Grammarly's Premium tier is genuinely useful, but plenty of people just need reliable grammar, spelling, and punctuation correction without a recurring bill. Here's a rundown of options that get you there.
1. Spellro
Free Chrome extension built around a bring-your-own-API-key model using Groq's free tier — no subscription, no card required. Also includes a built-in text shortcut expander, which most alternatives on this list don't offer. See the full Spellro vs Grammarly comparison.
2. LanguageTool (free tier)
Strong multilingual support and a usable free plan; the open-source roots mean transparency about how checks work.
3. Your browser's built-in spell-check
Chrome and most browsers include native spell-check that catches obvious typos for free, with zero setup — limited to spelling, not grammar, but worth not overlooking.
4. Microsoft Editor (free tier)
Built into Word and Outlook for Microsoft 365 users, with a usable free web/browser version too.
5. Google Docs' built-in suggestions
If you're already drafting in Google Docs, its native grammar suggestions handle a solid baseline of corrections without installing anything extra.
6. Hemingway Editor (free web version)
More a readability tool than a grammar checker, but the free web version flags overly complex sentences and passive voice, which indirectly improves grammar clarity too.
7. Ginger (free tier)
Basic correction plus a built-in translator, useful if you occasionally need both in one tool.
8. ChatGPT or Claude, used manually
Pasting text into a general AI chat tool and asking it to "fix grammar only, don't change meaning" works surprisingly well, though it's manual — no in-page icon, no automatic detection of text fields.
9. Any AI provider's free API tier, self-wired
If you're comfortable with a little setup, connecting a free API key (Groq's free tier is a common, generous option) to any tool that supports custom keys gets you AI-powered correction without paying a markup through a subscription service.
Spellro combines option 1 and option 9 into one two-minute setup: free extension, free Groq key, done.
Add to ChromeHow to pick between them
If you want something that works automatically across every website with zero manual copy-pasting, prioritize a browser extension over a manual chat-tool workflow. If you specifically also want a shortcut/snippet expander bundled in, that narrows the field further — most grammar-only tools don't offer it.