Best writing tools for beginners
These tools draft a short piece, schedule a post, or check writing you already have. A draft still needs a person to read it. Rytr and Typefully help with new text. Grammarly, QuillBot, Hemingway Editor, and LanguageTool work on a draft you already wrote. The order is not based on which Visit link pays a commission.
1 · Free tier
Rytr
- What it does
- Writes short drafts such as emails, captions, and paragraphs from a prompt, and can continue or reword text you already have.
- Who it is for
- People who want a first draft of a short piece and will edit it before they send it.
- Free plan
- The free plan includes 10,000 characters a month, one language, and no plagiarism checks.
- Price we checked
- A free plan is available. Rytr's pricing page calls it free forever and says no credit card is required. Paid prices are also on that page. This listing does not repeat them, because a yearly toggle and a monthly toggle were both shown.
- The catch
- The free plan is a character cap, not unlimited writing. Read which billing toggle is selected before you pay. Generated text can sound generic. Read it before you send it.
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.
2 · Free tier unverified
Typefully
- What it does
- Writes and schedules posts for X and LinkedIn, and advertises an AI writing feature.
- Who it is for
- People who post short text often and want a draft queue.
- Free plan
- 'Free AI writer' may be a feature name rather than a full free plan. Treat the free tier as unverified.
- Price we checked
- The pricing page mentions a free AI writer. Dollar amounts did not come through in the page text, so the paid price is unverified.
- The catch
- Open the pricing page while logged out and read the number next to the button. A tool that posts for you can also post a draft you did not mean to send.
Affiliate link: we may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.
3 · Free tier
Grammarly
- What it does
- Checks spelling, grammar, and tone in the browser and in documents. Paid plans add rewrites and a larger monthly allowance of AI prompts.
- Who it is for
- People who write in English and want a checker sitting inside email, docs, and the browser.
- Free plan
- The free plan covers spelling, grammar, and a small monthly set of AI prompts.
- Price we checked
- Free plan, with 100 generative AI prompts a month on the plans page. Pro is $30 per member per month, or $12 per member per month when billed annually at $144 a year. Grammarly's plans page leads with the $12 figure; the support article spells out the monthly rate.
- The catch
- The $12 price is the annual average, not the month-to-month bill. Pro is priced per member. Regional currency can differ at checkout.
4 · Free tier
QuillBot
- What it does
- Paraphrases sentences and checks grammar. Paid plans raise the limits on those tools.
- Who it is for
- Beginners who want help rewording a paragraph they already wrote.
- Free plan
- A free plan exists. The FAQ says Premium is what removes the tighter limits.
- Price we checked
- Free and Premium plans. QuillBot's own FAQ lists Premium at $19.95 a month, or $8.33 a month when billed annually at $99.95 a year.
- The catch
- A middle billing option on the same FAQ does not add up cleanly, so ignore it and read the checkout total. Paraphrased text can still sound unlike you, and it can stay too close to the source.
5 · Free tier
Hemingway Editor
- What it does
- Highlights long sentences, passive voice, and hard-to-read phrases. The Plus plan adds AI rewrites.
- Who it is for
- People who already have a draft and want it shorter and clearer.
- Free plan
- Hemingway lists free online editing tools. Plus, which adds the AI rewrites, starts with a free trial and then an annual plan.
- Price we checked
- The site offers free writing tools and a free trial of Plus. Plus Individual 5K is $8.33 per month, billed annually at $100. Individual 10K is $12.50 per month, billed annually at $150. A month-to-month price was not listed.
- The catch
- The published Plus prices are annual bills, not monthly ones. The highlighter is a guide, not a rule. Short is not always clearer.
6 · Free tier
LanguageTool
- What it does
- A grammar and style checker for many languages, with a browser add-on and its own editor.
- Who it is for
- People who write in more than one language, or who want a checker that is not only English.
- Free plan
- You can check text without an account in the browser. A free account adds the online editor.
- Price we checked
- A free Basic plan. Premium is €19.90 per month, €39.90 per quarter, €59.89 per year, or €99.90 for two years. Those figures are from LanguageTool's help article updated March 24, 2026, and they include VAT.
- The catch
- Prices are in euros, not dollars. The price band uses that euro number and does not convert it. Students and teachers may see a separate discount.
Questions
- Will these tools write the piece for me?
- They can draft or check a draft. You still need to read it. Generated text can sound generic, and a checker can flag a sentence that is fine.
- What is the difference between a drafter and a checker?
- Rytr writes short drafts from a prompt. Typefully is for short posts on X and LinkedIn. Grammarly, QuillBot, Hemingway Editor, and LanguageTool work on text you already have.
- Are the free plans unlimited?
- No. Rytr's free plan is 10,000 characters a month, one language, and no plagiarism checks. Grammarly's free plan includes a small monthly set of AI prompts. Read each listing before you rely on it.
- Does an affiliate link mean that tool is better?
- No. Rytr and Typefully are the affiliate Visit links in this guide. They are not ranked above the checkers because of that.
- Can I paste someone else's article into a paraphraser?
- Rewording someone else's work can stay too close to the source. QuillBot's listing says that. Use it on your own draft.