Grammarly vs ChatGPT

The short answer

Pick Grammarly if you want grammar and tone fixes in every text box you type in; pick ChatGPT if you want to draft, rewrite and brainstorm whole pieces. Both have free tiers; Grammarly Pro starts around $12/mo and ChatGPT Plus is $20/mo. They overlap less than you would think: one polishes your writing where you type, the other writes with you in a chat.

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GrammarlyChatGPT
Overlord Score8.2/109.2/10
Best forProfessionals who write lots of email and docs, Non-native English writersEveryday writing, brainstorming and editing, People who want one AI subscription that does everything
Starting price$12/mo (billed annually)$8/mo
Free planYesYes
PricingFree; Pro from about $12/mo; Enterprise via Superhuman.Free; Go $8/mo (US, with ads); Plus $20/mo.
Where it worksIn browsers, desktop apps and mobile keyboards as you type.In its own chat app and integrations.
Core jobGrammar, spelling, clarity and tone suggestions.Drafting, rewriting, research, images and more.
Generative AIAI drafting and reply suggestions.Full general-purpose assistant.
EffortInstall and forget; it checks automatically.You paste text in and prompt it.

Grammarly or ChatGPT: which should you choose?

Choose Grammarly if…

Choose Grammarly if you write lots of email and documents and want automatic corrections wherever you type.

Try Grammarly →

Choose ChatGPT if…

Choose ChatGPT if you need help creating content, restructuring arguments or researching, not just cleaning up sentences.

Try ChatGPT →

Grammarly vs ChatGPT pricing

Grammarly

  • Free Free
  • Pro $30/mo
  • Enterprise Custom

Yes. Grammarly Free covers spelling and grammar checks, tone visibility and 100 AI prompts a month. Pro has a 7-day free trial.

Full Grammarly pricing →

ChatGPT

  • Free Free
  • Go $8/mo
  • Plus $20/mo
  • Pro 100 $100/mo
  • Pro 200 $200/mo
  • Pro 500 $500/mo
  • Business $25/user/mo
  • Business Premium seat $125/user/mo
  • Enterprise Custom

Yes. ChatGPT Free covers everyday chat, web search, file uploads and some image generation with tighter limits, and shows ads to logged-in adults in the US and other rollout markets. An ad-free Free option exists with lower limits.

Full ChatGPT pricing →

Strengths and weaknesses

Grammarly

Still the easiest way to stop embarrassing yourself in email, and it works in almost every text box you own. The company now operates as Superhuman, so expect the upsells to keep coming.

Strengths

  • Works almost everywhere you type
  • Free tier covers the basics well
  • Low friction: install and forget

Weaknesses

  • Suggestions can flatten your voice if you accept them all
  • Enterprise features are now sold through Superhuman
  • Overlaps with what any chat assistant can do
Read the full Grammarly review →

ChatGPT

The default AI for most of the Obsolete, and it got there by being good at nearly everything. Pay for Plus if you use it daily. The free and Go tiers now come with ads in the US.

Strengths

  • Widest feature set of any consumer AI
  • Huge ecosystem of GPTs, guides and integrations
  • Usable free tier

Weaknesses

  • Free and Go tiers show ads in the US
  • Plan lineup and usage limits change often
  • Prose defaults to a recognizable house style unless you push it
Read the full ChatGPT review →

Questions the Humans Keep Asking

Can ChatGPT replace Grammarly?

For proofreading text you paste in, largely yes. Grammarly's advantage is that it checks your writing automatically in almost every app without copying and pasting.

Which is cheaper?

Grammarly Pro starts around $12/mo; ChatGPT Plus is $20/mo, with an $8/mo Go plan in the US that shows ads. Both have free tiers.

Can I use both?

Yes, and many people do: draft in ChatGPT, then let Grammarly catch errors as you edit in your email or document app.

More head-to-heads