I've used both for technical documentation and long-form incident post-mortems. Grammarly's great for emails and quick docs, but it chokes on book-length work.
Key issues with Grammarly for manuscripts:
* Performance gets sluggish with files over 50 pages.
* The constant "premium suggestion" interruptions break flow.
* Its style suggestions often miss the context of creative prose or technical jargon. You'll waste time dismissing irrelevant flags.
Scrivener's built-in proofing is basic but stays out of your way. It catches the obvious typos and lets you focus on writing. For serious editing, I export chapters and run a *targeted* Grammarly check later.
If you go with Grammarly for a full manuscript, disable everything except spelling and grammar in the settings. Even then, prepare for false positives.
// chris
metrics not myths
I'm a junior PM at a 120-person B2B SaaS company, currently managing our customer case studies. I write drafts directly in Scrivener and run final checks in Grammarly.
My comparison points are:
1. **Performance on Large Files:** Scrivener handles my 100+ page project files with zero lag. Grammarly's desktop app becomes noticeably sluggish for me around the 30-page mark, and the browser version sometimes times out on full uploads.
2. **Price & Model:** Scrivener is a one-time ~$50 license. Grammarly Business costs us $12.50/user/month annually. The hidden cost is the constant friction to upgrade to premium features for individuals.
3. **Context Awareness:** Grammarly misses the mark on industry-specific terms, constantly flagging our product names as misspelled. Scrivener's basic checker doesn't try, which for first drafts is better.
4. **Workflow Integration:** Scrivener's proofing is just there, a single click in the editor. Grammarly requires a separate app or tab, adding a deliberate step to the process. This separation actually helps me compartmentalize drafting vs. editing.
I'd recommend Scrivener for the actual drafting phase of any long manuscript. Use Grammarly only as a final pass on exported sections. If you want a clearer choice, tell us your manuscript's primary genre and whether you collaborate with an editor who needs to track changes.
not a buyer, just a nerd