TechRadar Verdict
ProWritingAid is great for those who’re serious about their writing and want to make sure that they’re doing everything in their power to improve it. It provides various suggestions, many of which are not immediately obvious even for some experienced writers, and it does so through a clean, intuitive interface. The application is loaded with features, and doesn’t take too long to get used to. It’s a great writing assist tool for both experienced writers and beginners alike, although experts might be a bit disappointed with its overall features compared to alternatives like Grammarly.
Pros
- +
Easy to get started
- +
Great feedback
- +
Doesn’t cost much
Cons
- -
Some features are not on par with competitors like Grammarly
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There is a huge market for assist tools of various types nowadays, and many professionals rely on them heavily for their daily work. The complexity and features of those tools vary across the board, but the general idea is the same – they help you get the most out of your work by pointing out areas for improvement. Writing is a field that’s seen lots of these solutions in recent years, which is a refreshing change after being dominated by Grammarly for so long.
ProWritingAid is a competitor to Grammarly that’s established its own place on the market, with a steady base of users that follow its development. This writing tool is more expensive than Grammarly, but at the same time leaves something to be desired in terms of features and usability in comparison. Grammarly is still the market leader, but ProWritingAid is not to be underestimated either, as it offers healthy competition.
Plans and pricing
The application is offered with several subscription options – you can either pay monthly, yearly, or make a one-time payment for a permanent subscription. The last option costs $399, while a monthly subscription is $20, or $6.58 with the annual plan. It’s a good idea to give the monthly plans a try before committing to a longer-running option, even though the annual subscription can be quite alluring with its huge discount.
The one-time payment option is a mixed bag, depending on what specifically you’re looking for. Some people might get their money’s worth very quickly, while for others it would make more economic sense to stick to a monthly subscription, or even switch to a cheaper service like Grammarly. ProWritingAid is clearly aimed at users who do a lot of writing on a regular basis, so if you only need it for occasional corrections and check-ups, you should probably look at an alternative option.
Features
The application offers various features to help you get your point across more clearly and concisely. It evaluates your writing in multiple aspects, including overall readability, sentence length, use of passive voice, and other features which are common in similar tools. You have easy access to tools for checking your grammar and style, a thesaurus for quick reference, and an overview of issues like overused words and phrases, repetition, awkward phrasing, and more.
The application will look into how you’re transitioning between different sections of your work as well. Some of the tools are clearly aimed at specific types of writers. Those doing creative work will likely benefit from ProWritingAid more than those working on technical texts, for example. It’s important to keep this in mind, as some of the suggestions you’ll receive might not be exactly aligned with your intended style.
Interface and in use
The program works in a browser, and doesn’t require any powerful hardware to run. This is nothing new in this corner of the market, as many other popular programs of this type work in a similar manner. The interface is nice and clean, and everything is where you would expect to find it. It doesn’t take too long to get used to the way ProWritingAid works, and if you’re coming from other similar programs, it should feel quite familiar to you right from the start. Some elements might seem a bit too big, but that’s a minor issue, and one that can be addressed to some extent with the use of your browser’s zoom feature. In fact, some users apparently use it at 80-90% scale by default, so give that a try and see how it works for you.
Support
The company offers an extensive knowledge base, as well as several extra features that bring them closer to their community. You can take advantage of various tutorials for improving your writing, and even submit a feature request and see where it goes. Keep in mind that the popularity of ProWritingAid means that you will probably face a lot of competition if you do want to put in a feature request, so don’t be disheartened if it looks like they aren’t paying much attention to your idea.
The competition
Grammarly is the most direct competitor to ProWritingAid right now, and comparing the two is not very straightforward, as they both serve somewhat different purposes. ProWritingAid is aimed at heavier users who frequently need to verify their writing and take advantage of batch tools and similar features. Grammarly, on the other hand, is more suitable for the everyday writer who occasionally needs to check something, as well as those who need its specific features. If the pricing plans of ProWritingAid look too expensive for your needs, definitely check what the rest of the market has to offer.
Final verdict
ProWritingAid is a competent entry into a market that’s becoming quite busy lately. It faces serious competition from Grammarly, but still manages to hold its own, and stands out without too many issues. If you can afford it, it’s definitely worth spending some extra cash on. Make sure to check what Grammarly has to offer in comparison though, as you might find it perfectly suitable for your specific needs.
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