Grammarly
Perplexity AI
| Feature | Grammarly | Perplexity AI |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $12/mo | Free / from $20/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | writers, students, professionals, non-native-speakers | researchers, students, journalists, professionals |
| Founded | 2009 | 2022 |
| Grammar | ✓ | ✗ |
| Spelling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tone | ✓ | ✗ |
| Clarity | ✓ | ✗ |
| Plagiarism | ✓ | ✗ |
| Browser Extension | ✓ | ✗ |
| Search | ✗ | ✓ |
| Citations | ✗ | ✓ |
| Focus Modes | ✗ | ✓ |
| File Upload | ✗ | ✓ |
| Collections | ✗ | ✓ |
| Api | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Grammarly Pros
- Works everywhere
- Clear suggestions
- Tone detection
- Plagiarism checker
✗ Grammarly Cons
- Premium is pricey
- Can over-correct
- Privacy concerns
✓ Perplexity AI Pros
- Source citations
- Real-time web access
- Focus modes
- Clean UI
✗ Perplexity AI Cons
- Limited free queries
- Can still have errors
- No document upload on free
The Verdict
Grammarly is built for writers and students, with a focus on grammar and spelling. Perplexity AI targets researchers and students and leads with search and citations.
On pricing, Grammarly is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $12/mo compared to $20/mo for Perplexity AI. That $8/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Both tools are a solid fit for students, professionals — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.