App Advisory – Grammarly
As part of our app advisory service, we do the heavy lifting for you, so you pick the right tools and solutions from the get-go. Writing tools are the area we will address in this article.
We wanted to introduce you to Grammarly, one of the top English proofreading software tools.
It goes beyond simple spell and grammar checks. It’s a vital tool as we slowly lose track of complete sentences and proper punctuation through social media and SMS.
There are plenty of English proofreading and editing tools out there including Ginger Software, ProwritingAid and WhiteSmoke. What do you use?
For the Millennials out there – TLDR: Download Grammarly now.
How does it work?
Grammarly is an add-on/extension that you download and install on software including Microsoft Outlook and Word (to name a few). As you type up your emails and essays, Grammarly checks spelling, punctuation and grammar.
You might ask, don’t tools like Outlook and Word already do this? To this, I would say yes, to an extent. Grammarly adds another layer by looking at content quality and writing style. It helps you eliminate errors and improves your style and tone.
Who would benefit?
Absolutely everyone.
This tool can add that added layer of protection when you’re a sole trader and don’t have another person checking your work. Larger businesses will also benefit, by saving resources on double and triple-checking correspondence.
You should look at Grammarly as an educational tool. It will help you develop your writing skills.
What are the differences between the free and premium account?
The free account offers grammar, spelling checks and conciseness. The premium account improves on this by delivering suggestions on readability, vocabulary enhancement suggestions, genre-specific writing style checks, and a plagiarism detector that checks more than 16 billion web pages. Check out the plans here.
The premium account comes in 3 different plans ($USD), $29.95/month, $59.95/quarter (works out as $19.98/month), and $139.95/year (works out as $11.66/month). These prices are for individuals.
Business accounts provide advanced writing feedback. They include admin controls, centralised billing, team usage statistics and a style guide. This plan comes at a cost of $12.50/member/month ($USD) for up to 149 team members or an Enterprise pricing plan for larger teams.
Our suggestion is to try the free version. It does the majority of the grunt work. If you require an extra level of sheen to your writing, the premium plan is the way to go.
Other cool features
It knows Australian English.
Log in to your Grammarly Account, click Customize (see what I did there), and choose your Language Preference (Australian, American, British, or Canadian).
Say goodbye to the awkward American Microsoft suggestions.
Verdict
Grammarly is a must-have tool in any one’s arsenal. Given its ease of use and the fact that you can get it for free, makes it a no-brainer. Its availability on so many platforms ensures that all correspondence (and articles) are prepared with the correct spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Download it now. I guarantee you will be impressed.
There are 100’s of apps out there for countless tasks. Picking the right one can be an arduous process. We here at VCFO Accountants profile your business to understand your requirements, map these requirements against selected apps and recommend the right apps to you. We can also help you implement apps, provide you with training on how to use them and even provide ongoing app support and respond to any ad-hoc queries. Contact us today.