Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Grammarly VS SelfControl

Compare Grammarly VS SelfControl and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Grammarly logo Grammarly

Clear, effective, mistake-free writing everywhere you type.

SelfControl logo SelfControl

V2 updates! - Custom time interval for distraction free mode - Ability to turn off ' always on' mode - Improved UI -- Self Control -- A simple app to keep you focused online by blocking sites that you spend way too much time on.
  • Grammarly Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-11
  • SelfControl Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-19

Grammarly

$ Details
freemium $12 / Monthly (Premium)
Release Date
2009 January
Startup details
Country
United States
State
California
Founder(s)
Alex Shevchenko
Employees
500 - 999

Grammarly features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Grammarly is designed with a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for users to check their writing quickly. Its real-time suggestions and simple navigation facilitate hassle-free proofreading.
  • Comprehensive Grammar and Spelling Checks
    Grammarly provides extensive grammar and spelling checks, identifying even subtle errors that are often missed by standard word processors.
  • Writing Style Improvement
    The tool offers suggestions to improve readability, tone, and overall writing style, which is beneficial for both casual writers and professionals.
  • Plagiarism Detection
    Grammarly's premium version includes a plagiarism checker that scans text against billions of web pages, providing an extra layer of proofreading for academic and professional work.
  • Customization
    The tool allows users to set their writing preferences, such as choosing American or British English, and to customize the rules based on their needs.
  • Cross-Platform Availability
    Grammarly can be accessed via browser extensions, desktop apps, and mobile apps, making it versatile for different use cases and devices.

Possible disadvantages of Grammarly

  • Costly Premium Subscription
    While the basic version is free, the premium subscription can be expensive for some users, limiting access to advanced features.
  • Overreliance Risk
    Users may become overly reliant on Grammarly, which can hinder their development of personal proofreading and editing skills.
  • Potential Privacy Concerns
    Since Grammarly processes and stores user data, there may be potential privacy concerns regarding the handling of personal and sensitive information.
  • Inconsistent Accuracy
    Although advanced, Grammarly is not flawless and may occasionally provide incorrect suggestions or fail to catch certain errors.
  • Limited Context Understanding
    Grammarly sometimes struggles with understanding contextual nuances, leading to inappropriate grammar or style suggestions.
  • Requires Internet Connection
    The tool requires a continuous internet connection to function, which can be a limitation for users with unreliable or no internet access.

SelfControl features and specs

  • Effective Website Blocking
    SelfControl blocks access to distracting websites based on a customizable blocklist, helping users stay focused.
  • Timer Functionality
    Users can set a timer for how long they want websites to remain blocked, ensuring focused work periods without distraction.
  • Free to Use
    SelfControl is open-source and free to download and use, making it accessible to anyone without financial barriers.
  • Easy to Use
    The interface is straightforward and user-friendly, allowing users to quickly set their preferences and get started.

Possible disadvantages of SelfControl

  • Mac-Only
    SelfControl is only available for macOS, excluding Windows and Linux users from using the application.
  • No Undo Option
    Once the block period is set and started, it cannot be undone even by restarting the computer, which could be an issue if access to blocked sites is needed unexpectedly.
  • Limited Feature Set
    The app primarily focuses on website blocking, lacking additional productivity tools or features like app blocking or usage analytics.
  • No Scheduled Blocking
    SelfControl does not offer the ability to schedule block sessions in advance, meaning users must manually start each session.

Analysis of Grammarly

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Grammarly is considered a valuable tool for anyone looking to enhance their writing quality. Its comprehensive feedback and user-friendly interface make it a worthwhile investment for individuals who frequently engage in writing-related tasks. However, the premium version offers more advanced features beyond the free version, such as vocabulary enhancement suggestions and a plagiarism detector.

Why this product is good

  • Grammarly is a popular writing assistant tool that helps users improve their writing skills by offering real-time grammar, spelling, and style suggestions. It uses advanced algorithms to provide detailed feedback on sentence structure, tone, and clarity, making it useful for various types of writing, from academic papers to casual blog posts. Grammarly also integrates seamlessly with multiple platforms and browsers, enhancing its accessibility and utility for users across different devices.

Recommended for

  • Students looking to improve their academic writing and reduce errors.
  • Professionals who need to maintain clear and polished communication.
  • Content creators and bloggers aiming to produce high-quality, error-free content.
  • Non-native English speakers seeking assistance with language nuances.

Analysis of SelfControl

Overall verdict

  • Overall, SelfControl is a highly recommended tool for individuals looking to enhance their productivity by minimizing digital distractions. Its open-source nature and no-nonsense approach make it a popular choice among students, freelancers, and professionals alike.

Why this product is good

  • SelfControl is considered a good application because it effectively blocks distracting websites, helping users focus on their tasks without getting sidetracked by online distractions. It's simple to use, efficient, and highly customizable, allowing users to specify which sites to block and for how long, ensuring a tailored productivity experience.

Recommended for

    SelfControl is ideal for students who need to concentrate on studying, remote workers who want to avoid procrastination, freelancers who require discipline in managing their time, and anyone who needs a simple solution to reduce digital distractions during focused work periods.

Grammarly videos

Grammarly Review: Is it worth it, and what you NEED to know!

More videos:

  • Review - Grammarly Review 2019: Grammarly Pros and Cons and if You Should Use it
  • Review - Grammarly 2020 | Review, Features & Pricing

SelfControl videos

How to block websites that distract you ? Selfcontrol [Mac App review and tutorial]

More videos:

  • Review - SelfControl Review - Block distracting websites

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Grammarly and SelfControl)
Writing Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Time Tracking
0 0%
100% 100
Grammar Checker
100 100%
0% 0
Time Management
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Grammarly and SelfControl. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Grammarly and SelfControl

Grammarly Reviews

  1. Highdalink
    ยท Founder at HighDALink ยท
    Best content editing app

    Grammarly is top especially with content editing and Google doc integration features.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: Writesonic, Ryte, Jasper.ai
    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    High quality content|Google doc integration
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    Expensive
  2. Michael Hasty
    ยท Writer at DRS ยท

    Grammarly is a fantastic tool that helps users step up their writing game by providing real-time grammar, spelling, and punctuation corrections. It is designed to help you create polished, professional content and ensure your message is clear and concise. Whether you're a student, professional, or just someone who wants to improve their writing skills, Grammarly has got your back.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: ProWritingAid
    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Easy to use|Thorough grammar check|Style and tone suggestions|Plagiarism detector
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    Limited free version|Occasionally misses errors
  3. Eleanor Bennett
    ยท Digital Marketing Specialist at Logit.io ยท
    Love the Google Docs plugin

    Grammarly is the most useful to me for its Google Docs feature that supports me as I create new content. Unfortunately, they seem to provide more context and insights when I am sending an email rather than writing an entire document.


Best AI Paraphraser for Non-Native English Speakers: Grammarly, QuillBot, Paraphrasing Tool, Paraphraser.io, Wordtune, Engram (2023)
Grammarly is well known for its proofreader, but did you know that Grammarly also has a paraphraser? Although not as well known as its proofreader, Grammarly does have a paraphrasing feature, so let's check it out!
Source: blog.engram.us
Best AI Proofreader for Non-Native English Speakers: Grammarly, QuillBot, Engram, ProWritingAid, Ginger, Trinka [Updated 2023]
The free version is highly limited; advanced suggestions for sentence structure and vocabulary enhancement plus access to the full online editor with more detailed explanations and suggestions are only available with Grammarly Premium. The feedback can be overwhelming at times, and it may miss context-specific errors in complex writing.
Source: blog.engram.us
AI Proofreaders: What They Are & What The Top Tools Are
Grammarly is one of the most popular writing tools right now, and that is for a reason. It is an exceptional proofreading tool. Grammarly scans what you write in the editor in real time. Then, it quickly makes suggestions. With that, this AI proofreader improves grammar, spelling, and punctuation use.
6 Copyscape Alternatives for Checking Plagiarism
Grammarly is an online proofreading plugin that helps content creators and bloggers check the readability of what they have written. The free version has a grammar checker, while more tools are available with their premium version.
Source: www.quetext.com
6 Best AI Grammar Checkers to Correct Mistakes in 2021
Grammarly Business โ€“ Grammarly Business is an upgraded version of Grammarly. It is equipped with more features that allow you to create style guides and handily collaborate with your teammates. The pricing starts at $12.50 per user per month.
Source: victorytale.com

SelfControl Reviews

We have no reviews of SelfControl yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Grammarly might be a bit more popular than SelfControl. We know about 85 links to it since March 2021 and only 79 links to SelfControl. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Grammarly mentions (85)

  • The Best 100 Free UI/UX Resources for Every Designer & Developer
    Grammarly Grammarly.com Free writing assistant to enhance clarity and grammar in UI text. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Are these changes really necessary?
    Use Grammarly, the app or the extension. Source: about 3 years ago
  • ๐Ÿงฐ AI Tools +150 Tools in 6 Categories
    Grammarly - An online writing tool that helps users improve their writing skills and beat writerโ€™s block. I use it everydayโ€ฆ. Source: about 3 years ago
  • What drives the registration price of domain extensions?
    I asked the question. Response text generated by ChatGPT and corrected by Grammarly.com. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Prestige-Blinded Questbridge Asian With Barebones Application Learns to Dispel His Myopia (but somehow lucks out)
    I did not have anyone read over my essays. I regret that now, knowing that my application would have cried out for joy if only there were a reader other than grammarly.com and my drowsy midnight self. I also wrote my essay a day before the Questbridge deadline (I think the deadline was Sept 27th?), which is a terrible, TERRIBLE idea. Please do not do things last minute :D. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

SelfControl mentions (79)

  • Oregon School Cell Phone Ban: 'Engaged Students, Joyful Teachers'
    A combination of https://selfcontrolapp.com/ and Hammerspoon automation and you can lock yourself out of pretty much everything. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Kiki โ€“ The accountability monster for people who are easily distracted
    Happy to see it still exists, and free https://selfcontrolapp.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • How do you fight YouTube addiction and procrastination? I'm struggling with it
    I have found that a useful method for getting distractions off my work laptop has been https://selfcontrolapp.com/ (if you're on mac). - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • Using an $8 smart outlet to avoid brainrot
    Pro tip for macos/ios folks: - Macos: Install https://selfcontrolapp.com/, add every website and their alternatives you know, set it to 24 hours. Really hard to bypass this even if you know networking stuff - iOS: Enable downtime 24/7 ask someone else to set the password. I'm down to about 35 minutes a day of mobile usage, and laptop usage is only work related things. You really need two or three days to clear... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • My 30-Year Quitting Addiction
    There is a free and open source app called SelfControl for macOS. It allows one to block access to any site one adds to the list in the app for the amount of time the user chooses. Attempt to use multiple browsers, restarting one's machine, deleting the app, etc. won't get around the block either. It's been super helpful for me, so I thought I'd just throw it out there. https://selfcontrolapp.com. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Grammarly and SelfControl, you can also consider the following products

QuillBot - Quillbot is a free paraphrasing tool that will rewrite any sentence or paraphraph you give it. The article rewriter can rewrite essays or articles and is excellent as a grammar and fluency corrector.

Cold Turkey - Cold Turkey is a free productivity program that you can use to temporarily block distractions so that you can get your work done!

ProWritingAid - For the smarter writer. A grammar checker, style editor, and writing mentor in one package.

Freedom.to - Freedom is a productivity hack that lets you block apps, websites or the entire Internet on iPhones, iPads, Windows and Mac computers.

Wordtune - AI-powered writing companion

FocusMe - The website blocker you can't cheat