Overview

Hemingway Editor is a readability-focused writing editor that flags sentences and issues that can make a message harder to follow. It suits people who want to tighten their own prose, while Editor Plus is aimed at writers and teams who also want AI revisions and document feedback. Its focused feedback is useful, but the choice between web-based AI editing and the separate offline Classic app matters.

Key features

Readability feedback: The editor scores writing and highlights potentially complicated or weak passages. That makes it a focused aid for revising clarity, rather than a broad writing suite.
Editor Plus AI editing: It can rewrite wordy sentences and passive voice, fix grammar, and adjust tone, length, and style. Monthly AI sentence quotas mean frequent users should choose a plan with enough allowance; grammar fixes, document reviews, synonyms, and readability highlights are unlimited on annual individual plans.
Document review and files: Editor Plus provides insights and suggestions about a document, and supports importing and exporting Word, Markdown, and HTML. This is more useful for ongoing document work than the Classic app's offline editing and publishing workflow.
Classic workflow: The offline desktop app keeps writing on the computer, can publish to WordPress with one click, and exports HTML or Markdown for a blogging platform or CMS. It does not include the newer AI features, so it fits writers who value offline work over AI-assisted revision.
Privacy and security: Hemingway says it does not retain document content after processing or use customer writing to train AI models. For AI analysis or rewriting, content is sent to Hemingway and then an LLM provider—currently OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic—and discarded afterward. Editor Plus is hosted in the United States and uses AES-256 encryption for communications and stored database data, but it does not yet have SOC 2 or ISO certification. Organizations that require either certification should look elsewhere.

Pricing

The free plan provides a way to use Hemingway without paying, while the paid options divide into Editor Plus subscriptions and a separate Classic desktop purchase. Editor Plus has a 14-day trial.

Individual 5K (annual): 8.33 USD per month, billed $100 billed annually; one user and 5,000 AI sentences per month, plus unlimited grammar fixes, document review, synonyms, and readability highlights. Best for an individual with moderate AI editing needs.
Individual 10K (annual): 12.50 USD per month, billed $150 billed annually; one user and 10,000 AI sentences per month, with the same unlimited tools. Choose it when the smaller AI quota is too restrictive.
Individual 5K (monthly): 10.00 USD per month, billed monthly, for AI-assisted editing through Editor Plus. It costs more per month than the annual 5K option and is the subscription choice for avoiding annual billing.
Team 10K (annual): 12.50 USD per month, billed $150 billed annually per user; up to 50 users, 10,000 AI sentences per user per month, shared billing, and admin roles. It is better suited to teams coordinating written work than to a solo user.
Enterprise: Custom pricing for unlimited users, 20,000 AI sentences per user per month, optional SSO, and priority email support. It targets larger organizations, though it lacks the SOC 2 and ISO certifications some may require.
Hemingway Editor Classic: 19.99 USD per once, a Mac OS or Windows license for offline desktop editing without AI features. It is a one-time purchase for writers who do not need Editor Plus.

Hemingway directs support requests to support@hemingwayapp.com.

Platforms

Hemingway Editor is available on the web, macOS, and Windows. The Classic desktop app is available for Mac and Windows and works offline; Editor Plus handles AI editing and file workflows.

Who it's for

Hemingway is a good fit for writers who want focused readability feedback and are willing to make the revisions themselves. Editor Plus extends that appeal to individuals and teams working on mass or internal communications, grants, sales proposals, and other documents. Classic is the clearer choice for offline drafting and publishing to WordPress or a CMS. Hemingway is less suitable for organizations that require SOC 2 or ISO certification, or for writers whose priority is a wider set of writing tools rather than readability-focused feedback.

Pros and cons

Pro: Readability highlights keep attention on clarity and sentence complexity instead of burying feedback in unrelated tools.
Pro: Editor Plus combines AI revisions with document review, and annual individual plans include unlimited grammar fixes, reviews, synonyms, and readability highlights.
Pro: Classic offers offline writing, WordPress publishing, and HTML or Markdown export for a single purchase.
Con: AI editing uses a monthly sentence quota, so heavy revision needs may require the larger individual tier or a team plan.
Con: Classic omits new AI features, while Editor Plus sends content to an LLM provider for AI processing.
Con: Editor Plus has no SOC 2 or ISO certification, which can rule it out for organizations with those requirements.

Alternatives

For a different balance of readability tools and price, consider these options:

ProWritingAid may suit writers who want to start with a free extension plan, which includes 500 words per report run, two report runs per day, 10 Rephrases per day, and three Sparks per day.
Readability Formulas is worth considering for free readability calculators and its Readability Scoring System across web, extension, macOS, and Windows.
TextGears may fit users seeking API or web access with PRO checks, translations, and long-text paraphrases from 2.48 USD per month, plus custom dictionary rules and an option not to store texts.
Check Readability is a free web and extension option with no account or usage fees for personal and commercial use.
Text Inspector offers a free web option for 250 words and automatically deletes data after six hours.
AnchorKite Readability Checker is a free web tool with no signup that runs in the browser and works offline after loading.
Eclipse Readability Studio is a free option for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Readability Analysis Tool (RAT) is a free option for Windows and Linux.

Browse Readability Checkers, AI Readability Checkers, Writing Style Checkers, or AI writing assistants for more choices by category.

Verdict

Choose Hemingway Editor if your main goal is clearer prose and you want either focused readability feedback or Editor Plus's AI revisions and document review. Its strength is that direct focus; its main trade-off is that AI editing is quota-based and requires sending text to an LLM provider. Choose Classic if offline editing matters more than AI, and look elsewhere if formal security certifications are a requirement.

	Hemingway Editor	PaperRater
Free plan	No	Yes
Free trial	Yes	No
Paid from	$0.69/mo	Free
Open source	No	No
Platforms	macOS, Web, Windows	Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Paid from	$8.33/user/mo	—
Desktop app	Yes	—

Hemingway Editor vs PaperRater

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