Academic's and students - be warned
I’ve been a Grammarly user for around two years and, until recently, I would have recommended it to anyone without hesitation. The premium version is genuinely excellent — particularly the “Tab to Fix” feature, which has been a game-changer for my workflow. It makes quick corrections seamless and efficient, especially when I’m typing quickly and making inevitable spelling mistakes. However, I am now studying at postgraduate and master’s level, and my university uses Turnitin for all academic submissions. Unfortunately, this is where Grammarly becomes a liability rather than a tool. Turnitin flags any text Grammarly has interacted with as 100% AI-generated — even if I’ve only used it for simple spelling and grammar corrections, without touching any of the creative or generative AI features. This completely undermines the credibility of my work and puts me at academic risk. The only way to avoid this issue is to stop using the premium version altogether. But the free version is so overloaded with intrusive upselling that it ruins the entire experience. Every click comes with premium prompts and gold highlights, which is frustrating and makes the product feel unusable. Grammarly is an incredible tool, but it is fundamentally incompatible with the realities of academic life. I would strongly urge you to consider making the platform more academic-friendly — perhaps by introducing a dedicated “Academic Tier” that removes all AI-driven enhancements (so it won’t trigger Turnitin) but still includes essential tools like “Tab to Fix.” Until then, I’ll have to stop using Grammarly for the remainder of my degree — not because I want to, but because I can’t risk my work being falsely flagged. It’s a real shame, because the core product is brilliant.