Just like many others, I used to rely on Grammarly for more polished writing. But, it has become bloated and less useful, making me long for a Grammarly alternative. Now, I’ve switched to Harper and it’s a productivity upgrade I didn’t expect. For me, there’s a clear winner between Harper vs. Grammarly.
Table of Contents
Speed Makes All the Difference
The most noticeable difference is speed. I’m talking just a few milliseconds to get results versus several seconds or more with Grammarly.
The speed comes from how text is processed in Harper. Instead of being cloud-based, Harper processes everything locally on your device. Even in your browser, analysis happens right on your device. No need to send anything back and forth to a cloud server.
The more you use Harper, the more you notice the speed. This was especially true if I needed to check larger documents. In most cases, it feels instantaneous.
Another speed boost is the lack of generative AI, which just adds more time when all I wanted was a quick grammar check. Not a tone analysis or rewrites or anything like that.
Genuine Privacy with Harper Vs. Grammarly
With Grammarly, your text is sent to external servers for analysis. Yes, cloud processing is convenient, especially if you’re using a device that you can’t install Harper on. But, the trade-off is all your text is being analyzed off your device. This puts your data out of your control.
I wanted something more private. I’m sure I’m not the only one who wondered if Grammarly stored the text it analyzed. And, in the age of AI training, I definitely don’t want everything I type being used to train AI.
No matter how you choose to install Harper, all data processing happens locally. For instance, I use the browser extension (works with most Chromium browsers) in Brave. Whatever I’m typing is processed in the browser. Whether it’s an email, blog post, review, etc., nothing leaves my device.
If you tend to write sensitive material often, this is a massive privacy and productivity upgrade. Instead of manually proofing material you can’t check with Grammarly, you can check it with Harper.
Integrate Easily into My Usual Workflow
I’ve only had to make one adjustment to the usual apps I use since I switched to Harper. There aren’t any add-ons for Microsoft Word or, in my case, LibreOffice Writer. Instead, Harper supports:
- Obsidian
- Neovim
- Firefox
- Chrome (and most other Chromium-based browsers)
- Emacs
- Visual Studio Code
- Helix
- Zed
- Sublime Text
I’ve started writing most of my content using Obsidian, which is a private note-taking app that stores files locally. No cloud option. I typically avoid using online tools like Microsoft Office and Google Docs just because I want more control over my files.
Otherwise, I write content as usual, check any suggestions from Harper, and I’m done. If I need to use LibreOffice Writer, I just copy and paste into Obsidian, go through Harper’s suggestions, and paste it back to LibreOffice Writer.
I know it sounds like a lot of extra time, but when I was comparing Harper vs. Grammarly, I still saved several seconds or more even with copying and pasting content.
If you’re using someone else’s device, just navigate to Harper’s homepage, delete the default text, and copy/paste your own into the text window for analysis.
Harper Keeps Things Simple
Grammarly has grown more into an AI tool versus a grammar checker. Even with the free version, you’re constantly pushed to upgrade. For my daily writing, I don’t want or need an AI assistant. I also don’t want to be pestered to upgrade every time I’m checking for spelling mistakes.
I just want a tool that catches problems when I use the wrong “there, they’re, or their” or ensures I don’t misspell something like “misspell.” Yes, Harper reminded me the word needed a second “s.”
Once I found Harper, it felt like going back to the glory days of Grammarly. Just some nice underlined suggestions that I could take or leave. No fluff. Just a super light-weight writing tool.
Grammarly Does Have Its Perks Though
I’m not saying you should never use Grammarly. In fact, it’s perfect for helping you battle passive voice or rewriting a sentence that doesn’t sound quite right. Or, if you want some AI assistance, it’s all built-in to one trusted tool. It also integrates with most writing tools and sites. You can also use it directly through Grammarly.
Harper doesn’t have anything to help you rewrite content, suggest a different tone, or even write content for you. And, it doesn’t integrate with everything. It’s a trade-off I’m happy to make though just for the speed and privacy.