ChatGPT vs. Grammarly: What's Best?

In this introductory section, Brian Collins introduces the video’s main topic—comparing ChatGPT and Grammarly as tools for writers. He gives an overview of how both tools are commonly used, with Grammarly serving as a grammar checker and ChatGPT functioning as a more advanced AI tool. He promises a detailed comparison, encourages engagement through likes and subscriptions, and sets up the structure of the video.

This paragraph outlines Grammarly’s free and premium features, such as grammar and punctuation checking, tone detection, and plagiarism detection. The premium version costs $30/month (with occasional promotions) and adds tools like full sentence rewrites and citation management. Grammarly’s accessibility through desktop apps, mobile keyboards, and web browsers is highlighted, making it a widely available tool.

Brian explains that ChatGPT, while free to use for now, may eventually introduce a subscription fee rumored to be around $42/month. Unlike Grammarly, ChatGPT does not yet offer mobile apps or browser plugins, and it’s currently only accessible through web browsers. Both tools require internet access to function.

In this section, Brian demonstrates Grammarly’s effectiveness by pasting an error-filled article into the tool. Grammarly quickly highlights grammar and clarity issues, allowing Brian to fix errors with a simple click. He appreciates how Grammarly provides explanations for errors, helping users learn and improve their writing skills. Examples include correcting word choices and improper use of apostrophes.

Here, Brian compares using ChatGPT as a grammar checker. He notes that ChatGPT requires more manual input and specific commands to check sections of text, and while it does offer corrections, it takes longer than Grammarly. He points out that while ChatGPT fixes mistakes, it may not help users improve their English since the errors aren’t explained in detail like with Grammarly.

Brian discusses how ChatGPT occasionally makes changes that could affect the tone of a piece, which may not always align with a writer's intentions. He provides an example where ChatGPT altered a phrase, changing its informal tone. Additionally, ChatGPT sometimes fails to complete long articles, making it less reliable for extensive editing tasks.

Brian highlights ChatGPT’s performance issues when editing long texts. He experiences incomplete responses and slower processing times compared to Grammarly. He also finds discrepancies in word count accuracy and readability scores when comparing the outputs of ChatGPT and Grammarly, further demonstrating the tool’s limitations in handling large or complex texts.

In this section, Brian explores the plagiarism checking capabilities of both tools. Grammarly’s premium version offers robust plagiarism detection by comparing texts against online content. ChatGPT, on the other hand, cannot check for plagiarism, offering only basic summaries when asked to review content for originality. This highlights one of the major advantages of Grammarly over ChatGPT.

Brian praises Grammarly’s advanced features, such as readability scores and the ability to accept multiple suggestions at once. He contrasts this with ChatGPT, which requires more specific prompts and cannot handle bulk edits. Grammarly’s quick sentence rewrites also add to its convenience, while ChatGPT, though capable of sentence rewriting, often requires more time and precision in command.

Brian acknowledges that ChatGPT has unique features, such as the ability to change the tone of writing with specific commands. He provides an example where he asked ChatGPT to rewrite a sentence in a friendlier tone and even as a haiku, showing the tool’s creative flexibility. However, he emphasizes that this level of customization isn’t as critical for technical editing tasks, where Grammarly excels.

In this concluding section, Brian reflects on the differences between Grammarly and ChatGPT. He sees both tools as complementary rather than competing options. Grammarly is ideal for quick and detailed grammar checks, plagiarism detection, and rewriting, while ChatGPT offers creative potential and flexibility for more specific tasks. He encourages viewers to consider using both based on their writing needs.