version for you to test before making a purchase, such as ProWritingAid. 

Consider the features you’re looking for in an online proofreader. While all the options mentioned above provide basic grammar and spell-checking, some tools catch more errors and enhance your writing even further. Explore tools with AI capabilities that improve the readability of your writing, and consider whether you want help during the ideation process too. 

Lastly, take into account where you usually write. If you need a tool that can be used anywhere on the web, ensure that it offers a compatible browser extension.

Good luck and happy editing.