Grammarly vs. PERRLA – Which writing software is a better option for freelance writers and students? Let’s find out!
Using an accurate writing tool is essential for bloggers, students, and teams because it allows you to create compelling content while learning.
Our Grammarly review already profiles this tool in detail. However, I recently started testing PERRLA, an online writing software that creates citations and reference lists. It even formats your content into APA or MLA style with a click of a button.
So in this post, I’ll cover my experiences with Grammarly and PERRLA, how they can streamline your creative process, and which is better.
| Product Name | Availability | Pricing | Use For | Features | |
| Grammarly | Google Docs, Grammarly desktop and mobile app, Microsoft Word, and browser extension. | $29.95 per month, $59.95 every three months, or $139 per year. | Professionals looking for a well-rounded tool that’ll clean up their work and offer features like a plagiarism checker. | Weekly email feedback, a browser extension, and plagiarism checker. | Try Now |
| PERRLA | The PERRLA web app and Microsoft Word. | $49.95 per year. | Students, researchers, and authors looking to create citations and change their formatting within seconds. | A citation creator, an advanced formatting tool, and helpful video tutorials. | Try Now |
Contents
Grammarly Overview
Grammarly is an advanced writing assistant that checks for errors like:
- Overused words
- Structural issues
- Unclear writing
- Passive voice
- Plagiarism
It also integrates with Google Docs and Microsoft Word, so if you’re writing an article or essay, you don’t have to copy and paste your work all the time.
The advanced checker combined with an easy-to-use interface and flexible integration features makes Grammarly the most widely used proofreader. To learn more, read our Grammarly review.
Who Is Grammarly For?
I’ve been using this proofreading tool for over three years, and I feel like it benefits those who work in the following professions:
- Professional freelance writers
- Self-publishers
- Book editors
Professional Freelance Writers
If you’re a freelance writer who’s looking to get better at content writing, then Grammarly is a must-have.
When I started my writing career, I struggled to understand the basic writing rules like structuring sentences, writing clearly, and being conversational. As a result, my content was awkward and didn’t read well.
Unfortunately, I searched the web on how to write better and received generic advice like, “Write like you’re talking to a friend” and “Use bullets to make your content scannable.”
The problem was I never received constructive feedback. Nobody told me what I was doing wrong and how to improve. I could’ve hired an editor, but that’s expensive. So instead, I used Grammarly and, every week, they sent me an email showing my most common mistakes and how to improve.
So if you’re looking for an affordable way to get constructive feedback, consider Grammarly.
Self-Publishers
Grammarly can make your life a lot easier if you’re self-publishing a book.
Self-publishing is scary. You have to do the work of an author and publisher, which prevents many writers from going down this path.
However, you can save hours by simply pasting each chapter into Grammarly when you’re ready for your personal edits. This cleans up your work immediately so you and your editor can focus on more advanced issues like plot holes and how to make the story better.
Book Editors
If you’re an editor who’s working on a few books, then Grammarly can help streamline your editing process. When pasting your content into the web app, its advanced artificial intelligence spots almost all errors in a specific document.
It’s more than just a spelling and grammar correction tool. You select how you want a book or chapter to sound and your target audience. This way, you fix all minor errors before you even start proofreading.
What Is PERRLA?
Cliff Batson founded PERRLA in July 2018. PERRLA is a tool that makes formatting your papers and essays in APA and MLA style super easy. It also allows you to create detailed citations within seconds.
But my favorite PERRLA feature is its convenient reference tool. If you’re looking for a specific research paper or study, simply type it into the search bar, and it’ll create a new reference.
Who Is PERRLA For?
After using PERRLA to create citations and correct formatting issues, I found it can empower the lives of:
- Students
- Non-fiction authors
- Researchers
Students
Formatting your school paper or essay is a hassle. Different styles have different rules, and they can be hard to follow. Instead of creating the best writing possible, most students are focused on sticking to a specific writing style.
But with PERRLA, there’s no need to tailor your writing to a style anymore. Instead, simply focus on creating the best essay possible, and once you’re finished, paste it into PERRLA, and it’ll format your essay.
Non-Fiction Authors
Creating citations when writing a non-fiction book is tiresome. However, incorrect citations can also lead to unnecessary plagiarism issues, so a tool that produces accurate references without much effort is essential.
With PERRLA, after you’ve signed up for an account, you can make your own citations within seconds. You won’t even have to copy and paste anything because PERRLA is compatible with Microsoft and has a web app.
Researchers
If you’re researching a technical field like medicine, then PERRLA is a must-have. With an extensive database of previous studies, surveys, and research papers, you’ll find a specific document much quicker when using PERRLA compared to a search engine like Google.
This way, you don’t have to go to Google every time you reference a paper. Instead, simply type the heading you’re looking for into PERRLA, and it’ll create a reference within seconds.
How Do Grammarly And PERRLA Work?
Grammarly and PERRLA are both super easy to use. When signing up for Grammarly, head over to Grammarly.com, and you can create an account using Google or Facebook.
Next, paste your work into the free version. Here it’ll spot basic spelling and grammatical errors. If you need more advanced checks, sign up for the premium version since it’ll check for awkward sentences, plagiarism, and more. The add-on also works with most writing platforms.
The PERRLA sign-up process is quite similar. Go to PERRLA.com, click on the “Pricing” header, and sign for an account. From here, you can create new papers, references, and citations.
Now that we know how these tools work let’s put them through strict criteria to see which is better for writers and college students.
Ease Of Use
When I first signed up for Grammarly three years ago, the first thing I noticed was how simple and easy to use its interface was.
If you want to check a new document, go to Grammarly.com, click “New” and paste your content. Alternatively, you can upload a document directly from your computer.
Once you’ve pasted your work on the left, you’ll see all errors neatly laid out on the right. You’ll also find short explanations telling you what mistakes you made. These suggestions are split up into four categories:
- Correctness
- Clarity
- Engagement
- Delivery
While PERRLA isn’t as hard to use as other tools I’ve tested, it wasn’t as simple as Grammarly. It gives you a quick tutorial when signing up, but there’s still a slight learning curve.
Winner: Grammarly
Accuracy
There’s no way to compare Grammarly and PERRLA head to head because it’s two different tools aiming to fix different writing problems.
Grammarly mainly corrects writing mistakes, and PERRLA takes care of formatting rules while creating citations and references. PERRLA checks for errors, but it’s super basic, comparable to the Google Docs editor.
When pasting an article comparing Grammarly and Copyscape into Grammarly, it made 40 suggestions.
I also pasted this article into PERRLA to create a citation covering the best plagiarism checkers. This is what PERRLA produced.
Creating this citation only took a few seconds, so if you’re writing a book or research paper, it’ll streamline your work process.
Since these tools achieve entirely different goals and are targeted toward different types of writers, it’s impossible to pick a winner.
Winner: Tie
Pricing
Grammarly is more costly than a PERRLA subscription. This is because it’s targeted towards professional writers, while PERRLA is designed for students.
With Grammarly, you can choose between three monthly plans:
- The monthly subscription costs $29.95
- A quarterly plan of $59.95
- An annual subscription of $139
PERRLA is far cheaper. There’s one payment option, and it’s only $49.95 per year. So, you don’t have to budget every month for a writing tool.
Winner: PERRLA
Additional Features
Both tools are more than just proofreaders or citation creators. They offer advanced features that’ll make your life much easier.
Grammarly Offers A Professional Editor
When you’re editing a document in Grammarly, you’ll find an icon on the bottom right that allows you to hire a professional editor.
This editor checks your work for spelling mistakes, readability, and clarity for $0.069 per word. This is super helpful when you’re swamped and trying to meet deadlines. However, long-term use can be expensive, so I’d suggest only using it when you need it.
PERRLA Has Helpful Videos On Writing
If you’re new to writing and grammar rules, PERRLA can help. Its website offers several videos covering formatting, compelling writing, and research.
Your grades will improve almost instantly by spending a few minutes of your day watching these videos and taking notes. The best part is, it’s free.
Winner: Grammarly
Areas Of Improvement
Although Grammarly and PERRLA are potent tools for writers, students, and publishers, there are a few areas the developers and founders should focus on improving.
Grammarly Only Works In English
If you’re writing blog posts or school assignments in languages other than English, then Grammarly isn’t for you.
Grammarly only works in English, and I’d like to see the developers introducing a beta version in popular languages like Spanish and French.
Consider Microsoft Editor if you’re looking for a tool that checks for grammar issues in several different languages.
Read our Microsoft Editor Vs. Grammarly review.
PERRLA Doesn’t Offer Helpful Grammar Checks
When pasting your work in PERRLA, it checks for writing issues. However, this checker is so basic that it only udnerlines people’s names and other words that aren’t in its dictionary.
I’d like PERRLA to develop a real-time checker that’s a bit more accurate. It doesn’t have to be as precise as Grammarly, but it should help students catch grammar mistakes without buying another tool.
If you’re looking for an accurate Grammarly alternative, consider ProWritingAid.
Read our ProWritingAid review.
Why Trust Us?
I’ve been using Grammarly for the last three years, and without it, I won’t have continued my writing career. Grammarly provided feedback that helped me create better content.
For example, before using Grammarly’s desktop app, I always struggled with passive voice and sentence length. But Grammarly sent weekly emails telling me to improve on this issue while suggesting helpful articles and videos.
I recently started using PERRLA, and it was super helpful at creating citations and references. It only took me a few seconds. However, I won’t be using it that much in the future because I don’t write research papers and college essays regularly.
My Testing Criteria
When testing and reviewing these checker tools, I used the following criteria to find out if it’s a valuable option for writers and students:
- Accuracy
- Ease of use
- Affordability
- Additional features
- Flexibility
I can safely say that both software meet these criteria; however, there’s still room for improvement. Grammarly is costly for students, and PERRLA can offer a better spell checker. But overall, Grammarly is a practical option for cleaning up your writing while PERRLA helps with formatting and creating citations.
Final Word On Grammarly Vs. PERRLA
Grammarly and PERRLA are accurate and easy-to-use writing tools, but they achieve entirely different tasks. Grammarly was developed to fix writing issues like awkward sentences, passive voice, and unclear writing. PERRLA takes care of all your formatting needs while creating references and citations.
In short, use Grammarly if you’re a freelance writer looking to clean up and improve your content. However, if you’re a student who’d like to create citations within seconds then PERRLA is the tool for you.
Rating For Grammarly
Ease of Use: 5/5
Accuracy: 5/5
Pricing: 3/5
Additional Features: 5/5
Rating For PERRLA
Ease of Use: 3/5
Accuracy: 4/5
Pricing: 5/5
Additional Features: 3/5
