LanguageTool
Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent.
Grammar, spelling and style checking in more than twenty languages, with browser and editor add-ons — and a server you can run yourself.
Run the server yourself. It is the same engine. WHAT YOU GET - The open-source server carries the community rules; the premium subscription adds more - For most writing the open rules are enough, and nothing leaves your machine RUNNING IT - One Docker container exposing the HTTP API on your own network - Give it enough memory: the language models are large and it will fail quietly without it USING IT - The official browser add-on can be pointed at your own server in its settings - A CI step that posts changed Markdown to the API and fails on errors YOUR OWN RULES - Add a custom rule file for the words your project always gets wrong - Keep it in the repository so the whole team benefits from one correction PRIVACY, WHICH IS THE REAL REASON - Nothing is sent to a third party. For anything unpublished, that alone justifies the setup Include the compose file, the add-on setting and the CI step.
What you lose
- Rule sets for many languages, each maintained by people who speak them
- Add-ons for browsers and office suites, kept working as those change
- The premium rule set, which is larger than the one in the open server
If you would rather not build
- Hunspell, for spelling only
The escape hatch
open source · no votes, no paid placement
LanguageTool
$0The engine and server, self-hostable, with the community rule set.
languagetool-org/languagetoolfree · open source
Vale
$0Prose linting against rules you write; complements grammar checking.
vale-cli/valefree · open source
Why this verdict
our own opinion · changed only by a person
84/100
Verdict yes at 84. The engine is open source, so this is a container and a setting. The privacy argument is stronger than the cost one.
History
tracked since 10 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten
Questions about LanguageTool
answered from the record above
Is LanguageTool free?
No — the plan we track is $4.99 a month. Premium at around $4.99/month on an annual plan; a free tier covers short texts.
Can you replace LanguageTool by building your own?
YES. Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent. Replacement score 84 out of 100, build time one session. Read what you lose before you decide.
How much does LanguageTool cost?
$4.99 a month on Premium — $59.88 a year. Recorded 10 Aug 2026.
What do you lose by replacing LanguageTool?
Rule sets for many languages, each maintained by people who speak them; Add-ons for browsers and office suites, kept working as those change; The premium rule set, which is larger than the one in the open server. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to LanguageTool?
Yes: LanguageTool, Vale. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.
Related entries
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