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After the draft exists

LanguageTool

EditingFreemiumFiction and nonfiction

A multilingual grammar and style checker with a browser extension and editor. English is solid; the reason to pick it over Grammarly is often a second language, or a preference for a tool that is not trying to become your coauthor. Style suggestions are still suggestions.

Best for

Writers working in more than one language who want grammar help without a generative rewrite of the page.

Pricing

Freemium. Free open-source-based checks. Premium adds more style rules, longer texts, and the browser picker.

Listing checked 14 October 2026. Plans move. The vendor's page wins an argument with this one.

Visit LanguageToolMore editing tools

In-depth review

LanguageTool review

Last checked 14 October 2026 against the vendor's public pages. Prices and features change; check the vendor before you buy.

Writer's Toolbelt review

LanguageTool

A multilingual grammar and style checker with add-ons for every browser, mail client and office suite.

Premium per month on 2-year plan
Premium per year
free AI rephrasings per day

What it is

LanguageTool is an "AI-based grammar checker" for text "across languages", with a paraphrasing tool and a long list of add-ons. It covers browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera), email (Gmail, Outlook in beta, Apple Mail, Thunderbird), office apps (Google Docs, Word, Apple Pages, LibreOffice), desktop apps for macOS and Windows, and a proofreading API. Its language picker lists dozens of languages and regional variants. The business offering is pitched as GDPR-conform.

Screenshot of LanguageTool's public home page
LanguageTool's public home page, captured 14 October 2026.

Who it's for

  • Multilingual writers and anyone writing in a language other than English.
  • Budget-conscious writers. Long-term plans cost only a few dollars a month.
  • LibreOffice and Apple Pages users, who are often left out by other checkers.

Key features in practice

  • Grammar, punctuation and spelling, with Premium adding superfluous commas, in-depth punctuation, casing errors and more.
  • Style. Informal style detection, foreign terms and more stylistic improvements on Premium.
  • Semantics. Checks such as double negation and "wrong name in e-mail".
  • Formatting and typography: inconsistent spacing, incorrect currency formats.
  • AI sentence rephrasing: 3 a day free, more on Premium.
  • Team plans. The page showed a two-user price.
Screenshot of LanguageTool's public home page, scrolled further down
LanguageTool's public home page, scrolled further down, captured 14 October 2026.

Pricing (checked 14 October 2026)

Billing interval Price Effective per month
Basic Free —
Monthly $24.90/month $24.90
Quarterly $49.90/quarter $16.63
Annual $69.90/year $5.83
2 years $119.80/2 years $4.99

The page also showed a two-user plan at $132.80 a year ($66.40 per user).

Pricing at a glance

  • BasicFree grammar checker; 3 AI rephrasings/day
    Free
  • Premium, monthlyBilled monthly
    $24.9/mo
  • Premium, quarterly$49.90 per quarter
    $16.63/mo
  • Premium, annual$69.90 per year
    $5.83/mo
  • Premium, 2 years$119.80 per 2 years
    $4.99/mo
US$ per month (effective) for one user as listed on languagetool.org/premium on 14 October 2026, by billing interval.
Screenshot of LanguageTool's public pricing page
LanguageTool's public pricing page, captured 14 October 2026.

Using it as a writer

  1. Install the add-on for your main editor, whether that's Docs, Word or LibreOffice.
  2. Set the right language variant (UK or US English, for example) for your publisher or market.
  3. Add character names to your dictionary.
  4. Choose annual billing. Monthly is several times more expensive.
  5. Use it for translated editions. Its multilingual coverage helps when you work in more than one language.

Strengths

  • Many languages.
  • Broad integrations, including LibreOffice and Apple apps.
  • Very low long-term pricing.
  • Free tier that is useful on its own.

Writer's Toolbelt editorial scores

LanguageTool scorecard

7.8/10

  • Correctness8/10
  • Language coverage10/10
  • Integrations9/10
  • Fiction-specific feedback3/10
  • Value for money9/10
Editorial judgment by Writer's Toolbelt, not vendor data or user ratings. Scores are relative to other tools in this directory.

Weaknesses

  • Monthly billing is expensive.
  • No story-level feedback.
  • The free tier limits AI rephrasing to 3 a day.

How it compares

  • LanguageTool vs Grammarly. Grammarly's AI features are broader in English. LanguageTool wins on languages and price.
  • LanguageTool vs DeepL Write. DeepL Write excels at natural rephrasing.
  • LanguageTool vs ProWritingAid. ProWritingAid has fiction-oriented reports.

Feature comparison

Grammar and rewriting tools compared

FeatureGrammarlyProWritingAidLanguageToolQuillBotWordtune
Free planYesYesYesYesYes
Lowest listed paid priceYes$12Yes$10Yes$4.99Yes$8.33Yes$6.99
All paid tiers have published pricesPartlySome tiers: contact sales or check vendor siteYesYesPartlySome tiers: contact sales or check vendor siteYes
Competes with ProseEngine (we disclose)NoYesNoNoNo
Derived from each review's pricing table (vendor pricing pages, checked 14 October 2026). Lowest price is per month (or per unit where stated) on the cheapest listed billing option. "Not listed" means the vendor page does not publish it; check the vendor site.

Verdict

LanguageTool is the best-value proofreader for multilingual writers. Take an annual plan if you write daily.

FAQ

Is LanguageTool free? Yes. The Basic tier is free and includes 3 AI rephrasings a day.

How much is Premium? $69.90 a year, $24.90 a month, or $119.80 for two years, as of 14 October 2026.

Which languages does it support? Dozens, including many regional variants. See the picker on the home page.

Sources

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