Rating: Very good
Platform: iPhone/iPad/Android
Cost: Free
Strong Points: Can use to check documents both in and out of the app itself.
Weak Points: Full functionality requires a paid plan.
Between manuscripts, grants, recommendation letters, and e-mail messages, scientists seem to spend the majority of their time writing. If you’re tired of overlooking typos or want to cut down on your use of passive voice, then check out the Grammarly app. Within the app, users can create full documents that get checked by Grammarly as you write. Similar to other word processors, the app marks spelling and grammar mistakes. However, it also alerts you if your sentences are needlessly wordy or if there are better synonyms that you can use. In addition to checking documents within the app, the app also allows you to set up a Grammarly keyboard on your phone. With the keyboard activated, Grammarly will check anything that you type on your phone, whether you’re sending an email in your mail app or sending out a message on Twitter. Although the app and many of the functionalities of Grammarly are free to use, the more advanced features do require a paid plan. However, the peace of mind provided by the basic functions alone make Grammarly well worth checking out.