LanguageTool

Open-source grammar and style checker covering more than 30 languages

AI Writing & CopywritingFree planOverseasβ˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜† 4.0

What is LanguageTool?

LanguageTool is a grammar, spelling and style checker with an unusual origin for this category: it is open source, and the core engine can be downloaded and self-hosted. It checks more than thirty languages and goes beyond spelling to flag grammar slips, punctuation, confused words and repetition, with rule sets that vary by dialect. You can use it in the browser, as a desktop app, or through extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Word, Google Docs and Outlook. The free tier covers a useful amount of text per request; premium tiers raise the limits. Self-hosting is the differentiator, letting organisations keep text on their own infrastructure.

Last updated: 2026-09-20. This site only provides an index; for exact features, pricing, and licensing, see the official website.

Key features

  • Grammar, spelling and punctuation checks across more than 30 languages
  • Browser extensions, desktop app, and add-ins for Word, Docs and Outlook
  • Style rules that flag repetition, wordiness and overly long sentences
  • Self-hostable open-source engine for text that cannot leave your network
  • Personal dictionaries and custom rules for names and house terminology
  • Public HTTP API for checking text from your own application

Pros & cons

Strengths

  • Open source and self-hostable, which very few rivals offer
  • Multilingual coverage makes it useful to bilingual writers
  • Extensions plug into the editors and mail clients people already use

Watch out for

  • Style suggestions are blunter than advice from a human editor
  • The free web tier limits how much text you can check at once
  • Some languages rely on noticeably fewer rules than English or German

Best for & use cases

multilingual proofreading, academic writing, business email and self-hosted deployments

If you're comparing similar products, check the alternatives below, or browse all tools in the AI Writing & Copywriting category.

FAQ

Is LanguageTool really open source?

The core grammar engine is published under the LGPL and can be downloaded and self-hosted, which is unusual in this category. Parts of the commercial service, including some premium rule sets and the hosted cloud infrastructure, are not open.

How many languages does it support?

More than thirty, including English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and Polish. Rule coverage differs by language: English and German are the most developed, while a few languages have much smaller rule sets.

How is it different from Grammarly?

LanguageTool leans toward grammar and multilingual coverage and can run on your own servers. Grammarly concentrates on polished English style advice and integrates deeply into browsers and office apps, but it is closed and cloud-only.