Grammarly is widely known among the public due to its advertisements; many people have seen these Grammarly advertisements on a YouTube video commercial or while browsing the internet.
But advertisements typically paint a rosy picture of what the true reality is, which begs the question: Is Grammarly all that it purports to be?
We wanted to show you the facts and figures instead of intentionally placed narratives and words, so we decided to compare Grammarly's Premium outputs with suggestions from Engram's PREMIUM Grammar Checker using relevant data and fixed metrics.
A premium plan is money out of your pocket, so we want to ensure that you are getting the best deal for your money. You should base your buying choices on facts and substantive evidence rather than on emotions or personal preferences.
• We used the premium versions of both Grammarly and Engram and applied all of Grammarly and Engram's suggestions to the input.
• Before we did this evaluation, we also compared Grammarly's free plan with its Premium plan. We put a brief summary of this comparison in the main body, but the details of Grammarly's free version (i.e. screenshots and individual sentence assessments) are at the end.
• We looked at two types of written work: academic and professional.
• For the academic, we used a TOEFL essay from a non-native speaker.
• For the professional, we used an email from Engram data.
The TL;DR
Engram wins. 🏆
Even though Grammarly's Premium states that it accounts for fluency, it does not deliver on this promise. Grammarly Premium introduces new features such as AI Generative, but these additions seem to mask its inability to address the underlying problem: its inability to detect errors and rectify them.
To be fair, Grammarly Premium did identify more errors than its free version, but even when Premium did detect errors, its suggestions often fell short of providing a satisfactory solution. While it provided some assistance, it was not always 100% satisfactory.
Engram PREMIUM, on the other hand, corrected more errors and resolved issues by offering precise and fluent suggestions rather than relying on extra features.
What is Grammarly?
Grammarly is a digital writing assistant tool that helps users improve their writing by identifying and correcting grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style mistakes. It offers suggestions for clarity and conciseness, helping writers communicate their ideas more effectively. It's widely used by professionals, students, and writers to enhance the quality of their written communication.
What is Engram?
Engram is an AI writing tool optimized to help non-native speakers level up their English. It has built many features, such as the Grammar Checker, Paraphraser, and Translator, to help everyone achieve their full potential through English.
Visit Engram to try out its features.
Why should you use a proofreading tool?
Many people say that grammar is important when reading a sentence, but the importance of it and the actual application of it are two very different matters.
In an article by MarketingProfs, "some 94% of US respondents and 86% of respondents from the rest of the world [said] they are attentive to grammar. When shown sentences that included seven common grammar mistakes, only 2.8% of people who say they are attentive spotted all the issues."
There is a huge discrepancy, and this is where a proofreader comes in. A grammar checker could make you one of the 2.8% of people who kept to their word.
Click the button below to try Engram's Grammar Checker for FREE.
Best AI Proofreader for Non-Native English Speakers: Grammarly, QuillBot, Engram, ProWritingAid, Ginger, Trinka [Updated 2023]
Criteria for grading
For the comparison, we analyzed the sentences based on three criteria: accuracy in meaning, grammar/mechanical errors, and awkwardness. Another factor that we took into consideration was scope.
Grammar/Mechanical errors: Does the phrase contain any grammatical errors or mechanical errors?
Awkwardness: Is the phrase awkward?
Scope: How many of the above does the grammar checker/proofreader capture?
In-depth analysis 1: academic essays
Academic writing is important, and one of the ways colleges test a student's grasp of English is through the TOEFL exam.
For this in-depth analysis, we input a non-native speaker's TOEFL essay into Grammarly and Engram's proofreader for comparison.
Verdict
Engram wins. 🏆
Grammarly Premium did pick up on more corrections than its free version, but not by a significant margin. It was also inconsistent with its free and Premium suggestions. Engram captures three errors and provides additional suggestions that are beneficial to the readability of the text.
Full Analysis
Input
- Awkwardness: The word "keystone" is not commonly used, so it could be seen as awkward.
- Grammar error: Although "the" is not wrong, omitting it makes the sentence more fluid. This is because "courtship" here is about the general idea of it.
- Awkwardness: "to mate" is not grammatically incorrect, but it makes the sentence sound less fluid as it ends on a verb. It is usually advised to end a sentence with a noun.
- Awkwardness: This should be the "author's opinion," not the "reading passage's opinion." A reading passage cannot have an opinion.
- Grammar error: "that" should precede "female deer."
Grammarly's output
- Awkwardness: Keystone was not corrected.
- "The" was removed before "the courtship."
- Awkwardness: The Premium version did not change the phrase "to mate."
- Awkwardness: The "reading passage's opinion" was not changed to the "author's opinion."
- Grammar error: "that" should precede "female deer."
Grammarly's additional corrections
- The article before the first "courtship" was removed
- A comma was placed after "attraction."
The former was not necessary, as "a" already indicates a general notion. The latter correction would be grammatically correct, but this part has an overall semantics problem that needs to be fixed, which Grammarly did not address.
Free vs. Premium
The outputs from Grammarly Premium are more comprehensive in scope when compared to those of its free version. However, there were some discrepancies between the free version and the Premium.
- "In fact" had been removed in the free version, but the Premium version does not remove the phrase.
- "clearly" in "female deer clearly prefer" was removed in the free version, but the Premium version does not remove the phrase.
*The comprehensive analysis of Grammarly's free version for academic purposes can be found at the end of the blog post.
Engram
- Awkwardness: Keystone was not corrected.
- The term "courtship" does not have the article "the" before it.
- The verb "to mate" was changed to the noun "for mating."
- Awkwardness: The term "opinion" is still associated with the reading passage rather than the author.
- Engram corrected the sentence to avoid the article error with "female deer." Furthermore, it replaced "and" with the phrase "as well as," providing additional emphasis to this statement.
Engram's additional corrections
- "Maintains" ➡️ "argues."
- The article before the first courtship was removed.
- "Vocalization or body posture" ➡️ "vocalization and body posture."
The first change gives the sentence more impact. The second and third is not necessary, but does not make the sentence awkward or grammatically incorrect. Therefore, we can incorporate all the suggestions into their respective sentences.
In-depth analysis 2: professional emails
Emails are important assets in professional communication, but with globalization at its peak, communication now spans across borders. It goes without saying that English is the main language for intercultural communication. Thus, for professionals, a strong command of English is a must. We pulled this email out of Engram's data, inputted it into Grammarly and Engram's proofreader.
Verdict
Engram wins. 🏆
Grammarly's suggestions for the errors were unsatisfactory; they merely rephrased or restructured the sentences without addressing the root problem. Additionally, Grammarly failed to notice the abbreviation, whereas Engram identified and corrected it. Engram not only fixed the two grammar errors but also spelled out the abbreviation.
Full analysis
Input
1) This week and next week, the buyer will be sending the revision notes.
Can you please advise your 2 and 3) CNY holiday duration?
They want to see a revised sample before 4) CNY.
5 and 6) Is it ok for you?
- Awkwardness: While saying "this week and next week" is not incorrect, it can sound awkward due to the ambiguity of timing.
- Grammar error: The holiday should either have an apostrophe "s" or it should say "duration of the Chinese New Year holiday."
- Awkwardness: "CNY" should be spelled out as "Chinese New Year," as this abbreviation is also used for the Chinese Yuan.
- Awkwardness: "CNY" should be spelled out as "Chinese New Year." If CNY from number 3 had been spelled out, this awkwardness would not be too concerning. However, for the sake of precision, we are noting this as awkward.
- Grammar error: "Ok for you" is incorrect; it should be "OK with you" or "okay with you."
- Awkwardness: "this" should also be used instead of "it."
Grammarly's output
1) The buyer will be sending the revision notes This week and next.
2 and 3) Please advise your CNY holiday duration.
They want to see a revised sample before 4) CNY.
5 and 6) Is it ok for you?
- Awkwardness: Grammarly attempted to improve this sentence by altering its structure, yet the revised sentence still lacks clarity.
- Grammar error: This error remained unaddressed.
- Awkwardness: The abbreviation was not expanded.
- Awkwardness: The abbreviation was not expanded.
- Grammar error: This issue remained unresolved.
- Awkwardness: This issue was left unaddressed.
Grammarly's additional changes
- "This week and next week, the buyer will be sending the revision notes." ➡️ "The buyer will be sending the revision notes This week and next."
- "Can you please advise your 2 and 3) CNY holiday duration?" ➡️ "Please advise your CNY holiday duration."
In both these instances, the sentences were restructured, but the root problem remained unchanged. The first change also caused the sentence to be grammatically incorrect, as the "t" in "this" had been capitalized.
By resorting to rephrasing and restructuring, it almost seems as if Grammarly is attempting to mask the issue with its new features.
Free vs. Premium
In the free version, nothing was changed, but the Premium did go a step further than its free version by restructuring and rephrasing the sentences, but did this truly improve them? No, the new sentences remained awkward, as the original problem had not been addressed.
*The full analysis of Grammarly's free version for professional purposes can be found at the end of the blog post.
Engram's output
- Awkwardness: The phrase "this week and next week" remained unchanged.
- The phrase "CNY holiday duration" was changed to "duration of your Chinese New Year holiday," which is grammatically correct.
- "CNY" was spelled out as "Chinese New Year."
- Awkwardness: "CNY" should have been spelled out as "Chinese New Year." While some might overlook this inconsistency, maintaining precision is essential for this analysis.
- Engram's output, "Is it okay with you?" is grammatically correct.
- Awkwardness: "it" should be changed to "this."
Grammarly vs. Engram: the takeaway
Engram wins. 🏆
A study titled "Proofreading Statistics" by LLCBuddy stated that Grammarly only detects 85% of grammar errors; the remaining 15% are left for the writer to review and edit. Our analyses revealed that writers had to review and edit much more than this statistic.
Based on our evaluations, Grammarly successfully corrected only one error out of eleven errors. We must consider certain factors, such as the possibility that our evaluation criteria were stricter than those of LLCBuddy. Nevertheless, even if we adopt the 15% statistic from LLCBuddy, it still represents additional time and effort for writers striving to spot all grammar errors.
In contrast, Engram detected six out of eleven errors, and each was corrected with a better suggestion. This is because, unlike Grammarly, Engram accounts for all the errors commonly made by non-native speakers. When you weigh the options, one versus six, the better choice becomes clear.
Thanks to the precision of Engram's algorithms, it can provide suggestions that consider more than just grammar, ensuring your writing is flawless and fluent.
Other factors to consider
Pricing
Grammarly's Premium is $30 per month, while Engram's PREMIUM is $12.99 per month. With this evaluation, you can see that if you choose Grammarly, you would be paying more for an algorithm that does not deliver what you were promised, while you would get what you paid for and more if you used Engram.
User interface
Grammarly offers various features, including its editor and plugin, which, while helpful, might be confusing to some individuals. Additionally, Grammarly hides many of its suggestions, making them visible only once Premium is purchased.
In contrast, Engram has a simple and intuitive design that focuses on guiding users to correct their grammar errors and awkward writing issues. It offers no distractions and serves as a straightforward grammar checker.
Privacy
Grammarly stores user data, whereas Engram offers a privacy mode that allows you to decide whether Engram can store your data or not. Data privacy should be a concern for internet users because your text is yours to write. With privacy mode, Engram earns your trust by safeguarding your privacy rights.
Grammarly's free version
Academic
- Awkwardness: The problematic word "keystone" remained unchanged.
- Grammar error: "the" is still before "courtship."
- Awkwardness: Grammarly failed to revise the phrase "to mate."
- Awkwardness: "reading passage's opinion" was not replaced with "author's opinion. "
- Grammar error: "female deer" lacks "that" before it.
Grammarly's additional corrections
- In fact, a range of deer traits ➡️ A range of deer traits
"In fact," which was taken out for clarity reasons, does not change the meaning of the sentence and is not grammatically wrong or awkward.
- female deer clearly prefer ➡️ female deer prefer large antlers.
The word "clearly" was removed for clarity, but its absence alters the meaning slightly. The deer's preference is more distinctly defined with the inclusion of "clearly."
Professional
1) This week and next week, the buyer will be sending the revision notes. Can you please advise your 2 and 3) CNY holiday duration?
They want to see a revised sample before 4) CNY.
5 and 6) Is it ok for you?
- Awkwardness: This was not fixed.
- Grammar error: This was not fixed.
- Awkwardness: The abbreviation was not spelled out.
- Awkwardness: The abbreviation was not spelled out.
- Grammar error: This was not fixed.
- Awkwardness: This was not fixed.
References:
Proofreading Statistics 2024 Grammatical Errors on Social Media How Grammar Mistakes Influence People's Perceptions of CompaniesShare Article
