ProWritingAid vs WhiteSmoke (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ProWritingAid grades higher than WhiteSmoke: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ProWritingAid grades higher on the free plan, features and ease of use. WhiteSmoke grades higher on value for money and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ProWritingAid
Grammar, style and story-critique toolkit for book writers
WhiteSmoke
Grammar, spelling and style checker with a built-in translator
Which one is for you
Pick ProWritingAid if
- Fits if you write fiction and want feedback on a chapter, not only on your commas
- Works for editing in Scrivener, Word or Google Docs with the checks inside them
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $30 for Premium against $120 for the whole year
- Tight if you're staying free, since it checks at most 500 words at a time and runs each report twice a day
- Not for you if you edit offline, because the web editor and every integration, desktop apps included, need a connection
- Watch out: Manuscript Analysis and the other full-story tools need Story Credits, bought apart from the subscription
- Watch out: plagiarism checks are sold separately in bundles of up to 2,000 words a check, and there are no phone apps
Pick WhiteSmoke if
- Fits if you want grammar checks and a translator in one subscription
- Works for people who write in Word, Outlook and Gmail
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free plan or trial, as none is listed
- Tight if you want one licence to cover many machines: Premium is one computer, Business three
- Watch out: every price is a 50% sale with no end date, and list prices are double
- Watch out: the store page names Windows 7, 8 and 10 for desktop, and extra plagiarism credits cost more
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAProWritingAidGood | 2.2GPAWhiteSmokeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPremium is $10 a month billed yearly ($120), which sits in the middle band for writing tools, where plans run from about $5 to $12. Monthly is $30, so yearly is the only sensible way in. Lifetime is $399, and Story Credits and plagiarism checks cost extra again. | B$5 a month, billed as one $59.95 payment, inside the category's cheaper quarter at $5.75. Premium is $6.66 and Business $11.50. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree for good, but these are caps you'll hit on day one: grammar, spelling and punctuation on up to 500 words at a time, 2 runs of each report, 10 Rephrases and 3 Sparks a day. Fine for an email, not a chapter. | FNo free plan or trial is listed; every plan is a paid yearly payment. |
| Features | BIt covers the whole job: grammar and style with more than 25 reports on readability, structure and word choice, Rephrase for other ways to say a sentence, Chapter Critique on pacing and dialogue, Story Canvas for planning, and whole-story reads up to 300,000 words on credits. | CGrammar and style checking, plagiarism checks, translation, Office integration and templates. Plagiarism checks use credits, 500 included. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, so we go on the listing: it works inside the apps you already write in, Word, Scrivener and Google Docs, with nothing to configure, and there's a web editor too. Everything needs a connection, the desktop apps included. | CNo store rating on record. Desktop editions and integrations to install and set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BA web editor, desktop apps for Windows and Mac, Chrome, Edge and Firefox extensions, and a real list of places it works inside: Word, Scrivener, Google Docs, Atticus, Vellum, Apple Notes, Notion and Wattpad. No phone apps, which keeps it off an A. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and browser, with Word, Outlook and Gmail integrations. |
| Best for | editing a novel chapter by chapter | grammar checks plus a translator |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: ProWritingAid and WhiteSmoke. How we grade
Price against what you get
ProWritingAid starts at $10 a month and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. WhiteSmoke starts at $5 a month and scores 2.7.
ProWritingAid scores higher, and starts $5 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other writing tools on the chart, 4 score higher than ProWritingAid for less, and 6 score higher than WhiteSmoke for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- ProWritingAid also covers long-form writing.
- WhiteSmoke also covers templates.
At a glance
| ProWritingAid | WhiteSmoke | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $10 per month, billed yearly ($120) | $5 per month, billed as one yearly payment of $59.95 |
| Free plan | Grammar, spelling and punctuation checks on up to 500 words at a time, 2 runs of each line-editing report, 10 Rephrases, 3 Sparks and 3 Creative Nudges a day. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Orpheus Technology | WhiteSmoke Inc. |
| Price read from | prowritingaid.com | buy.whitesmoke.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
WhiteSmoke
- All prices are shown as 50%-off sale prices with no end date given; the crossed-out prices are twice as high.
- Premium is licensed for one computer and Business for three.
- Plagiarism checks use credits, 500 of which are included; extra credits are sold separately.
- The store page lists Windows 7, 8 and 10 for the desktop editions; newer versions are not named.
Key features
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.
WhiteSmoke
- Grammar and style checking
- Checks spelling, grammar, punctuation and style, and explains each error. The vendor says it uses patented natural-language technology.
- Plagiarism checker
- Included on all three plans with 500 credits; the store page says more credits can be bought.
- Translator
- Translates full text between more than 50 languages, with a dictionary in the Premium edition.
- Microsoft Office integration
- The Premium and Business editions work inside Word and Outlook and, per the store page, Gmail.
- Templates
- Over 100 document and letter templates are listed with the Premium edition.
- Mobile app
- A separate app for Android and iOS checks text and shows error explanations and writing tutorials.
Plans
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.
WhiteSmoke
Web$5
per month, billed yearly as one payment of $59.95
Browser-based grammar and plagiarism checker and translator; shown at 50% off a crossed-out $10.00.
Premium$6.66
per month, billed yearly as one payment of $79.95
Windows or Mac edition with Word, Outlook and Gmail integration, 1-computer license; shown at 50% off $13.33.
Business$11.50
per month, billed yearly as one payment of $137.95
Premium features for 3 computers, plus phone support and extended download warranty; shown at 50% off $22.99.
Ways to pay less
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.
- By country
Lower price shown to buyers in India
ProWritingAid says prices depend on the visitor's country and shows rupees in India. On 9 October 2026 Premium there was ₹550 a month billed yearly (₹6,600), against $10 a month ($120) in a US copy archived on 5 October.
WhiteSmoke
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ProWritingAid or WhiteSmoke?
As of Nov 13, 2026, WhiteSmoke is cheaper to start with: $5 a month, against $10 a month for ProWritingAid. ProWritingAid starts at $10 per month, billed yearly ($120), and WhiteSmoke starts at $5 per month, billed as one yearly payment of $59.95.
Which has a free plan, ProWritingAid or WhiteSmoke?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only ProWritingAid has a free plan. WhiteSmoke does not.
Which platforms do ProWritingAid and WhiteSmoke run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only WhiteSmoke lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app, macOS and Windows apps and a browser extension. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.