LangJournal Blog 
In this article, we will summarize five sites that offer English proofreading services. There are numerous English proofreading sites, ranging from free to paid options, making it hard to understand their differences. We’ve used these sites and summarized their features, so please take a look for reference.
Table of Contents
Google Docs is a free service available to anyone with a Google account. Although it is primarily a document creation tool and not a proofreading site, it has revision features that are comparable to free proofreading services.
We prepared the following text (with four errors) and compared how each site corrected it:
Some people say that working as self-employed is better than working for a company, while others believed that working in an organization is better. In my opinion I think people has to choose to work for themselves rather than work for a company.
The four corrections should be:
- believed → believe
- In my opinion → In my opinion, (comma)
- has → have
- rather than work → rather than working
Google Docs perfectly corrected all errors. As a free proofreading tool, it is one of the most accurate services, making it a strong ally for essay writers in English. However, it does not suggest better words or expressions, so it is effective only for checking mistakes.
Pros
Highly accurate
Completely free
Cons
Does not suggest alternative words or expressions
Ginger is a free site that checks grammar and spelling mistakes in English. In addition to grammar and spelling errors, it also suggests alternative words and structures for sentences, making it very useful. It is beneficial for checking English emails and essays, helping avoid overused expressions. Another attractive feature is that Ginger requires no registration or installation of Chrome extensions, making it hassle-free.
Using the same example text, Ginger provided the following corrections:
- In my opinion → In my opinion, (comma)
- has → have
- rather than work → rather than working
It corrected all errors except for the tense consistency (believed → believe). Ginger also suggested several alternative sentences, such as:
- I believe that people should choose to work for themselves instead of working in the company.
- In my view, people should choose to work for themselves rather than work in the company.
These suggestions offer different phrasings, which can be helpful. For example:
I think it is important to tackle environmental issues such as global warming and so on.
Ginger provided these alternatives:
- I think it’s important to address environmental issues like global warming, et cetera.
- I think it’s important that we deal with environmental issues like global warming and so forth.
- I think it’s important to address environmental issues like climate change and so on….
- In this case, Ginger suggested alternative verbs like “tackle → address, deal with” (approach).
Pros
Easy to use without registration
High accuracy and provides rephrasing suggestions
Cons
Some features are paid (e.g., text-to-speech)
Not all suggested sentences are perfect
https://www.gingersoftware.com/
Grammarly is a free proofreading site that can be used for various purposes, including English essays and emails. On a computer, it can be used as a Chrome extension, eliminating the need to visit the site each time. Grammarly’s proofreading covers a wide range of uses, offering high accuracy in corrections and suggestions. The free version checks grammar and spelling, while the paid version offers more advanced suggestions.
Using the same example text, Grammarly provided these corrections:
- a organization → an organization
- opinion → opinion, (comma)
- company → a company
- It corrected almost all grammar mistakes but missed the tense consistency (believed → believe).
Pros
Can be used as a Chrome extension for real-time proofreading
Visually easy to understand
Cons
Registration can be complicated (in English)
Some features are paid, and there are ads
gramara offers free grammar and spell checks for up to 1,000 words per day, and also provides suggestions for more natural English. While not as well-known as Ginger or Grammarly, it is a user-friendly site. Login via Google account or account registration is required, but it offers high-accuracy corrections.
Using the same example text, gramara provided these corrections:
- believed → believe
- In my opinion → I think ~
- has → have
- rather than work → rather than working
It also suggested alternative expressions:
- I think people should choose to work for themselves rather than work for a company.
- I think people should choose to work for themselves rather than work for their employer.
gramara’s suggestions tend to be more natural compared to those from Ginger. Despite the 1,000-word daily limit, it can be the top recommendation if used wisely.
Pros
Accurate grammar and spell check
Natural-sounding alternative suggestions
Cons
1,000-word daily limit, not suitable for bulk checking
LangJournal is a diary service with proofreading functions. The concept is to “learn a language through a diary habit,” offering many features useful for diary writing. It incorporates three proofreading AIs, providing corrections from different angles, and is entirely free.
It may not be suitable for quick proofreading of texts, but it is ideal for those who want to write diaries regularly to improve their language skills.
Pros
High accuracy with three proofreading AIs
Features like learning with peers make it easier to continue studying
Cons
Focused on diaries, not suitable for checking emails
The proofreading accuracy of English proofreading sites is very high, and all five sites mentioned above are available for free. However, they are not perfect, so be cautious about relying on them completely. It’s best to use them as supplementary tools.
