ProWritingAid vs Grammarly vs AutoCrit vs Hemingway Editor

A fair UK and global English look at four common self-editing tools indie authors use before (or between) human edits. Plans, report limits, and AI add-ons change — confirm on each official site before you subscribe. None of these replace a skilled developmental, line, or copy editor; they are diagnostic and clarity aids.

	ProWritingAid	Grammarly	AutoCrit	Hemingway Editor
Best fit	Authors who want deep style reports and fiction-friendly checks, including Scrivener integrations	Authors who want ubiquitous grammar/clarity help across browser, docs, and email	Genre-fiction authors who want manuscript diagnostics benchmarked against genre patterns	Authors who want a fast readability/clarity pass (hard sentences, adverbs, passive voice, grade level)
Core job	Self-editing suite: style, repetition, pacing-ish reports, and craft-oriented suggestions	Surface grammar, clarity, tone, and correctness across everyday writing	Fiction manuscript analysis: pacing, dialogue, word choice vs genre baselines	Readability highlighter first; optional desktop app; separate AI “Plus” subscription
Pricing model	Freemium (limited free reports; subscription and lifetime options — confirm current tiers)	Freemium (free basic checks; Premium/Business subscriptions)	Subscription (fiction-focused plans — confirm current tiers)	Freemium: free web highlighter; desktop ~$19.99 one-time; Hemingway Editor Plus is a separate AI subscription
Fiction craft focus	Strong among general writing tools; reports aimed at long-form prose	Weaker for fiction voice — often over-corrects dialect, fragments, and stylistic choices	Strongest fiction-specific diagnostics in this set	Low fiction craft depth; optimises for plain, clear sentences rather than genre craft
Grammar depth	Solid style + grammar reporting; not identical to Grammarly’s always-on product surface	Usually the deepest everyday grammar/clarity coverage	More craft analytics than a full grammar suite	Classic app is not a grammar suite; Plus adds AI grammar/rewrites (confirm plan limits)
Honest limits	Can overwhelm with report volume; still needs human judgement on voice	Great for typos; risky if you accept every suggestion in dialogue-heavy fiction	Best as a diagnostic pass for genre fiction — not a substitute for developmental editing	Readability-first; will not catch many craft or continuity issues a human editor would
UK authors	UK English supported on published plans — confirm dialect settings	UK English available; still review suggestions against your house style	Open internationally; confirm billing currency and genre baselines on signup	Works for UK English prose; grade-level metrics are US-school-oriented — use as a clarity signal, not a UK curriculum score

Who should choose what?

Choose ProWritingAid if you want deeper long-form style reports and fiction-oriented checks in one suite, especially if you already draft in Scrivener or similar.
Choose Grammarly if you want always-on grammar and clarity across browser and desktop, and you will critically review suggestions so fiction voice survives.
Choose AutoCrit if you write genre fiction and want manuscript diagnostics (pacing, dialogue patterns, word-choice benchmarks) before a human pass.
Choose Hemingway Editor if you mainly need a readability highlighter to cut wordiness — start free on the web, buy desktop if you want offline, and treat Plus as optional AI rather than the core product.

Using more than one

A common stack is Hemingway or Grammarly for a quick clarity pass, then ProWritingAid or AutoCrit for a deeper manuscript report, then a human editor for developmental and line work. Stacking every paid plan rarely pays for itself — pick the one report you will actually act on.

Aside: SmartEdit Writer

SmartEdit Writer sits adjacent as a free Windows novel app with built-in craft checks (overused words, adverbs, dialogue tags). It is not a fourth column here because it is a drafting app with an editor toolbar, not a cross-platform self-editing SaaS. Pair it if you already write on Windows and want free in-app flags.

This page is editorial, not sponsored. See how we monetise. We do not invent plan prices or claim any tool replaces a human editor — verify features and pricing before you buy.

Tool pages: ProWritingAid · Grammarly · AutoCrit · Hemingway Editor · SmartEdit Writer