ScribeAI
ScribeAIGrammarly alternative

A free, offline Grammarly alternative for macOS

ScribeAI is a free, open-source writing assistant that fixes and rewrites selected text directly on your Mac. No subscription, no account, and nothing sent to a server — it works with the network switched off.

Download for macOS See how it works
ScribeAI and Grammarly compared, as of October 2026.
How they differ ScribeAI Grammarly
Price Free, MIT open source Free tier, paid subscription for full features
Where the model runs Your Mac (WebGPU) Their servers
Text leaves your device No Yes, on every check
Works offline Yes No
Account required No Yes
Works in any Mac app Yes, system-wide ⌥⌘S Mainly browser and supported editors
Platform macOS 12+, Apple silicon Web, browser extensions, desktop app

Comparison reflects how Grammarly and similar cloud services were typically architected as of October 2026. Check Grammarly's current pricing and privacy policy before deciding. Grammarly is a trademark of its respective owner; this page is an independent comparison.

What's the difference?

Grammarly is a cloud service. Every sentence you check is sent to Grammarly's servers, processed there, and returned. That gives it a very large, well-tuned grammar database — but it needs an internet connection, an account, and it means your writing leaves your machine each time.

ScribeAI takes the opposite approach. The model runs on your own GPU through WebGPU, so the rewrite happens locally and nothing is uploaded. You select text in any Mac app, press ⌥⌘S, and the cleaned-up version comes back in place.

The trade-off is honest: a 1.5B local model is fast and private, but it is not a dedicated grammar rule database. ScribeAI is strongest at clarity, flow, and tone — not exhaustive rule-by-rule error flagging.

Who should pick which?

Pick Grammarly if you

  • Want the deepest possible grammar and spelling rule coverage
  • Write mostly in a browser and don't mind a subscription
  • Are comfortable sending text to a third-party server

Pick ScribeAI if you

  • Want a tool that is free forever, with no account
  • Handle sensitive text and need it to stay on your Mac
  • Want one keystroke that works in every Mac app
  • Prefer an open-source tool you can read and fork

Does it fix spelling mistakes?

Yes. ScribeAI cleans up the text you select, including spelling and grammar corrections, as part of its rewrite. It also leaves proper nouns and unusual names untouched — an Identity Lock layer indexes them before the model runs and checks the result afterwards, so cultural names and uncommon spellings come back intact.

Because it runs locally, it also works in apps where a browser extension never could: Mail, Notes, Slack, Word, or any other native Mac app. Highlight, press ⌥⌘S, and the result replaces your selection.

Frequently asked questions

Switching from a cloud checker, answered.

Is there a free alternative to Grammarly?
Yes. ScribeAI is free and open source under the MIT licence. There is no subscription, no trial, and no paid tier — the built-in model runs on your own hardware, so it costs nothing to use.

Can it work offline?
Yes. The default mode downloads a roughly 390MB model once, then rewrites with the network switched off: the model runs on your Mac's own GPU through WebGPU, and nothing is sent to a server. Only two things need internet — that one-time model download, and API mode, which you opt into with your own Gemini or OpenAI key.

Does ScribeAI check grammar and spelling?
It rewrites and cleans up selected text in place, including grammar and spelling fixes, through its tone modes. It is a rewriter rather than a dedicated grammar database, so it is strongest at improving clarity and flow rather than exhaustive rule-by-rule error flagging.

Does my text leave my device?
Not in the default offline mode — text is processed on your Mac and is never sent to a ScribeAI server. If you enable API mode with your own key, text goes only to that provider, and only when you opt in.

What are the system requirements?
An Apple silicon Mac (M1 or newer) with at least 8GB of memory, running macOS 12 or later. If your hardware is older, switch on API mode in settings and the same rewrite runs on a cloud model instead.

Try a free Grammarly alternative.

Download the Mac app, press ⌥⌘S on something you were about to check by hand, and see what comes back.

Download for macOS View the source