I’ve been using writing tools for over five years, and the most common question I get is: “Which one should I use?” The honest answer is that it depends on what kind of writer you are. But I realize that answer is unsatisfying, so I decided to put the three most popular options through a proper head-to-head test.
I took the same 2,000-word article — complete with intentional grammar errors, passive voice, overly complex sentences, and inconsistent tone — and ran it through Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, and ProWritingAid. Here’s what each tool caught, what it missed, and who should use which.
The Test Setup
My test article contained 47 intentional issues:
- 12 grammar errors (subject-verb agreement, comma splices, etc.)
- 8 instances of passive voice
- 10 overly complex sentences (30+ words each)
- 7 instances of weak/vague language (“very,” “really,” “things”)
- 5 tone inconsistencies (formal sections mixed with casual)
- 5 readability issues (jargon, unclear antecedents)
I used the premium/paid version of each tool for fairness. Let’s see how they performed.
Grammarly: The Popular All-Rounder
Issues detected: 38 out of 47 (81%)
Grammarly excels at what most people need most: catching grammar mistakes and suggesting clearer alternatives. It found all 12 grammar errors, 6 of 8 passive voice instances, and flagged 8 of the 10 overly complex sentences.
Where Grammarly really shines is in its user experience. Every suggestion comes with an explanation of why it’s suggested. Hover over a correction, and you’ll learn the grammar rule behind it. Over time, you actually become a better writer because you understand the patterns behind your mistakes.
The tone detection feature is surprisingly useful. It correctly identified my intentional shifts between formal and casual tone and suggested maintaining consistency. This is something the other two tools didn’t do at all.
Missed: Some of the weak language issues (“things” and “stuff” passed without flags), and two passive voice constructions that were borderline. Acceptable misses, honestly.
Best for: General-purpose writing improvement. If you write emails, reports, blog posts, and occasional creative content, Grammarly handles all of it competently.
Price: Free (basic grammar), $12/month billed annually for Premium, $15/month for Business.
Hemingway Editor: The Readability Specialist
Issues detected: 29 out of 47 (62%)
Hemingway takes a completely different approach. It doesn’t care much about grammar (it caught 7 of 12 errors). What it cares about is readability. And in that specific domain, it’s the best of the three.
Hemingway found all 10 overly complex sentences, all 8 passive voice instances, and all 7 instances of weak language. Its color-coded highlighting system is brilliant: yellow for hard to read, red for very hard to read, green for passive voice, blue for adverbs and weak phrases. You can literally see your writing problems at a glance.
The readability grade is addictive. My test article started at a grade 12 reading level. After applying Hemingway’s suggestions, it dropped to grade 8. The content didn’t lose any substance — it just became more accessible. That’s the power of simple writing.
Missed: Five grammar errors went undetected, and tone consistency isn’t something Hemingway addresses. It also doesn’t integrate with your browser or writing apps — you have to copy-paste into their editor, which adds friction to the workflow.
Best for: Blog writers, journalists, and anyone who wants their writing to be crisp and readable. If your biggest problem is writing overly academic or convoluted prose, Hemingway will fix that faster than anything else.
Price: Free (web app), $19.99 one-time purchase (desktop app). The best value proposition of the three.
ProWritingAid: The Deep Analysis Tool
Issues detected: 42 out of 47 (89%)
ProWritingAid detected the most issues, which shouldn’t surprise anyone familiar with the tool. It’s the most comprehensive writing analysis tool available, offering over 20 different analysis reports.
It caught all 12 grammar errors, all 8 passive voice instances, 9 of 10 complex sentences, and 6 of 7 weak language issues. It also detected patterns that neither Grammarly nor Hemingway flagged: repeated sentence starters, echoes (words used too close together), and overused phrases.
The “Style” report alone is worth the subscription. It analyzes your sentence structure variety, paragraph lengths, and dialogue tags (for fiction writers). The “Sticky Sentences” report highlights sentences with too many common/”glue” words — a nuance that Grammarly and Hemingway completely ignore.
The downside: ProWritingAid can be overwhelming. Where Grammarly shows you 38 actionable suggestions, ProWritingAid shows you 42 suggestions plus 15 reports with detailed analytics. For casual writers, it’s information overload. For serious writers who want to deeply improve their craft, it’s invaluable.
Best for: Fiction writers, academic writers, and anyone who takes writing seriously enough to study analytics about their style. If you’re willing to invest time learning the reports, ProWritingAid teaches you the most about your writing habits.
Price: Free (limited), $10/month for Premium, or $399 for lifetime access. The lifetime deal is excellent value if you write regularly.
The Verdict: Which One Should YOU Choose?
| Use Case | Best Tool | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Professional emails and business writing | Grammarly | Tone detection + browser integration |
| Blog posts and web content | Hemingway + Grammarly | Readability + grammar coverage |
| Fiction and creative writing | ProWritingAid | Deep style analysis + genre-specific checks |
| Academic writing | ProWritingAid | Citation tools + formal style analysis |
| Budget-conscious writers | Hemingway | One-time $20 purchase vs monthly subscriptions |
| Maximum convenience | Grammarly | Works everywhere: browser, email, Word, Google Docs |
My Personal Setup
After this test, here’s what I actually use:
- Grammarly Premium runs in my browser at all times. It catches mistakes in emails, social media posts, and document drafts passively. I don’t even think about it.
- Hemingway Editor is where I paste my blog posts before publishing. The readability score keeps me honest about sentence complexity.
- ProWritingAid comes out for long-form content and when I want to deeply analyze a piece. I use it maybe once a week for important articles.
Is that overkill? Probably. But writing is literally how I make a living, so investing in three writing tools ($22/month for the combo) makes sense for me. If you’re picking just one, start with Grammarly Premium. It hits the best balance of capability, convenience, and value for most writers.
The most important thing? Just start using something. The difference between polished writing and rough writing is the difference between getting read and getting ignored. In a world drowning in content, quality isn’t optional — it’s survival.
