I know this is a free plug, but whatever. I’ve been using Grammarly’s free version for a while now, and I made two changes recently. First, I started doing my writing inside of their web application. Second, I upgraded to their premium version. I figured I’d give it a month and see for myself whether it was worth it. In hindsight, I sabotaged that plan quickly by purchasing the annual subscription.

It turns out that it was the right thing to do. The premium version catches the standard spelling and grammar issues, but it goes further than I had anticipated by finding things like passive voice and shows you feedback in real-time on things like clarity and engagement. I wouldn’t think of writing without a spell-checker, and I have now promoted Grammarly to that level.