The Hemingway Editor Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Hemingway Editor in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Hemingway Editor
The Insider’s Guide
Readability editor that flags wordy, hard-to-read sentences
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among writing tools, read from Hemingway Editor’s own pages.
Made by Boondoggle Studio, LLC · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Hemingway Editor’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Hemingway Editor’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 20 of the 69 other writing tools we grade
Hemingway Editor checks writing for clarity. It highlights long or complex sentences, passive voice, weak wording and words with simpler alternatives, and scores the text against a target reading level. The web editor is free, the paid Hemingway Editor Plus adds grammar fixes and AI rewrites, and a separate desktop app for Mac and PC is sold as a one-time purchase.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Hemingway Editor, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Each kind of highlight can be switched off.
- 1
Best for cutting long, wordy sentences
Hemingway Editor colors in long, tangled sentences, passive voice and weak wording, and the web editor that does this is free.
- 2
Paid plans start at $8.33 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $8.33 per month, billed annually ($100); desktop app $19.99 once.
- 3
There is a free plan
The free web editor highlights hard-to-read sentences, passive voice and weak wording and grades readability. Grammar fixes and AI rewrites need Hemingway Editor Plus.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, macOS and Windows.
- 5
Readability highlights
Sentences more complex than the target readability score are highlighted in yellow, and the hardest ones in red, so they can be split or simplified.
- 6
Weak-writing checks
Flags adverbs and other weakeners, passive voice and words that have a simpler alternative, and each type of highlight can be hidden.
- 7
AI sentence rewrites
Editor Plus rewrites a highlighted sentence, a paragraph or a whole document on request. Each sentence rewritten uses one AI sentence credit.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 20 of 69
That is against the other writing tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Your call
A writing app at its plainest is a page that saves what you type.
Hemingway Editor at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $8.33 per month, billed annually ($100); desktop app $19.99 once
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 2-week free trial of Hemingway Editor Plus, no credit card required. It ends on its own without a charge.
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows
- Made by
- Boondoggle Studio, LLC, since 2013
- Category
- Writing Tools
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for cutting long, wordy sentences
Hemingway Editor colors in long, tangled sentences, passive voice and weak wording, and the web editor that does this is free. Grammar fixes and AI rewrites need Editor Plus, from $8.33 a month billed annually, and the AI is metered at 5,000 or 10,000 sentences a month. The $19.99 desktop app leaves the AI out, and there's no phone app or browser extension.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Editor Plus starts at $8.33 a month billed annually, $100 a year, which is the exact middle of this category. The toggle advertises a $200 saving over monthly billing, so paying by the month costs a lot more. The classic desktop app is $19.99 once, without any of the AI. |
| Free plan and trial | B | The free web editor does the thing Hemingway is known for, with no cap: highlights for hard-to-read sentences, passive voice and weak wording, plus a readability grade. You could live on it. Grammar fixes and every AI rewrite need Plus, which has a 2-week trial with no card. |
| Features | C | Yellow and red highlights for complex sentences, flags for adverbs and passive voice, a target reading level, and on Plus grammar fixes, tone changes and reviewer-style feedback. It does clarity fully, and that's a narrow job here, with AI rewrites metered at 5,000 or 10,000 sentences a month. |
| Ease of use | B | No store rating on record, but there's nothing to set up and nothing to learn: paste your text into the browser editor and the colours tell you which sentences are the problem. Each kind of highlight can be switched off. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | A web editor plus desktop apps for Mac and Windows, so no phone app and no browser extension. The one thing it connects to is WordPress publishing from the desktop app, and that app is a separate purchase without the AI. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Hemingway Editor is for
- Fits if your sentences run long and you want them marked in yellow and red
- Works for a quick readability check in the browser at no cost
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want grammar and spelling fixes for free, as those need Editor Plus
- Tight if you rewrite a lot with AI, since the individual plans stop at 5,000 or 10,000 sentences a month
- Not for you if you want the AI in the desktop app, because the $19.99 app doesn't include it
- Pricey if you pay by the month, as the annual toggle advertises a $200 saving over monthly billing
- Watch out: there's no phone app or browser extension, and the desktop app is bought separately for Mac or Windows
Good to know
Good for
- Writers who want to cut wordy sentences and passive voice
- A quick readability check in the browser at no cost
- People who want an offline editor for a one-time payment
Worth knowing
- Grammar, spelling and punctuation fixes and all AI rewrites require Hemingway Editor Plus.
- AI rewrites are metered: 5,000 or 10,000 AI sentences a month on the individual plans.
- The $19.99 desktop app does not include the AI features and is bought separately for Mac or Windows.
- Plan prices are shown on annual billing; the toggle advertises a $200 saving over paying monthly.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$8.33
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Hemingway Editor has a free plan. Paid plans start at $8.33 per month, billed annually ($100); desktop app $19.99 once.
Hemingway Editor
$0
The free web editor, with readability highlights and grade-level scoring but no AI fixes or grammar checking.
Individual 5K
$8.33
per month, billed annually ($100)
Editor Plus for 1 user: 5,000 AI sentence rewrites a month, with unlimited advanced grammar fixes, document reviews and AI synonyms.
Individual 10K
$12.50
per month, billed annually ($150)
Editor Plus for 1 user with 10,000 AI sentence rewrites a month.
Team 10K
$12.50
per user / month, billed annually ($150)
Up to 50 users on one bill with role-based admin controls and 10,000 AI sentences a month for each user.
Enterprise
Custom
Unlimited users, 20,000 AI sentences a month per user, optional single sign-on, security assessments and priority email support.
Hemingway Editor 3 (desktop)
$19.99
one-time purchase, Mac or Windows
The classic desktop app. Works without an internet connection and publishes to WordPress, but does not include the AI features.
The free plan
The free web editor highlights hard-to-read sentences, passive voice and weak wording and grades readability. Grammar fixes and AI rewrites need Hemingway Editor Plus.
Trying it first
2-week free trial of Hemingway Editor Plus, no credit card required. It ends on its own without a charge.
Read from hemingwayapp.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Annual billing advertised as saving $200
Individual 5K costs $100 a year on annual billing, or $8.33 a month. The plan toggle labels the annual option as saving $200 compared with paying monthly.
Stated on hemingwayapp.comLifetime license
One-time desktop license for $19.99
Hemingway Editor 3 for Mac or PC is a single $19.99 purchase with no subscription. It works offline but excludes the AI features of Editor Plus.
Stated on hemingwayapp.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, macOS and Windows
Readability editor that flags wordy, hard-to-read sentences. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: works offline, one-time purchase, AI features, grammar & style.
A web editor plus desktop apps for Mac and Windows, so no phone app and no browser extension.
- Readability highlights
- Sentences more complex than the target readability score are highlighted in yellow, and the hardest ones in red, so they can be split or simplified.
- Weak-writing checks
- Flags adverbs and other weakeners, passive voice and words that have a simpler alternative, and each type of highlight can be hidden.
- AI sentence rewrites
- Editor Plus rewrites a highlighted sentence, a paragraph or a whole document on request. Each sentence rewritten uses one AI sentence credit.
- Tone and style changes
- Editor Plus can shorten a passage, add detail or make it more confident, friendly, casual, formal or persuasive, and it accepts custom instructions.
- Document review and feedback
- Editor Plus comments on a draft as a reviewer would, for example on tone and repeated words. Reviews are unlimited on every paid plan.
- Desktop app
- Hemingway Editor 3 for Mac and PC imports Word files, exports to text, PDF, Word, HTML or Markdown, and can save a PDF with the highlights intact.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
What it works with
- WordPress
Hemingway Editor is made by Boondoggle Studio, LLC, and has been around since 2013.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
20/69
Other writing tools it is graded above
Hemingway Editor's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 20 of the 69 other writing tools we grade, and level with 11.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 48 of 69) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $8.33 a month, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 23 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 16 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 70 writing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Hemingway Editor’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 13 of 69
- BFree plan and trialAbove 48 of 69
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 69
- BEase of useAbove 32 of 69
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 3 of 69
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 53 writing tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Hemingway Editor is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
A writing app at its plainest is a page that saves what you type.
Hemingway Editor sits between: not beyond making, and not a weekend's work either. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. It costs $99.96 a year.
What you could not
- Grammar checking as you type, wherever you type.
- A real app for macOS and Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Hemingway Editor’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Grammarly, ProWritingAid, LanguageTool, QuillBot and Wordtune
The 5 tools Hemingway Editor is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
Grammarly
Free plan · from $12/mo
Writing assistant for grammar, tone and rewrites in any app.
- Only Grammarly lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Grammarly lists a browser extension.
- Hemingway Editor can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.6GPA
ProWritingAid
Free plan · from $10/mo
Grammar, style and story-critique toolkit for book writers.
- Only ProWritingAid lists a browser extension.
- Hemingway Editor can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- ProWritingAid also covers long-form writing.
- 2.8GPA
LanguageTool
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Grammar and style checker for more than 30 languages.
- Only LanguageTool lists an iOS app.
- Only LanguageTool lists a browser extension.
- Hemingway Editor can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.8GPA
QuillBot
Free plan · from $8.33/mo
AI paraphraser with grammar, summarizing and AI-detection tools.
- Only QuillBot lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only QuillBot lists a browser extension.
- Hemingway Editor can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.2GPA
Wordtune
Free plan · from $6.99/mo
AI rewriting, grammar and summarizing assistant for English.
- Only Hemingway Editor lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Only Wordtune lists an iOS app.
- Only Wordtune lists a browser extension.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Hemingway Editor free?
Hemingway Editor has a free plan. The free web editor highlights hard-to-read sentences, passive voice and weak wording and grades readability.
How much does Hemingway Editor cost?
Hemingway Editor lists 6 plans. Hemingway Editor: $0.
What platforms does Hemingway Editor work on?
Hemingway Editor is available on Web, macOS and Windows.
Does Hemingway Editor offer any discounts?
Hemingway Editor publicly lists the following: Annual billing advertised as saving $200; One-time desktop license for $19.99.
Does Hemingway Editor have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Hemingway Editor is listed for Web, macOS and Windows.
Does Hemingway Editor have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Hemingway Editor is listed for Web, macOS and Windows.
Is Hemingway Editor open source?
Hemingway Editor is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Hemingway Editor work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
What does Hemingway Editor integrate with?
Hemingway Editor's listing names WordPress. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Hemingway Editor have a free trial?
Yes. 2-week free trial of Hemingway Editor Plus, no credit card required.
Who makes Hemingway Editor?
Hemingway Editor is made by Boondoggle Studio, LLC. It dates from 2013.
What are the alternatives to Hemingway Editor?
The closest alternatives to Hemingway Editor in our directory are Grammarly, ProWritingAid, LanguageTool, QuillBot and Wordtune.
How does Hemingway Editor compare with other writing tools?
Hemingway Editor's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 20 of the 69 other writing tools we grade, and level with 11.
Is Hemingway Editor good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Hemingway Editor C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $8.33 a month, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 23 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Hemingway Editor?
A writing app at its plainest is a page that saves what you type. Hemingway Editor sits between: not beyond making, and not a weekend's work either.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Hemingway Editor’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Hemingway Editor's own pages on 5 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-01-24.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Boondoggle Studio, LLC. Prices change, so check hemingwayapp.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Hemingway Editor, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/hemingway-editor
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Hemingway Editor: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/hemingway-editor
Know someone choosing between writing tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/hemingway-editor/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded writing tools after Hemingway Editor, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Writing Tools Insider's GuideEvery one of the 70 writing tools we grade, compared
- Microsoft Word Insider's GuideWord processor sold with Microsoft 365, free in the browser3.4 GPA
- Beat Insider's GuideFree, open-source Fountain screenwriting app for Mac and iOS3.2 GPA
- JotterPad Insider's GuideMarkdown and Fountain editor for books, papers and screenplays3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Hemingway Editor’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Hemingway Editor is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Boondoggle Studio, LLC. Prices and plans change: check hemingwayapp.com before you buy.