Our verdict
Being tested. An editor is using Hemingway Editor hands-on; the verdict and score appear here once they sign it off.
What it does
Hemingway Editor checks how easy your writing is to read. Paste in your text and it highlights long or complex sentences, passive voice, adverbs and phrases with simpler alternatives, and gives the whole piece a reading grade.
It suits anyone who wants plainer writing, from emails to reports. The web editor is free; Hemingway Editor Plus, a subscription, adds AI that rewrites the sentences it flags, plus grammar and tone tools.
Why use it
- The free web editor shows at a glance which sentences are hard to read.
- A reading grade tells you how easy the whole piece is, so you can aim for plain English.
- Hemingway Editor Plus can rewrite flagged sentences for you and adjust the tone.
- Plus can be set to British English, so its grammar checks won’t flag spellings like “favourite”.
How it works
- Go to hemingwayapp.com and paste your text into the editor.
- Look at the coloured highlights and the reading grade.
- Shorten or split the highlighted sentences and swap in simpler words.
- Try Hemingway Editor Plus if you want AI to suggest rewrites.
How hard is it to use?
Beginner Easy to start. You need an account, not any technical know-how.
There is nothing to set up: paste your text and read the highlights, which is why we rate it Beginner.
What it costs
Free; paid features. The web editor is free. A desktop app for Mac and Windows is a one-off purchase, and Hemingway Editor Plus is a subscription with a two-week free trial, sold for individuals, teams and larger organisations, that adds AI rewrites with a monthly allowance.
Prices change often, so check Hemingway Editor’s own site before you pay.
Watch out for
- It judges readability by rules, so it can flag sentences that are fine and miss ones that confuse people.
- The free editor points out problems but doesn’t fix them; AI rewrites need a paid plan.
- Plus plans include a set number of AI sentences each month, so heavy use needs a bigger plan.
Your data
Hemingway says it will never sell your data, let others use it to train an AI or use it for advertising. Its main pages don’t say where data is stored or which AI model Plus uses, so read its privacy policy before pasting anything confidential.
We haven’t confirmed that Hemingway Editor can keep your data in the UK, so check where it keeps your data before you share anything private or about other people.