AutoCrit vs ProWritingAid

AutoCrit

• Novelists self-editing a draft before paying a human editor
• Genre fiction writers who want comparison with published books
• Authors who want planning, editing and formatting in one place
• Writers looking for a members' community and live workshops

ProWritingAid

• Fiction writers who want feedback on a chapter or a whole manuscript
• Authors who edit in Scrivener, Word or Google Docs
• Writers who would rather buy a lifetime license than subscribe

AutoCrit

• The Free Forever account includes only select editing tools; the Summary Report, Story Analyzer+, readers and formatting need Pro.
• It is web-based only. The site works on phones, but AutoCrit recommends a desktop or laptop for editing.
• Monthly subscriptions are not refundable. Annual plans can be refunded within 60 days, prorated at $30 a month.
• The editing reports are algorithmic; generative AI is used only in the optional Inspiration Studio.

ProWritingAid

• The Free plan checks at most 500 words at a time and allows 2 runs of each report per day.
• Manuscript Analysis, Virtual Beta Reader and the other full-story tools need Story Credits, bought separately from a subscription.
• An internet connection is required for the Web Editor and every integration, including the desktop apps.
• Plagiarism checks are sold separately in bundles, and each check covers up to 2,000 words.

AutoCrit

Line editing reports

More than 25 interactive reports cover pacing, dialogue, strong writing, word choice, repetition and readability, with a spelling and grammar checker.

Genre comparison

Guided editing compares a manuscript with published work in a chosen fiction or non-fiction genre and gives a summary score to track edits against.

Story Analyzer+

Reviews a whole book for character arcs, conflict, timeline, contradictory events, foreshadowing and story beats, and can analyze a full series.

Alpha and beta readers

Automated readers give impressions of a draft from a reader's point of view, from 20+ ready-made reader avatars or a custom-built one.

Story Builder and Inspiration Studio

Story Builder holds the premise, world-building, characters and beat sheets. Inspiration Studio uses generative AI to suggest ideas when a story stalls.

Formatting and export

Formatting tools set margins, fonts, trim size and front matter, then export a manuscript to EPUB or a print-ready PDF.

ProWritingAid

Grammar Checker and Writing Reports

Fixes grammar, spelling, punctuation and consistency issues, and more than 25 reports analyze readability, sentence structure, sticky sentences and word choice.

Rephrase and Sparks

Rephrase offers alternative phrasings for a sentence, and Sparks suggests rewrites in different styles. Free accounts get 10 Rephrases and 3 Sparks a day.

Chapter Critique

Feedback on the pacing, dialogue and prose of a single chapter. Premium includes 1 critique a day and Premium Pro 30 a day.

Full-manuscript analysis

Manuscript Analysis, Plot Analysis, Character Analysis, Virtual Beta Reader and Marketability Analysis each cost 1 Story Credit per run on stories up to 300,000 words.

Planning and writing tools

Story Canvas gives guided prompts on characters, plot, setting and structure before drafting, and Writing Sessions provide a distraction-free writing space.

Works inside other writing apps

Desktop Everywhere for Windows and Mac covers Word, Scrivener and other desktop apps, and Chrome, Edge and Firefox extensions cover Google Docs, Atticus and web pages.

AutoCrit

• Free Forever$0

  Write and edit without word limits, with noteboards and cards for planning and a small set of interactive editing tools.

• AutoCrit Pro Annual$15

  per month, billed annually

  Everything in Pro Monthly at half the monthly rate, described by AutoCrit as 6 months free every year.

• AutoCrit Pro Monthly$30

  per month

  All features: 25+ editing tools, the Summary Report and AutoCrit Score, Story Analyzer+, alpha and beta readers, formatting, Market Fuel and the community.

ProWritingAid

• Free$0

  Grammar, spelling and punctuation checks on up to 500 words, with 10 Rephrases, 3 Sparks and 2 runs of each report per day.

• Premium$10

  per month, billed yearly ($120); $30 billed monthly

  Unlimited word count, report runs and Rephrases, 25+ writing reports, a custom style guide, 1 Chapter Critique and 5 Sparks a day.

• Premium Pro$12

  per month, billed yearly ($144); $36 billed monthly

  Everything in Premium, plus 30 Chapter Critiques and 50 Sparks a day, live workshops, daily cowriting sprints and a 200+ workshop library.

• Premium (Lifetime)$399

  one-time payment

  The Premium feature set for a single payment instead of a subscription.

• Premium Pro (Lifetime)$699

  one-time payment

  The Premium Pro feature set for a single payment instead of a subscription.

AutoCrit

• Annual discount

  50% off with annual billing

  AutoCrit Pro costs $15 a month when billed annually against $30 on the monthly plan, which the pricing page describes as 6 months free every year.

ProWritingAid

• Annual discount

  Save 67% with yearly billing

  Premium is $10 a month billed yearly ($120) against $30 billed monthly, and Premium Pro is $12 a month ($144) against $36. The pricing page states a 67% saving.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime licenses from $399

  A one-time payment of $399 buys Premium and $699 buys Premium Pro, each with a 3-day money-back guarantee.

• Education

  20% student discount on annual plans

  Students get 20% off annual subscriptions by verifying through the Student App Centre with an academic email address or other evidence of student status.

• Education

  Free ProWritingAid for Education license

  Primary and secondary school teachers can apply for a free ProWritingAid for Education license for themselves and their students.