Best Software for Proofreading in 2021

If you don’t have the budget for proofreading services, or if you’re at a stage in your writing where a proofreading service is superfluous, making use of online software for proofreading is always a good idea.

As of October 2021, there are four main types of proofreading software available for use:

·         Microsoft Word add-ons

·         Browser extensions

·         Desktop and mobile apps

·         Online proofreading tools

Depending on your workflow, your job (or area of study), and other factors such as the amount of time you spend writing, some types of proofreading software will appeal more readily to you than others.

For example, if you are a researcher who regularly writes scientific papers, you may be used to writing in LaTeX with a text editor such as TeXstudio. If so, then one of the best choices you could make in terms of the proofreading software to integrate into your workflow would be to use an online proofreading tool such as Overleaf.

By contrast, students in the humanities rather than the sciences may need to make different decisions. As a case in point, a music student may choose to write their academic essays in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, in which case it would make more sense to employ Microsoft Word add-ons or desktop proofreading apps in their workflow.

The recommendation offered here, therefore, needs to be tailored to your situation. The question of which software is the best for proofreading in 2021 is especially dependent on the current software and apps you use for word processing, such as whether you prepare your documents in LaTeX, Microsoft Word, or another software environment.

The software we recommend for 2021 is Grammarly.Although Grammarly doesn’t yet offer a full-time working replacement for a professional-grade proofreading service, the suite of features it offers for generally proofreading and editing is impressive.

The main ways that Grammarly can be installed include:

·         Browser extensions

·         Online app

·         Mobile apps

·         MS Office add-on

·         Desktop apps for both Windows and Mac

·         Google Docs

Grammarly is available in both free and paid versions, and the fact that it is powered by artificial intelligence (AI) technology makes it one of the most accurate and reliable spelling, grammar, and style checkers.

The main disadvantages of Grammarly include the fact that the AI that underpins it is still learning, as well as the fact that none of the features work unless the user is connected to the Internet. This means that there is substantial room to improve the technology in the future.

The only real competitor to Grammarly for general proofreading and editing is another tool known as ProWriting Aid. A key limitation of this software is that there is no Microsoft Word available if you are using the Mac operating system. Also, many users have reported that the user interface for ProWriting Aid is not as convenient or easy to use compared to Grammarly.  Still the better option is to include professional proofreading services,  if your written work needs to be presented on-point.