Wordwand vs Grammarly: Which AI Writing Assistant Is Better for Mac?

Introduction

Choosing the right writing assistant for your Mac can have a real impact on how quickly and confidently you communicate every day. Whether you are drafting emails, polishing reports, translating messages for international colleagues, or dictating notes on the go, the tool you pick shapes your entire workflow.

Two names that come up frequently in this conversation are Wordwand and Grammarly. Grammarly has been a household name in grammar checking for over a decade, while Wordwand is a newer entrant that takes a fundamentally different approach, offering an all-in-one AI writing toolkit built as a native macOS application.

In this comparison, we will take an honest, side-by-side look at both tools across the dimensions that matter most to Mac users: compatibility, features, AI technology, pricing, and overall user experience. By the end, you should have a clear sense of which tool is the better fit for the way you actually work.

How They Work: Architecture and Compatibility

Grammarly

Grammarly operates primarily through browser extensions (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) and dedicated integrations for specific applications like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and its own standalone editor. On macOS, Grammarly also offers a desktop app that overlays suggestions in some native applications, but coverage can be inconsistent. Certain apps, especially niche or professional tools, are simply not supported.

This means that if you write in apps like Notion, Bear, Obsidian, terminal-based editors, or any other application outside of Grammarly's integration list, you either need to copy-paste your text into a supported environment or go without assistance entirely.

Wordwand

Wordwand takes a completely different approach. It is a native macOS application that works in any app on your Mac through a single keyboard shortcut. Select text in any application, Mail, Slack, Pages, VS Code, your CRM, a web form, even a terminal window, press the shortcut, and Wordwand processes your text instantly. There is no browser extension to install, no per-app integration to configure, and no need to leave your current context.

Because Wordwand is built as a native macOS app rather than a web-based extension, it launches instantly, uses minimal system resources, and feels like a natural part of the operating system rather than an add-on.

Key takeaway: Grammarly works well within its supported ecosystem of browsers and select apps. Wordwand works everywhere on your Mac, period.

Feature Comparison

This is where the two tools diverge most significantly. Grammarly has spent years refining a focused grammar, spelling, and style checking engine. Wordwand has built a broader AI-powered toolkit that covers grammar but extends far beyond it.

Grammar and Spelling

Both tools can catch and correct grammatical errors, misspellings, and punctuation mistakes. Grammarly uses its own proprietary natural language processing engine that has been trained specifically for this task. It excels at catching subtle issues like misused commas, subject-verb agreement problems, and inconsistent tense usage. Its suggestions are typically accompanied by explanations, which can be helpful for learning.

Wordwand handles grammar correction through its AI engine, which rewrites and fixes selected text in place. The results are fast and accurate for the vast majority of common grammar issues. However, Wordwand does not provide detailed explanations for each correction the way Grammarly does; it simply delivers the corrected text.

Translation

This is one of Wordwand's standout features. Wordwand supports translation across 40+ languages, all accessible through the same keyboard shortcut workflow. Select text in French, trigger Wordwand, and receive the English translation directly in your current app. Or write in English and translate to Spanish, German, Japanese, Mandarin, Arabic, and dozens of other languages.

Grammarly recently added translation across 19 languages, which is a welcome addition. However, Wordwand supports over 40 languages for translation and replaces the text inline, while Grammarly's translation works within its own interface.

Text Generation

Wordwand includes a full AI text generation capability. You can type a prompt, such as "write a polite decline email" or "draft a project status update", and Wordwand will generate the text for you. This is useful for overcoming writer's block, creating first drafts, and handling repetitive communication tasks.

Grammarly has introduced some generative AI features through its GrammarlyGO offering, which can help rephrase, expand, or shorten existing text. However, its generative capabilities are more limited in scope and are not available on all plans.

Tone Adjustment

Both tools offer some form of tone adjustment. Grammarly provides tone detection and can flag when your writing might come across as overly blunt or too casual for a given context. With GrammarlyGO, you can request tone shifts on selected text.

Wordwand lets you adjust the tone of any selected text, making it more formal, casual, friendly, assertive, or diplomatic, with a single action. Because it uses a large language model under the hood, it can handle nuanced tone shifts that go beyond simple word substitutions.

Voice Dictation

Wordwand includes built-in voice dictation: hold the Fn key and speak, and your words are transcribed directly into whatever application you are using. This is a genuine productivity booster for people who think faster than they type, or who want to capture ideas while away from the keyboard.

Grammarly does not include voice dictation.

Text-to-Speech and Podcast Mode

Wordwand offers text-to-speech functionality that reads selected text aloud, which is useful for proofreading by ear or for accessibility purposes. It also features a podcast mode that can read longer content in a more natural, conversational style.

Grammarly does not provide text-to-speech or audio features.

Summarization

Wordwand can summarize long blocks of text into concise bullet points or short paragraphs. Select a lengthy email thread, a research paper section, or a meeting transcript, and Wordwand will distill it down to the key points.

Grammarly does not offer standalone summarization, though GrammarlyGO can shorten text to some degree.

Side-by-Side Comparison Table

Feature	Wordwand	Grammarly
Works in any Mac app	Yes, system-wide keyboard shortcut	No, browser extensions and select apps only
Native macOS app	Yes	Partial (desktop app with limited coverage)
Grammar and spelling	Yes (AI-powered)	Yes (proprietary NLP engine)
Detailed grammar explanations	No	Yes
Translation	Yes (40+ languages)	Yes (19 languages)
AI text generation	Yes	Limited (GrammarlyGO)
Tone adjustment	Yes	Yes (with GrammarlyGO)
Voice dictation	Yes (hold Fn key)	No
Text-to-speech	Yes	No
Podcast mode	Yes	No
Summarization	Yes	Limited
Style and clarity suggestions	Basic	Advanced
Plagiarism detection	No	Yes (Premium)
Browser extension	Not needed	Yes (primary delivery method)
AI engine	Advanced LLM	Proprietary + limited generative AI
Free tier	5,000 words/month	Limited checks
Paid plan starting price	$10.99/month	~$12/month (annual)

Pricing Breakdown

Wordwand Pricing

• Free tier: 5,000 words per month, access to all features including grammar fixing, translation, text generation, tone adjustment, voice dictation, text-to-speech, and summarization.
• Pro plan: Starting at $10.99/month with a higher word limit and priority processing.

Every feature is available on the free tier, which means you can try everything Wordwand offers before deciding whether to upgrade.

Grammarly Pricing

• Free tier: Basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation checks, plus 100 AI prompts per month.
• Pro plan (formerly Premium): Approximately $12/month (billed annually) or $30/month billed monthly, which unlocks advanced grammar suggestions, tone detection, full-sentence rewrites, 2,000 AI prompts per month, and plagiarism detection.
• Enterprise plan: Custom pricing for team features, style guides, and admin controls.

Grammarly's free tier now includes 100 AI prompts per month, which is more generous than before, but advanced grammar suggestions and plagiarism detection remain locked behind the Pro paywall. Wordwand's free tier gives you access to the full toolkit within the 5,000-word monthly limit, including features that Grammarly does not offer at any price point, such as voice dictation and text-to-speech.

Performance and User Experience

Speed and Resource Usage

Wordwand is a native macOS application, which means it launches in under a second, uses minimal RAM, and does not slow down your browser or other applications. The keyboard-shortcut-driven workflow means you never leave your current app, the entire interaction happens in place.

Grammarly's browser extension can occasionally introduce latency in web applications, especially on resource-heavy pages. The desktop app performs reasonably well but adds another process running in the background. For users who are particular about keeping their Mac lean and fast, Wordwand's lightweight footprint is a notable advantage.

Workflow Integration

The fundamental difference in workflow philosophy deserves emphasis. With Grammarly, you are working within Grammarly's ecosystem, its supported apps, its sidebar panel, its suggestion interface. If you are primarily writing in Google Docs and Gmail in Chrome, this works beautifully.

With Wordwand, the tool adapts to your workflow rather than the other way around. You can be writing a commit message in your terminal, filling out a form in a niche web app, composing a message in any chat application, or editing a document in any text editor. The experience is identical everywhere: select, shortcut, done.

Learning Curve

Grammarly has a gentle learning curve for its core grammar features, underlined words, a sidebar with suggestions, click to accept. The generative features require a bit more exploration but are reasonably intuitive.

Wordwand's learning curve is arguably even simpler: learn one keyboard shortcut, and you have access to everything. The interface presents your options clearly after you trigger it, and most actions complete in a single step.

Where Grammarly Wins

It would not be fair to discuss this comparison without acknowledging Grammarly's genuine strengths:

• Depth of grammar analysis. Grammarly's proprietary engine has been refined over many years specifically for English grammar. It catches nuanced issues, dangling modifiers, split infinitives, passive voice overuse — with a level of specificity that general-purpose AI models may occasionally miss.
• Educational explanations. Each suggestion comes with a brief explanation of the grammar rule, making Grammarly a learning tool as well as a correction tool. This is particularly valuable for non-native English speakers who want to improve their grammar over time.
• Plagiarism detection. Grammarly Premium includes plagiarism checking against billions of web pages and academic databases. Wordwand does not offer this feature.
• Team and enterprise features. Grammarly's Business plan includes style guides, brand tone profiles, and admin dashboards that are useful for organizations trying to maintain consistency across a team.

Where Wordwand Wins

Wordwand's advantages center around versatility and Mac-native design:

• Universal compatibility. Working in any Mac application without configuration is a fundamental advantage for users who write across many different tools throughout their day.
• Broader multilingual support. Translation across 40+ languages is built in, compared to Grammarly's 19 languages. This makes Wordwand significantly more useful for multilingual users, international teams, and anyone who communicates across language barriers.
• All-in-one toolkit. Grammar fixing, translation, text generation, tone adjustment, voice dictation, text-to-speech, podcast mode, and summarization, all in a single lightweight app, all triggered by the same shortcut.
• Voice input. Built-in dictation via the Fn key is a genuine productivity feature that Grammarly simply does not offer.
• Native performance. As a purpose-built macOS app, Wordwand is fast, lightweight, and integrates seamlessly with the operating system.
• Better free tier. All features are accessible on the free plan within the 5,000-word monthly limit, whereas Grammarly gates its most useful features behind a paid subscription.

Who Should Choose Which?

Choose Grammarly if:

• You write primarily in English and want the deepest possible grammar analysis with educational feedback.
• Your writing happens mostly in browsers, Google Docs, and Microsoft Word.
• You need plagiarism detection for academic or publishing work.
• You are part of a team that needs centralized style guides and brand tone management.
• You prefer a tool that has been established and refined over many years.

Choose Wordwand if:

• You work across many different Mac applications throughout the day and want a single tool that works everywhere.
• You communicate in multiple languages and need built-in translation.
• You want an all-in-one AI assistant that handles grammar, generation, tone, dictation, and more.
• You value a native macOS experience with minimal resource usage.
• You prefer a tool that gives you full feature access on the free tier.
• You frequently use voice dictation or text-to-speech as part of your workflow.

Final Thoughts

Grammarly and Wordwand serve overlapping but fundamentally different purposes. Grammarly is a specialized, deeply refined grammar and style checker that works best within its supported application ecosystem. Wordwand is a versatile, AI-powered writing toolkit that works universally across macOS and covers a much broader range of writing tasks.

For Mac users who need more than grammar checking, who translate, generate, dictate, listen, and adjust tone as part of their daily routine, Wordwand offers a more complete solution in a single, lightweight package. For users whose primary concern is meticulous English grammar analysis with detailed explanations, Grammarly remains a strong and proven choice.

The good news is that both tools offer free tiers, so the best way to decide is to try each one in the context of your own workflow and see which one makes your writing life genuinely easier.