Alternatives
The best Grammarly alternatives for non-native English writers
By ESL Humanizer editorial team · Prices and limits checked September 2026
Short answer
The best Grammarly alternative depends on why you're switching. If you wrote the text yourself and want it to sound natural without changing your meaning, ESL Humanizer is built for that. LanguageTool is a good fit if you write in German, Spanish, French or other languages as well as English; DeepL Write is a good fit if you translate from your first language and then polish in English.
Why people look for a Grammarly alternative
- The free plan stops at grammar; full-sentence rewrites need Pro
- Its humanizer targets AI drafts, which is the wrong starting point for your own writing
- Some universities restrict generative features, so students look for a narrower editing tool
Grammarly and its alternatives compared
Details come from each tool’s own website in September 2026 and can change. ESL Humanizer is our product, so its row sticks to verifiable facts.
| Tool | Built for | Free option | Paid from |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESL Humanizer | Polishing English you wrote yourself | 1 rewrite a day (2 when signed in), up to 1,500 characters (~250 words) each | $24.95/month or $89 for 4 months |
| LanguageTool | Grammar and style checking in 30+ languages | Up to 2,000 characters per check, 3 paraphrases a day | Premium — see its pricing page (shown at checkout) |
| DeepL Write | Refining text for clarity and tone, alongside DeepL's translator | Free version on the web with limits | Write Pro add-on from €6.99/user/month billed yearly, on a paid DeepL plan |
| QuillBot | General paraphrasing, grammar and summarizing | Paraphraser up to 125 words per run | $19.95/month or $8.33/month billed yearly |
| Wordtune | Rewriting sentences for clarity, tone and length | 10 rewrites and AI suggestions a day | Advanced $6.99/month ($4.89 billed yearly); Unlimited $9.99/month ($6.99 billed yearly) |
| Grammarly (for reference) | Correcting grammar and tone as you write; its humanizer rewrites AI-generated text | Grammar and spelling checks, 100 AI prompts a month, basic free humanizer | Pro from $12/month |
The alternatives, one by one
1. ESL Humanizer — for English you wrote yourself
ESL Humanizer rewrites a non-native writer’s own paragraph so it reads naturally, then shows every change word by word with a meaning score and an AI-detection estimate. It doesn’t generate content and never promises to beat detectors.
- ESL Humanizer rewrites your own paragraph as a whole, so word order and idiom get fixed — not just individual errors.
- Every rewrite comes with a word-by-word diff and a meaning score, so you can check nothing was invented.
- Our AI-detection check is shown as an estimate before and after, never as a promise.
2. LanguageTool — grammar and style checking in 30+ languages
A multilingual grammar, style and spelling checker with an AI paraphraser.
- Choose it if you write in German, Spanish, French or other languages as well as English
- Watch out for: error correction won't fix sentences that are grammatical but sound translated
- Free option: Up to 2,000 characters per check, 3 paraphrases a day
3. DeepL Write — refining text for clarity and tone, alongside DeepL's translator
DeepL's writing assistant, which suggests clearer wording and corrections, from the company behind DeepL Translator.
- Choose it if you translate from your first language and then polish in English
- Watch out for: its Pro features need a paid DeepL subscription
- Free option: Free version on the web with limits
4. QuillBot — general paraphrasing, grammar and summarizing
A paraphrasing suite with several rewrite modes, a grammar checker, a summarizer and a humanizer.
- Choose it if you need a summarizer, citation tool and paraphraser in one subscription
- Watch out for: the free paraphraser stops at 125 words per run
- Free option: Paraphraser up to 125 words per run
5. Wordtune — rewriting sentences for clarity, tone and length
An AI rewriting assistant that suggests alternative versions of sentences, from AI21 Labs.
- Choose it if you like hand-picking the wording of each sentence
- Watch out for: sentence-by-sentence work can leave a paragraph that doesn't flow
- Free option: 10 rewrites and AI suggestions a day
When sticking with Grammarly makes sense
- You want real-time grammar help in email, Docs and every browser field
- You mostly need spelling and punctuation fixes rather than natural phrasing
Wrote it yourself? Make it sound natural.
Paste a paragraph. ESL Humanizer fixes non-native phrasing, keeps your meaning and highlights every change — free for up to ~250 words.
Quick answers
Is Grammarly's AI humanizer free?
Yes — Grammarly offers a basic AI humanizer for free on its website. Full-sentence rewrites inside the editor and its AI detector are part of Grammarly Pro.
Does Grammarly's humanizer get past AI detectors?
Grammarly itself says the tool is not intended to bypass AI detectors. No humanizer can guarantee a detector result, and different detectors disagree with each other.
Can I use Grammarly and ESL Humanizer together?
Yes. A common workflow is to rewrite a paragraph for natural phrasing with ESL Humanizer, check the diff, then run Grammarly for final spelling and punctuation.