Lightkey and Grammarly: different jobs, better together
The short answer
Grammarly and Lightkey solve different problems. Grammarly reviews what you've written: it flags grammar and spelling, suggests clearer phrasing and can rewrite whole paragraphs. Lightkey helps you write in the first place: it learns how you write and predicts your next words, up to 18 at a time, as you type. Many people use both.
What each one does
Lightkey | Grammarly | |
Main job | Predicts what you're about to type, in your own words | Checks and improves what you've written |
When it helps | While you type | While you type and when you review |
Spelling | Suggests the right spelling as you type | Flags and corrects spelling and grammar |
Rewriting | No: the words stay yours | Yes, sentence and paragraph rewrites, plus AI prompts |
Where your text is processed | On your device; works offline | In the cloud (Grammarly stores data on Amazon Web Services servers in the US) |
Languages | 80+ | English, plus Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese (beta) |
Where it works | Natively in virtually every Windows desktop app, plus web apps through the Chrome and Edge extensions, together with the desktop app | Browser extension, Windows and Mac apps, Microsoft Office, mobile keyboards |
Price | Free 30-day trial; Pro from $49.95 a year | Free plan; Pro and Enterprise plans |
How they work together
Think of it as writing, then reviewing. While you type, Lightkey completes the words and phrases you use again and again: a sign-off, a product name, a clause you write every week, so you type less and keep your train of thought. When you're done, Grammarly reviews the result for grammar, clarity and tone.
Because Lightkey predicts in your own style rather than generating new text, what you send still sounds like you. And because it learns the terms of your field, from legal clauses to medical terms, its predictions get more useful the more you write.
If privacy matters most
Grammarly is a cloud service. It says it doesn't sell user content, lets you opt out of having your content used to train its models, and holds SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certifications. That's enough for many people.
If your work involves confidential documents, client data or anything you'd rather never leave your computer, Lightkey takes a different approach: it learns and predicts on your device and works offline, and your content is never sent to the cloud. See how Lightkey keeps your writing private.
Which should you use?
You mainly want fewer mistakes and clearer sentences: Grammarly.
You write a lot, repeat yourself often, or want to type less: Lightkey.
Both: use them together. They don't compete for the same job.
Questions
Can I use Lightkey and Grammarly at the same time?
Yes. Lightkey predicts while you type; Grammarly checks what you've written. They do different jobs.
Does Lightkey check grammar?
No. Lightkey suggests spellings as you type and predicts your next words, but it doesn't check grammar or rewrite your sentences.
Which is more private?
Lightkey runs entirely on your device and works offline, so your writing never leaves your computer. Grammarly processes text in the cloud.
Does Lightkey work in the same apps as Grammarly?
Lightkey works natively in virtually every Windows desktop app, including Word, Outlook, Teams and WhatsApp, and in webapps such as Gmail and Google Docs through its Chrome and Edge extensions, together with the desktop app.
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