Side-by-side comparison · Writing & Translation

Google Translate vs Grammarly

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Best overall

Google Translate

4.5

From Pay per character

Details Visit

Grammarly

4.3

From $12/member/mo

Details Visit

Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Google Translate4.5

Best overallBest value

Pick it if: Anyone who needs a quick, free translation, from travellers reading a menu to small businesses answering an overseas customer.

Grammarly4.3

Pick it if: Anyone who writes emails, documents and messages at work and wants mistakes caught and tone checked before they hit send.

Overview

Attribute	Google Translate	Grammarly
In one line	Free translation of text, documents, photos and conversations in 240+ languages.	Fixes grammar, clarity and tone in your writing, wherever you type.
Pricing model	Free	Freemium
Starting price	Pay per character	$12/member/mo
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Works with Claude Code	Yes	No

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

Attribute	Google Translate	Grammarly
Overall rating	4.5Winner	4.3
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.	5.0	5.0
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.	4.5	4.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.	3.5	4.0
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.	5.0	3.5
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.	4.5	4.5

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

Attribute	Google Translate	Grammarly
Access & platform
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Mobile app	Yes	Yes
Desktop app	No	Yes
Browser extension	Yes	Yes
API access	Yes	–
Teams & business
Team workspace	No	Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO	Yes	Yes
Connects to other apps	Yes	Yes
Open source or self-hosted	No	No
AI abilities
Works with your files	Yes	–
Understands images	Yes	–
Makes images	No	No
Makes video	No	No
Writes code	No	No
Runs agents or automations	No	–
Learns your brand or style	No	Yes
Works in many languages	Yes	–
Capabilities score	9/ 17	8/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

Attribute	Google Translate	Grammarly
Plans	Google TranslateOur pick Free Everyone.	Free Free Basic spelling and grammar checks.
	Cloud Translation API Pay per character, with a free monthly allowance Developers adding translation to an app or website.	ProOur pick $12/member/mo billed yearly, or about $30 monthly Anyone who writes a lot at work, alone or in a team.
		Enterprise Custom Large organisations with security needs.
Which plan to pick	Use the free app and website. Only look at the Cloud Translation API if you're building translation into your own website or system.	Free is enough for typo-catching. If you write for clients or customers every day, Pro on yearly billing is good value; paying monthly costs more than double.

Key features

Attribute	Google Translate	Grammarly
Standout features	Text and documents Camera translation Conversation mode Live translate in headphones Offline languages Practice mode	Live checking everywhere Clarity and rewrites Tone detection AI writing assistant Plagiarism and AI detection Team style guides

Pros and cons

Attribute	Google Translate	Grammarly
Pros	Completely free for everyday use More languages than any other translator Camera, conversation and offline modes in one app Gemini has made phrasing more natural Translates whole documents and websites	Works live in almost every app you type in Free plan is useful for everyday spelling and grammar Tone feedback helps with tricky messages Team style guides keep company writing consistent Yearly Pro price is reasonable for daily use
Cons	Business writing often needs polishing before it goes to a customer DeepL usually sounds more natural in major European languages Long documents can lose formatting Avoid pasting confidential information into the free version	Free plan no longer includes sentence rewrites and caps AI prompts at 100 a month Monthly billing costs more than double the yearly rate Accepting every suggestion can strip your own voice Strongest in English only Withdrew its "Expert Review" feature in 2026 after a lawsuit over using authors' identities

Who each one is for

Attribute	Google Translate	Grammarly
Best for	Quick translations of emails and messages Reading signs and menus with your camera Talking with someone in another language Translating a document or web page Rare languages other tools don't cover	Proofreading emails and documents as you type Checking tone before a tricky message goes out Writing at work in English as a second language Keeping a team's writing style consistent Plagiarism checks on content
You'll find it used by	Travellers Small businesses Students Customer support teams Language learners	Office staff Sales and support teams Non-native English writers Students Marketers

Questions people ask

Which is better, Google Translate or Grammarly?

Google Translate scores highest overall in our ratings (Google Translate 4.5/5 and Grammarly 4.3/5). Google Translate is best for quick translations of emails and messages and reading signs and menus with your camera. Grammarly is best for proofreading emails and documents as you type and checking tone before a tricky message goes out.

Which is cheaper, Google Translate or Grammarly?

Google Translate: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at Pay per character. Grammarly: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $12/member/mo.

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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