Grammarly is one of the most recognised writing tools on the internet — with over 40 million users and a marketing machine that promises “industry-leading AI accuracy.” But beneath the polished marketing, a different picture has been emerging: unexpected charges, discontinued features, and suggestions that sometimes make writing worse rather than better.
This review does not repeat Grammarly’s marketing material. It analyses what real verified users on Trustpilot, G2, and Capterra have actually reported — and measures how closely Grammarly’s official claims match that lived reality. The RSH Savvy Meter™ score reflects that analysis only. No affiliate relationship. No sponsored content. For comparison with other AI tools, see our ChatGPT Plus Review and Perplexity AI Review.
Founded in 2009, Grammarly began as a straightforward grammar checker and has evolved into what it calls a comprehensive AI writing platform. It now operates under Superhuman — an AI productivity company — and offers plans ranging from approximately £12 to £30 per month. The platform integrates with over one million applications, embedding itself deeply into professional writing workflows worldwide.
In 2025 and into 2026, Grammarly made several significant changes — including discontinuing Grammarly for Office desktop, launching new AI agent features, and restructuring its subscription model. Each change affected paying users in ways that were not always communicated clearly. Those changes are directly relevant to any honest assessment of whether this product delivers on its promises today. RSH has documented similar patterns of post-subscription feature changes in the Perplexity AI review — where Deep Research was cut 97% without notice.
Grammarly Premium is the paid individual tier of Grammarly’s writing assistance platform. It sits above the free version and below Business and Enterprise tiers. The Premium plan offers advanced grammar corrections, style suggestions, tone detection, plagiarism checking, vocabulary enhancement, and access to GrammarlyGO — the platform’s generative AI writing assistant.
The platform works primarily as a browser extension, desktop application, and web editor, integrating into Gmail, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Slack, and most major writing environments. Pricing is approximately £30 per month on a monthly plan, or around £12 per month billed annually — meaning a full annual commitment of roughly £144. Available on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. For users also evaluating AI tools for research and productivity, see our ChatGPT Plus Review.
These claims are taken directly from Grammarly’s official website and marketing materials — in their own words.
The picture that emerges from analysing over 1,200 verified user reviews is genuinely mixed — and more complicated than either Grammarly’s marketing or its critics suggest.
On the positive side, Grammarly consistently delivers on its core promise of catching grammatical and spelling errors in real time. It is particularly valuable for non-native English speakers, where it provides a level of correction that genuinely improves communication quality. G2 reviewers — representing professional and enterprise users — give Grammarly a strong 4.7 out of 5 across 11,000+ reviews, with consistent praise for real-time grammar checks, ease of use, and cross-platform reliability.
However, the complaints tell a different and more concerning story — particularly around three areas. First, suggestion quality: multiple verified reviewers report that Grammarly’s suggestions can alter the meaning of sentences, make writing sound over-polished, or flag text that was already correct. Second, feature discontinuation without adequate notice — specifically the desktop editing functionality. Third, and most serious: automatic annual renewals charging £120+ without proactive notification, combined with a strict no-refund policy that leaves users with no recourse. RSH documented a comparable billing pattern in the Perplexity AI review — where double charges and zero customer support were widely reported.
The Expert Review feature — launched in late 2025 — has attracted serious controversy. As reported by Nieman Journalism Lab in March 2026, the feature uses real academics’ and authors’ names to deliver AI-generated suggestions without those individuals’ knowledge or consent — raising serious questions about the accuracy of Grammarly’s marketing claims around this feature.
Based on RSH independent analysis of verified reviews across Trustpilot, G2, and Capterra:
Methodology: RSH analysed 1,000 publicly available Trustpilot and Capterra reviews posted between 2024–2026. Reviews were grouped by the country shown on the reviewer profile. Sentiment was classified as positive or negative based on the overall review content and star rating. Countries were selected based on publicly available traffic analysis data showing highest Grammarly usage globally. Traffic share figures are estimated based on publicly available traffic analysis tools.
Source: All quotes are sourced from publicly available Trustpilot and Capterra verified user reviews. Full attribution provided per quote.
RSH Country Analysis — Key Findings
The country-wise breakdown reveals a consistent pattern across Grammarly’s global user base. Developing markets and non-native English speaking countries — Philippines (82% positive), India (78%), Singapore (74%), and Brazil (72%) — report significantly higher satisfaction than Western markets. This gap reflects a fundamental difference in use case: users in these markets primarily use Grammarly to improve their English communication professionally, where even the free tier delivers genuine value. In contrast, UK (54% positive), USA (62% positive), and France (56% positive) users — who more frequently subscribe to premium annual plans — report the highest rates of billing problems, unexpected charges, and subscription management failures. A secondary finding unique to the UK market is inaccurate UK English spell-checking, which disproportionately affects users who rely on the tool for professional writing in British English. The data confirms that Grammarly’s core product works well globally, but its subscription and billing practices create a two-tier experience that systematically disadvantages its highest-paying customers.
These quotes are taken directly from verified reviews on Trustpilot and Capterra — unedited, representing the full range of user experiences.
The 93–98% accuracy claim is the most defensible of Grammarly’s marketing positions. Independent testing using a 10,000-word manuscript with 47 intentional errors found Grammarly caught 44 — a 93.6% accuracy rate. This is a genuine achievement. However, the same testing identified 12 false positives per 10,000 words — meaning the tool suggests changes to text that is already correct, creating friction for users who trust its recommendations without question.
Where claims break down most clearly is around billing and subscription management. The claim of transparent, user-controlled subscription management is directly contradicted by the volume and consistency of Trustpilot complaints about unexpected charges. Grammarly’s official refund policy — which provides refunds only when legally required — means users who are charged unexpectedly have very limited options. This represents a meaningful and documented gap between what the product implies and what users actually experience. RSH documented a comparable claims breakdown in the Perplexity AI review — where support promise was directly contradicted by user experiences.
Grammarly Premium is a product of two very different halves. The core writing assistance — grammar checking, real-time suggestions, cross-platform integration — genuinely works and delivers measurable value for the right user. G2’s professional user base with 4.7 out of 5 across 11,000+ reviews makes a compelling case for this side of the product. For non-native English speakers and high-volume professional writers, Premium features represent a justifiable investment.
The other half — billing practices, subscription transparency, feature discontinuation, and the Expert Review controversy — tells a different story. The volume and consistency of complaints about unexpected £120 charges, combined with a no-refund policy, represents a serious gap between what Grammarly implies and what it delivers. These are not edge cases — they represent a documented systemic pattern that prospective users deserve to know about before committing to an annual plan.
RSH Verdict: Grammarly Premium partially delivers. The tool itself earns a cautious recommendation for specific user types — with the strong caveat that subscription management requires active self-monitoring. If you use the free tier and find it valuable, Premium adds genuine capability. If billing surprises are a concern — the free version or a monthly plan reduces your exposure significantly.
Transparency Note: This review was produced independently by ReviewSavvyHub. No payment was received from Grammarly or any affiliated entity. No affiliate relationship with Grammarly existed at time of publication. All user quotes are sourced from publicly available verified reviews on Trustpilot and Capterra. RSH Savvy Meter™ scores reflect independent analysis only. RSH does not recommend Grammarly Premium for affiliate purposes at this time — our affiliate policy requires a Claims Match score of 65% or above.