‘Less options’ instead of ‘fewer’. ‘Colour’ instead of ‘color’ when writing for an American audience. ‘Your amazing’.

I’ve gotta give it to them: the typos that make it to the final draft are truly #resilient.

The best proofreading tools (or, if you prefer working offline, proofreading software) are basically extra peace of mind.

From socials to your website and emails, your marketing communications help your audience form an opinion on your business.

While a single typo might not be a deal-breaker in a birthday card to a friend, it can cut sales by 50%.

Let’s avoid them, shall we?

What are online proofreading tools?

Most online proofreading tools are platforms where you can copy and paste a text to receive tips on how to fix its typos, grammatical mistakes, and, in some cases, how to improve its readability.

Some of them are also available as a browser extension, which is handy when you’re writing directly on other platforms or websites rather than a Word document (for example, a social media post or a MailChimp campaign).

Finally, some of them can be downloaded as actual software to be used offline, too.

Basically, the best proofreading tool for you is the one that lets you work with your favourite medium.

Are proofreading tools and software reliable?

Here’s the thing: the best proofreading tools are fairly reliable. 95%, I’d say, as they harness the power of AI to give you those corrections, and AI is far from being perfect.

They’re just an additional help to catch those last-minute mistakes.

However, they aren’t a substitute for professional copywriting or proofreading services nor a good knowledge of grammatical and punctuation rules.

While using the best proofreading tools can help you fix smaller problems, I still recommend brushing up on your grammar and having a reference book always at hand. 

Here are the best grammar and punctuation books in my opinion.

Top 6 proofreading tools & software for business owners

1. Grammarly - Freemium

While its fame probably precedes my article, I can’t help pointing out that Grammarly is the very best online proofreading tool in my opinion (at least when it comes to free options).

You can paste your text in it or even upload a document from your computer, and it will point out both typos and suggestions (e.g. repetitions, redundant words or adverbs, etc.).

A handy perk is its Language Preference feature: you can choose to have your text proofread in British, American, Canadian, or Australian English. 

As a copywriter who works with clients from all over the world, this is a godsend!

Another ace up Grammarly’s virtual sleeve is the fact that it’s also a free extension for browsers.

While you can choose to upgrade to the paid version, I genuinely think that the free one is more than enough if you already have a solid understanding of grammar.

It’s not something that I’ve personally tried, but you can choose to add Grammarly to Microsoft Word, too.

2. LanguageTool - Freemium

This platform is probably the best Grammarly alternative.

Operating with a similar freemium model, it offers an online proofreading tool, a browser extension, and integrations with Google Docs and Microsoft Word.

One thing that I like about LanguageTool is that it can proofread in a couple of dozen languages. This is particularly handy if your business occasionally deals with foreign terms (personally, I absolutely hate it when businesses write things like ‘brushetta’ instead of ‘bruschetta’. Sorry, but it makes you look extremely unprofessional if you can’t even take two seconds to check the correct spelling).

At the end of the day, I guess it mainly comes down to personal preference.

Since both proofreading tools are free, why not try them and see which one works best for you?

3. Ginger - Freemium

Ginger also has a free plan with basic edits and suggestions, including a grammar checker, sentence rephraser, and synonyms.

My understanding is that Ginger can offer more options when you upgrade to a paid plan, but its free extension is a great starting point if you’re not a fan of Grammarly’s interface.

4. Outwrite - Freemium

Previously known as Gradeproof, Outwrite is another practical alternative to Grammarly. 

You can use the web app, the browser extension, or integrate it with Google Docs and Word.

While the paid version obviously offers more features, you can still get spelling, grammar, and Thesaurus suggestions for free.

You can also choose among more types of English (including South Africa and New Zealand, often neglected by the most popular proofreading tools).

5. Polish My Writing - Free

This is an extremely simple and minimalist platform. 

While it doesn’t offer extensions, integrations, or options to upload your documents, Polish My Writing is a quick solution if you just have a few doubts about the text you’re working on.

Just copy and paste it into its user-friendly interface, and it’ll highlight spelling errors, grammar, or style suggestions in different colours.

6. Hemingway - Freemium

Hemingway is a completely different type of proofreading tool or, if you decide to pay a one-off fee to download it, proofreading software.

As the writer behind The Old Man and the Sea used to say,

“If I started to write elaborately, or like someone introducing or presenting something, I found that I could cut that scrollwork or ornament out and throw it away and start with the first true simple declarative sentence I had written.” Ernest Hemingway

The moral of the story is simplicity.

This proofreading tool doesn’t point out typos (which is why it’s best to use it in conjunction with one that does): it analyses the readability of your text.

Highlighting them in different colors, it makes it a breeze to realise whether you’ve used too many long sentences, passive constructions, overly complicated constructions, and ADVERBS. ADVERBS. ADVERBS. 

At the moment of writing this article, downloading Hemingway costs only $19.99, and you get lifetime access.

Personally, the reason why I decided to pay its flat fee to use the actual software is that, when editing on the website, the cursor goes all the way back to the top whenever you switch tabs. This made it difficult to check longer texts. 

FAQs on free proofreading tools

1. What is the best proofreading software?

I genuinely think that the best proofreading software is Grammarly when it comes to typos and grammatical errors, whereas Hemingway is the most useful one to improve the readability of your text.

2. Is there anything better than Grammarly?

Personally, I think that Grammarly is the best proofreading too when it comes to free options. However, if you don’t particularly like using it, LanguageTool could be a better alternative for you.

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