Silent Scribe vs Grammarly: Which Writing Assistant Fits Your Workflow?
Silent Scribe specializes in technical documentation with 100% local processing, while Grammarly excels at general writing across 500,000+ platforms. Both prioritize quality, but serve fundamentally different needs.
Silent Scribe
Built for Technical Documentation
Built specifically for developers and technical writers who need privacy-first writing assistance integrated into their docs-as-code workflow.
Grammarly
Built for Universal Writing
Integrated AI writing assistant for Proton Mail users who need email composition help with multi-language support and privacy-conscious processing.
Last updated: October 8, 2025
Which Tool is Right for You?
Both tools excel at different use cases. Here's an honest comparison to help you choose.
Silent Scribe Ideal For
Technical Documentation & Developer Workflows
- Software developers writing README files, API documentation, and technical guides
- Technical writers managing docs-as-code repositories in GitHub/GitLab
- Open source maintainers enforcing consistent documentation across contributors
- DevOps teams integrating documentation quality checks into CI/CD pipelines
- Security-conscious organizations requiring zero external data transmission
- Teams working with mixed content (prose interleaved with code blocks)
- Documentation teams enforcing custom style guides via version-controlled configuration
Grammarly Ideal For
Alternative Workflow
- Business professionals writing emails, reports, and presentations
- Content marketers creating blog posts, social media, and web copy
- Students and academics writing papers and research (non-technical fields)
- Customer support teams ensuring professional, on-brand communication
- General writers seeking comprehensive grammar and style improvement
- Teams needing writing assistance across Microsoft Office and Google Workspace
- Organizations comfortable with cloud-based AI processing for convenience
API Documentation
Writing comprehensive API reference documentation with consistent parameter descriptions and endpoint formatting
Business Communication
Composing professional business emails with appropriate tone and error-free prose
Technical Documentation
Documenting REST API endpoints with consistent parameter descriptions
Marketing Content
Writing marketing content that maintains brand voice across channels
Developer Guides & Tutorials
Maintaining developer documentation alongside code in the same pull request
Reports & Presentations
Creating reports and presentations with polished, error-free prose
Open Source Documentation
Enforcing terminology consistency across 50+ markdown files
Customer Support
Ensuring consistent communication across global customer support teams
💡 Honest Assessment
These tools serve fundamentally different purposes and aren't direct competitors.Silent Scribe is built for developers and technical writers managing documentation, while Grammarly is designed for Proton Mail users who need email writing assistance.
Many users may benefit from using both tools for their respective strengths rather than choosing between them.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
A comprehensive breakdown of capabilities, integrations, and requirements
Core Writing Assistance
Primary Focus
Grammar & Spelling
Writing Features
- Passive voice detection
- Inclusive language checking
- Terminology consistency
- Acronym governance
- Code-aware parsing
- Technical jargon intelligence
- Tone detection & adjustment
- Vocabulary enhancement
- Clarity & conciseness
- Plagiarism detection (Premium)
- GrammarlyGO (generative AI)
- Readability scoring
- Writing goals customization
Code Awareness
Technical Documentation Patterns
Privacy & Security Architecture
Processing Model
Data Transmission
Offline Functionality
Security Certifications
Air-Gap Compatible
Privacy Model
Platform Integration & Availability
Browser Extensions
Platform Breadth
Desktop Applications
Mobile Support
Developer Platform Integration
CI/CD Pipeline Support
Customization & Style Guide Enforcement
Custom Style Guides
Version Control Integration
Team Style Sharing
Automated Enforcement
Custom Rule Creation
Vale Compatibility
Developer-Specific Features
Markdown Syntax Support
Code Block Preservation
Function Name Recognition
API Documentation Patterns
Docs-as-Code Workflow
General Writing Features
Tone Analysis
Plagiarism Detection
Generative AI
Multi-Language Support
Core Writing Assistance
- Passive voice detection
- Inclusive language checking
- Terminology consistency
- Acronym governance
- Code-aware parsing
- Technical jargon intelligence
- Tone detection & adjustment
- Vocabulary enhancement
- Clarity & conciseness
- Plagiarism detection (Premium)
- GrammarlyGO (generative AI)
- Readability scoring
- Writing goals customization
Privacy & Security Architecture
Platform Integration & Availability
Customization & Style Guide Enforcement
Developer-Specific Features
General Writing Features
Real-World Scenario Walkthroughs
See exactly how each tool handles common workflows in practice
Silent Scribe
- 1Extension activates automatically in GitHub editor
- 2Real-time passive voice detection: "The package can be installed" → "Install the package"
- 3Terminology consistency flagged: "configuration file" vs "config file"
- 4Undefined acronym detected: suggests expanding "API" on first use
- 5Code blocks completely preserved—no false errors on npm, package names
- 6Weasel word flagged: "Simply run the command" (assumes skill level)
- 7All processing instant with zero network latency
- 8Commit changes directly—documentation in same PR as code
Grammarly
- 1Must compose README in Grammarly-enabled environment (Google Docs)
- 2Excellent grammar and clarity suggestions for prose sections
- 3Grammarly flags "npm" as spelling error
- 4Function names flagged as incorrect
- 5Manually add technical terms to personal dictionary
- 6Copy polished content from Google Docs
- 7Paste into GitHub editor, losing formatting
- 8Manual cleanup required
- 9Breaks docs-as-code workflow
Pricing & Value Comparison
Transparent breakdown of costs, tiers, and what you get with each tool
Silent Scribe Pricing
Product-led growth: Start free, upgrade when you see value
Free
per forever- Full linting engine with all core rules
- Unlimited document processing
- Project-level glossaries
- Custom rule configuration
- 100% local processing
- All platform integrations
- Community support
Team
per per member/month (estimated)- Shared style guide synchronization
- Team analytics dashboard
- Usage metrics and violation tracking
- Priority email support
- Advanced customization options
- Onboarding assistance
Enterprise
- Custom rule development service
- Dedicated support engineer
- On-premise deployment options
- SLA guarantees (99.9% uptime)
- Training and onboarding programs
- Compliance assistance
- White-glove migration support
Grammarly Pricing
Included with select plans or available as add-on
Free
- Basic grammar and spelling checks
- Limited style suggestions
- Browser extension
- Works on 500,000+ apps
- Mobile keyboard
Pro
per per month (annual) or $30/month (monthly)- Advanced grammar checks (400+ checks)
- Clarity and conciseness suggestions
- Tone detection and adjustment
- Word choice improvements
- Formality level control
- Plagiarism detection
- Fluency improvements
- GrammarlyGO (generative AI assistance)
Business
per per member/month (annual billing)- Everything in Pro
- Brand tones (style guide enforcement)
- Snippets library
- Analytics dashboard
- Centralized billing
- Account roles and permissions
- SAML SSO
- Priority support
Enterprise
- Everything in Business
- Unlimited seats
- Advanced security controls
- Custom deployment options
- Dedicated account manager
- Premium support SLA
- Custom integrations
- Compliance features
Important Pricing Note
Grammarly is notably not available for single-user Proton Unlimited subscribers, which has been a point of user frustration. To access Grammarly, Unlimited users must upgrade to multi-user plans (Duo, Family) designed for multiple people.
Silent Scribe has no such restrictions—individuals get full access to the free tier without forced plan upgrades.
💰 12-Month Cost Comparison
Silent Scribe (Individual)
Free tier for individuals
Grammarly (Via Proton Duo Upgrade)
Additional cost to access from Unlimited plan
Platform Availability
Where each tool works today and what's coming in the future
Silent Scribe
Available across developer tools and documentation platforms
Available Now
- Chrome, Edge, Opera, BraveAny Chromium browser
- GitHub web interfaceNative integration for issues, PRs, wiki, README
- GitLab web interfaceNative integration for merge requests, snippets, wiki
- Web-based IDEsCodeSandbox, Repl.it, Gitpod, StackBlitz
- NotionEditing mode with markdown support
- Confluence CloudEditor interface
- Any contenteditable elementUniversal compatibility
Coming Soon
- Firefox supportPhase 2 roadmap - WebExtensions API
- VS Code native extensionPhase 2 - direct IDE integration
- JetBrains IDEsPhase 3 - IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm
- Responsive web appPhase 2 - mobile browser access
Grammarly
Exclusive to Proton Mail ecosystem
Available Now
- Browser extensionsChrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge
- 500,000+ websitesUniversal web application support
- Desktop applicationsWindows, macOS (with offline capability)
- Mobile keyboardsiOS, Android (native system-wide integration)
- Microsoft OfficeWord, PowerPoint, Outlook (add-in)
- Google WorkspaceDocs, Gmail (direct integration)
- Enterprise platformsSlack, Salesforce, Zendesk, Jira, Asana
- Social mediaLinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter/X (via browser extension)
- Email clientsGmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, Apple Mail
Not Supported
- GitHub/GitLab-specific code awarenessNot designed for technical documentation
- Markdown syntax preservationTreats markdown as text to correct
- Docs-as-code CI/CD integrationNo developer workflow integration
- Technical documentation patternsOptimized for general writing
📱 Platform Strategy Difference
Silent Scribe prioritizes developer platforms and documentation tools, focusing on where technical writing happens (GitHub, GitLab, web IDEs).
Grammarly is exclusively integrated into the Proton Mail ecosystem, designed specifically for email composition rather than documentation workflows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to common questions about Silent Scribe vs Grammarly
Ready to Choose the Right Tool?
Whether you're writing technical documentation or general content, both tools offer quality assistance tailored to their specific use cases.
Complementary Use: Many professionals use both tools—Grammarly for business communication and Silent Scribe for technical documentation. These tools complement rather than compete, serving different writing contexts within the same workflow.
Last updated: 2025-10-04