How Does This Sound vs Grammarly
We focus on communication risk, not grammar. Use both for complete coverage.
Quick Summary
Choose How Does This Sound if:
- ✓ You want to check if your message might be misinterpreted
- ✓ You need specific feedback on risky sentences
- ✓ Privacy is important (BYOK option available)
- ✓ You have dyslexia or communication anxiety
Choose Grammarly if:
- ✓ You need grammar and spelling correction
- ✓ You want style and clarity suggestions
- ✓ You need a browser extension that works everywhere
- ✓ You need plagiarism checking
Our recommendation: Use both! Grammarly for what it does best, then How Does This Sound for a final "will this sound wrong?" check.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | How Does This Sound | Grammarly |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Communication risk & misinterpretation | Grammar, spelling, style |
| Tone Detection | Risk-focused | Descriptive |
| Risk-Focused Analysis | ✓ | Limited |
| Sentence-Level Risk Feedback | ✓ | Premium only |
| Grammar Checking | — | ✓ |
| Spelling Correction | — | ✓ |
| Context Categories (tone, clarity, cultural, etc.) | Multiple categories | Some categories |
| BYOK (Use Your Own API Key) | ✓ | — |
| Free Tier | 5 analyses/day | Limited features |
| Browser Extension | — | ✓ |
| Plagiarism Checker | — | Premium |
Based on publicly available information and our assessment of each tool's primary focus. Features may vary by plan or version.
Key Differences Explained
Different Problems, Different Solutions
Grammarly answers "Is this written correctly?" We answer "Will this be understood correctly?" Your grammar can be perfect while your message still sounds passive-aggressive, confusing, or harsh.
Risk vs Description
Grammarly's tone detector tells you what tone you're using (formal, friendly, confident). We tell you what might go wrong - which specific sentences could be misinterpreted and why. It's the difference between "you sound formal" and "this sentence might come across as dismissive."
Privacy & Data Control
We offer a BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) option for users who want to use their own API keys. While messages are processed through our servers for analysis, we focus on minimal data collection. See our privacy policy for full details on how we handle data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Add Another Layer of Confidence
Your grammar might be perfect. But will your message land the way you intended?
Try How Does This Sound FreeGrammarly is a trademark of its respective owner. How Does This Sound is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Grammarly. Comparisons are based on publicly available information as of January 2025 and may not reflect current features.