Grammarly
Still great at inline grammar, but "rewrite this" is now a system feature.
why this verdict
Downgrade — pay for the workflow, not the AI
ChatGPT and Apple Intelligence cover the headline feature free, so the $12/mo is now paying for the workflow around it.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- GPT-4 rewriting + native OS writing tools. OpenAI, June 10, 2024 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers headline only editorial call
- The headline feature, but not the workflow, data or integrations around it.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 3 of 3 listed replacements have a usable free tier: ChatGPT, Apple Intelligence and LanguageTool.
- What the call is worth $144/yr
- $12/mo at the entry paid tier — $144 a year per seat.
- Threatened by
- OpenAI
- Since
- June 10, 2024
- List price
- $12/mo
- Per year
- $144
The backstory
Grammarly built a genuinely useful real-time grammar layer across the OS. But its premium tier leaned on tone rewriting and paraphrasing — exactly what GPT-4 does better, and what Apple Intelligence and Windows now bake into the text field itself. Grammarly is wounded, not dead: the low-friction inline correction and the enterprise style-guide enforcement still hold value. The $12/mo upsell for "AI rewrite" is the part under pressure.
Escape hatches
switching could free up $144/yrPaste-and-rewrite covers the premium tier.
chat.openai.com open_in_newSystem-level proofread & rewrite, free on device.
apple.com open_in_newOpen-source grammar checker with a free tier.
languagetool.org open_in_new3 of 3 replacements have a usable free tier.