Grammarly is one of the most popular grammar and writing assistants used by millions of writers, students, and professionals around the world. While Grammarly does offer a free version, its premium plans can seem quite expensive, costing up to $30 per month.
Still, many users are left wondering why Grammarly is so expensive. What makes the premium version worth the high price tag?
In this article, I’ll look into the reasons behind Grammarly’s steep pricing and find various ways you can save money on its premium subscription.
7 Reasons Why Grammarly Is So Expensive
Seven main reasons are contributing to a premium cost of $30 per month for using Grammarly. Let’s start with the reasons why Grammarly has an expensive pricing tier:
1. Advanced Style And Clarity Suggestions
The free version of Grammarly can catch basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. However, the premium plan takes things to the next level with its advanced writing suggestions. It analyzes your document’s style, tone, and clarity, providing detailed feedback on improving your writing.
Grammarly Premium can detect issues like passive voice, wordiness, repetition, and sentence structure problems. It then provides contextual recommendations to rephrase and tighten your writing.
This level of in-depth analysis and personalized feedback is a major reason why Grammarly’s premium version comes with a higher price tag.
2. Plagiarism Detection
One of the standout features of Grammarly Premium is its advanced plagiarism detection. The tool scans your document against billions of web pages, academic papers, and other online sources to identify any instances of unoriginal content.
Plagiarism can have serious consequences, especially for students and professionals. Grammarly’s plagiarism checker helps you ensure your work is entirely original, allowing you to confidently submit essays, articles, or reports without the risk of being accused of copying.
This plagiarism detection is a valuable addition that sets Grammarly Premium apart from the free version and other basic grammar checkers.
3. Genre-Specific Writing Styles
Grammarly’s premium plan adapts its suggestions based on the type of writing you’re working on. Grammarly will provide genre-specific guidance if you’re drafting a formal business email, a creative short story, or a casual social media post.
For example, if you’re writing an academic paper, Grammarly will recommend more formal and sophisticated language. But if you’re working on a blog post, it will suggest a more conversational and engaging tone.
This genre-tailored feedback helps you maintain the appropriate style for your target audience and purpose.
4. Formality Level Adjustments
Grammarly Premium analyzes the overall formality level of your writing. It can detect if your tone is too casual or too formal for the context and provide recommendations to adjust the language accordingly.
This is particularly useful for professional communications, where striking the right balance between friendly and professional can be tricky. Grammarly’s formality guidance ensures your writing comes across as polished and appropriate for the situation.
5. AI-Powered Writing Assistant
One of the most advanced features of Grammarly Premium is its AI-powered writing assistant. This tool goes beyond simply catching errors and provides full-sentence rewrites to improve the clarity and flow of your writing.
If Grammarly detects a confusing or awkwardly phrased sentence, it can suggest a rewritten version that conveys the same meaning more effectively. This AI-powered assistance can be a deal breaker for writers who struggle with sentence structure or want to elevate their writing style.
6. Fluency Enhancements And Vocabulary Suggestions
Grammarly Premium also includes features to enhance the fluency and sophistication of your writing. It analyzes your word choices and suggests more precise, impactful alternatives.
For example, if you’ve used the word “essential” multiple times, Grammarly will recommend synonyms like “important,” “crucial,” or “vital” to add more variety.
Additionally, the premium version can detect instances of passive voice and recommend active alternatives. These vocabulary and phrasing improvements can significantly improve the readability and engagement of your written content.
7. Performance Statistics
With Grammarly Premium, you gain access to detailed performance analytics that track your writing progress over time. This includes metrics like word count, spelling errors caught, passive voice usage, and readability scores.
These insights can be critical for a writer, student, as well as professional who wants to continuously improve their writing skills. By understanding your strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement, you can more effectively hone your craft and become a stronger communicator.
Grammarly Free vs Grammarly Premium
To better understand the value of Grammarly Premium, let’s compare its features to the free version:
| Grammarly Feature | Grammarly Free | Grammarly Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation Checking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tone Detection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vocabulary Enhancement | ✘ | ✓ |
| Plagiarism Checking | ✘ | ✓ |
| Genre-Specific Writing Style Recommendations | ✘ | ✓ |
| Formality Level Adjustments | ✘ | ✓ |
| AI-Powered Writing Assistant | ✘ | ✓ |
| Performance Statistics | ✘ | ✓ |
As you can see, the premium version offers a significantly more robust set of features that can take your writing to new heights.
While the free version is a great starting point, Grammarly Premium unlocks the full potential of the tool and provides a more comprehensive writing assistance experience.
How Much Does Grammarly Premium Cost?
Grammarly offers several subscription periods for its premium subscription plan, with the most affordable being the annual Grammarly subscription:
- Monthly Plan: $30 per month
- Quarterly Plan: $60 every 3 months ($20 per month)
- Annual Plan: $144 per year ($12 per month)
The annual plan provides the best value, offering a 60% discount compared to the monthly subscription. This makes the premium version much more affordable in the long run, especially for heavy users who rely on Grammarly daily.
Different Ways To Save Money on Grammarly Premium?
It is true that Grammarly Premium may seem pricey for some users. Luckily, there are several ways you can save on the subscription:
1. Opt For A Longer Subscription
As mentioned, the annual plan offers the most significant savings at $12 per month. If you know, you’ll be using Grammarly regularly, and this is the best option to maximize your savings.
2. Take Advantage Of Referrals
Grammarly offers free premium subscriptions for users who refer their friends and family to the service.
Premium users can extend their subscriptions to 10 months for free by using the referral program. This can be a great way to extend your premium access without paying the full price.
3. Watch For Black Friday And Cyber Monday Deals
Grammarly often offers limited-time discounts during major shopping holidays. In 2023, they offered up to 50% off the premium plans, so look for these seasonal promotions.
4. Grammarly For Education
Students, teachers, and educational institutions may be eligible for up to 25% off Grammarly Premium through the Grammarly for Education program. Check if your school or university participates in this discount.
5. Choose Grammarly Business
The business plan may be more cost-effective than individual premium subscriptions if you have a team or organization that needs Grammarly.
The Grammarly Business plan starts at $15 per user monthly with an annual subscription. As the number of members increases, this cost can be reduced to $12.50 per monthly user.
Top 3 Grammarly Alternatives
While Grammarly is the most well-known grammar checker, it’s not the only option available. Here are three top alternatives that can be pocket-friendly for you to consider:
1. ProWritingAid
ProWritingAid offers a free version with a robust set of writing enhancement tools, including style, grammar, and plagiarism checking.
Price: The premium version starts at $30 per month or $120 per year.
2. Hemingway Editor
Hemingway is a minimalist writing assistant that focuses on improving readability and clarity. It highlights errors color-coded, which helps you better gauge the quality of your written content.
Price: The web-based tool is free to use, with a desktop app available for a one-time fee of $19.99.
3. Ginger
Ginger is another grammar and spelling checker that provides real-time corrections and suggestions and also offers free access with its Chrome extension.
Price: The premium version costs $7.99 per month or $60 per year, offering features like a personal dictionary and language enhancement.
Is Grammarly Premium Worth It?
Grammarly Premium can be a worthwhile investment for those who write extensively, whether for academic, professional, or creative purposes.
It has been helping me with advanced grammar, spelling, and punctuation checks to help catch errors that might otherwise slip through the cracks. Here’s how Grammarly Premium helped me enhance this article:
Whether crafting a formal business email or a casual blog post, Grammarly Premium can provide tailored guidance to help you strike the right tone.
Moreover, the AI-powered writing assistant and vocabulary enhancement features can elevate your writing by suggesting more precise and engaging word choices making Grammarly Premium truly worth it!
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Conclusion: Grammarly Premium Offers Quality Features For Its Price!
Grammarly Premium is an exceptionally powerful writing assistant that can help you elevate your skills and produce high-quality content.
While the price tag may be daunting for some, the extensive features and personalized guidance make it a worthwhile investment, especially for students, professionals, and serious writers.
Plus, the available modes of saving money on a Grammarly Premium subscription help in it being easy on your pockets!
FAQs
Grammarly does not offer a specific free plan for students. However, some educational institutions may offer discounted or free Grammarly Premium access to their students through the Grammarly for Education program.
Yes, there are several free grammar-checking tools that offer features comparable to Grammarly Premium, such as ProWritingAid’s free version and the Hemingway Editor.
Grammarly can be an incredibly valuable tool for students, especially for those who struggle with writing or need to produce high-quality academic papers, essays, and reports.
