AI Proofreading Tools: What Grammarly Can't Do with Your DOCX Files

What Proofreading Actually Means

Proofreading is the final stage of the writing process. It catches surface errors after all substantive editing is done:

• Spelling mistakes and typos
• Grammar errors - subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, misplaced modifiers
• Punctuation - commas, semicolons, apostrophes, quotation marks
• Formatting inconsistencies - heading styles, numbering, spacing
• Minor word-level issues - wrong homophones (their/there), repeated words, missing articles

Proofreading does not restructure arguments, rewrite paragraphs, or change meaning. That's editing. The distinction matters because most "AI proofreading tools" actually do grammar checking, which is a subset of proofreading and a far cry from proper editing.

The AI Proofreading Landscape

A handful of tools dominate this space. Each has strengths, and each has the same fundamental limitation.

Grammarly

The market leader. Over 30 million daily active users.

What it does well:

• Real-time grammar and spelling suggestions across 500,000+ apps and websites
• Tone detection (formal, friendly, confident, etc.)
• Clarity improvements - flagging wordy sentences, passive voice
• Browser extension, desktop app, Word/Google Docs add-in
• Unlimited grammar checks on free tier

What it doesn't do:

• Grammarly doesn't open your .docx file, proofread it, and return a corrected copy with track changes. Its Word add-in shows suggestions one at a time that you accept or dismiss. Each accepted suggestion appears as a tracked change attributed to "Grammarly" in Word's revision history, but there's no batch proofreading mode.
• Character limit of 100,000 per document upload
• Suggestions can over-polish voice if accepted uncritically
• No subject-matter awareness - it doesn't know whether your legal term or scientific phrase is correct

Pricing: Free tier for basics. Premium at $12/month (annual) for advanced suggestions. Business tier for teams.

ProWritingAid

The writer's choice for long-form content.

What it does well:

• Deep style analysis: pacing, sentence variety, echoes (repeated words), readability scores
• 20+ writing reports beyond grammar - structure, dialogue, cliches, consistency
• Better suited for novels and long documents than Grammarly
• Word add-in, browser extension, desktop editor

What it doesn't do:

• Same fundamental limitation: it's an interactive suggestion tool, not a batch proofreader
• AI writing assistance is limited to 5-50 uses per day depending on plan (Grammarly offers unlimited)
• Steeper learning curve - the volume of reports can overwhelm new users
• Free version has a 500-word limit per check

Pricing: Free with limits. Premium at $10/month (annual). Lifetime deal available (~$400).

LanguageTool

The open-source, multilingual option.

What it does well:

• Supports 30+ languages (Grammarly is English-focused)
• Open-source core - can be self-hosted
• Good for multilingual teams and non-English content
• Browser extension, Word/Google Docs add-in, API

What it doesn't do:

• Fewer advanced style suggestions than Grammarly or ProWritingAid
• Character limits on free tier
• No Safari support
• Same interactive-suggestion model - no batch DOCX proofreading with track changes

Pricing: Free tier. Premium at $5-7/month. Team plans available.

Hemingway Editor

The readability specialist.

What it does well:

• Highlights complex sentences, passive voice, adverb overuse
• Assigns a readability grade level
• Clean, focused interface with color-coded highlights
• Forces you to write clearly

What it doesn't do:

• Doesn't catch spelling errors or fix grammar
• No Word integration - it's a standalone web/desktop editor
• No document format awareness. Paste text in, get feedback, paste corrections back out
• No track changes output

Pricing: Free web version. Desktop app for a one-time fee.

Scribbr AI Proofreader

Built for academic writing.

What it does well:

• Trained specifically on academic language conventions
• Understands hedging ("suggests" vs. "proves"), citation styles, formal register
• Good for ESL authors preparing journal submissions
• Shows corrections in a before/after format

What it doesn't do:

• Academic focus means it's less useful for business or creative writing
• Still operates as a web tool - upload text, get suggestions, apply manually
• Doesn't produce a proofread .docx with tracked changes
• No Word add-in

Pricing: Free tier with limits. Credits-based system for full use.

QuillBot

The paraphrasing specialist.

What it does well:

• Paraphrasing engine that rewrites sentences for clarity or formality
• Grammar checker included
• Useful for ESL writers who need sentence-level rewording
• Chrome extension, Word add-in

What it doesn't do:

• Paraphrasing changes meaning, which is editing, not proofreading
• Grammar checking is less comprehensive than Grammarly
• No batch document processing with track changes

Pricing: Free tier with limits. Premium at $10/month (annual).

The Gap Every Tool Shares

Every tool listed above works the same way:

1. You paste text or install an add-in
2. The tool highlights errors and suggestions
3. You accept or reject each suggestion one at a time
4. The tool has no awareness of your document as a .docx file with structure, formatting, headers, tables, and comments

None of them do this:

1. Accept a .docx file
2. Read the entire document including structure and formatting
3. Make corrections throughout
4. Return a proofread copy where every correction is a tracked change you can accept or reject in Word

That second workflow is what editors, reviewers, and proofreaders actually do when they work on a document. It's the standard in academic publishing, legal review, and professional editing. And no mainstream AI proofreading tool produces it.

Why Track Changes Matter for Proofreading

Track changes aren't a nice-to-have. In several contexts, they're required.

Academic Publishing

When a journal asks for a revised manuscript, they expect two files: a clean copy and a tracked-changes copy showing exactly what changed. Reviewers compare the two. If your AI proofreading tool can't produce tracked changes, you need to manually enable Track Changes in Word and make each correction yourself - defeating the purpose of automation.

Legal Documents

Legal proofreading catches errors in contracts, briefs, and filings. But in legal workflows, every change must be visible and attributable. A proofread contract with no tracked changes is unusable - opposing counsel needs to see what was modified. Partners need to approve each correction before filing.

Publishing and Editorial

Editors send manuscripts back with tracked changes. Authors review the changes and accept or reject each one. This back-and-forth is the standard workflow in book publishing, magazine editing, and corporate communications. An editor who returns a "clean" proofread document with no tracked changes has failed the basic professional standard.

Business Reports

When proofreading a board presentation, quarterly report, or client deliverable, the person who requested proofreading wants to see what changed. They don't want to diff two documents manually. Track changes make the review efficient and auditable.

Proofreading Contexts: What Each Requires

Academic Papers

Common errors caught:

• Citation formatting inconsistencies (APA vs. AMA vs. journal-specific)
• Inconsistent number formatting (spelling out "ten" vs. using "10")
• Tense shifts between methods (past) and discussion (present)
• Missing articles (common for ESL authors)
• Incorrect hedging ("we found" vs. "our results suggest")

What AI handles well: Grammar, spelling, punctuation, consistency checks. What AI misses: Whether your statistical language is appropriate, whether a field-specific term is correct, whether your hedging matches your evidence strength.

Legal Documents

Common errors caught:

• Defined terms used inconsistently ("Company" vs. "the Company" vs. "Seller")
• Cross-reference errors ("Section 4.2" when the section is now 4.3)
• Misspelled party names
• Missing punctuation that changes meaning ("$100,000" vs. "$100000")
• Inconsistent date formats

What AI handles well: Spelling, formatting consistency, obvious grammar errors. What AI misses: Whether a specific legal term is correct in context, whether cross-references are accurate, whether defined terms match their definitions.

Business Reports

Common errors caught:

• Number/data formatting inconsistencies (currency, percentages, decimals)
• Brand name misspellings
• Executive summary contradicting body text
• Bullet point formatting inconsistencies
• Header/subheader capitalization inconsistencies

What AI handles well: Formatting consistency, spelling, grammar, readability. What AI misses: Whether the numbers themselves are correct, whether the conclusions follow from the data.

Manuscripts and Books

Common errors caught:

• Spelling variations (colour/color, analyse/analyze)
• Quotation mark style (curly vs. straight, single vs. double)
• Dialogue formatting
• Chapter numbering and cross-references
• Hyphenation consistency (e-mail vs. email, co-worker vs. coworker)

What AI handles well: Consistency, spelling, punctuation patterns. What AI misses: Intentional style choices, voice, narrative pacing, dialogue authenticity.

AI Proofreading with Track Changes

DocMods takes a different approach. Instead of showing suggestions in a sidebar, it operates on the document itself.

Upload a .docx file. Tell it to proofread. Download a copy where every correction - every fixed typo, every corrected comma, every reworded awkward phrase - appears as a tracked change in Word.

WHAT YOU GET BACK:

Original text (struck through, red):
  "The company have been grew significantly over the past year,
   and their revenue's increased by approximatly 40%."

Corrected text (inserted, blue):
  "The company has grown significantly over the past year,
   and its revenue increased by approximately 40%."

Margin comment:
  "Corrected subject-verb agreement, verb tense, possessive
   pronoun, and spelling."

Open it in Word. See every change. Accept all, reject some, or review one by one. Same workflow you'd use with a human proofreader.

Basic Proofreading

from docxagent import DocxClient

client = DocxClient()

# Upload document
doc_id = client.upload("quarterly_report_draft.docx")

# Proofread with track changes
client.edit(
    doc_id,
    "Proofread this document. Fix all spelling errors, grammar mistakes, "
    "and punctuation issues. Flag any formatting inconsistencies. "
    "Use track changes for every correction and add comments explaining "
    "non-obvious fixes.",
    author="AI Proofreader"
)

# Download proofread copy
client.download(doc_id, "quarterly_report_proofread.docx")

Academic Proofreading

# Proofread with academic conventions
client.edit(
    doc_id,
    "Proofread this research manuscript for journal submission. "
    "Check for: "
    "1. Grammar and spelling errors "
    "2. Consistent use of past tense in methods, present in discussion "
    "3. Proper hedging language (avoid absolute claims) "
    "4. Number formatting: spell out below 10, numerals for 10+ "
    "5. Citation format consistency "
    "6. Consistent abbreviation usage (define on first use) "
    "Use track changes for all corrections.",
    author="AI Proofreader"
)

Legal Proofreading

# Proofread legal document with defined term checking
client.edit(
    doc_id,
    "Proofread this contract. Check for: "
    "1. Spelling and grammar errors "
    "2. Defined terms used consistently (exact capitalization and articles) "
    "3. Cross-reference accuracy (Section and Exhibit references) "
    "4. Party name consistency throughout "
    "5. Date format consistency "
    "6. Punctuation that affects meaning "
    "Use track changes. Add comments for any ambiguities found.",
    author="AI Proofreader"
)

Batch Proofreading

import os
from docxagent import DocxClient

def batch_proofread(folder_path, output_folder, style_guide=None):
    """Proofread all DOCX files in a folder with track changes."""
    client = DocxClient()

    instructions = (
        "Proofread this document. Fix spelling, grammar, and punctuation. "
        "Ensure formatting consistency. Use track changes for all corrections."
    )
    if style_guide:
        instructions += f" Follow this style guide: {style_guide}"

    for filename in os.listdir(folder_path):
        if not filename.endswith(".docx"):
            continue

        doc_path = os.path.join(folder_path, filename)
        doc_id = client.upload(doc_path)

        client.edit(doc_id, instructions, author="AI Proofreader")

        output_path = os.path.join(output_folder, f"proofread_{filename}")
        client.download(doc_id, output_path)
        print(f"Proofread: {filename} -> {output_path}")

# Proofread an entire folder
batch_proofread(
    "/documents/drafts",
    "/documents/proofread",
    style_guide="AP Style. American English. Serial comma."
)

When to Use Which Tool

The rule is straightforward: if you need suggestions while you write, use Grammarly or ProWritingAid. If you need a proofread document with tracked changes, use DocMods.

What AI Proofreading Can't Do

Honest limitations, regardless of tool:

Context-dependent correctness. AI doesn't know whether "the patient was seen" is appropriate passive voice (medical convention) or lazy writing. It flags; you decide.

Field-specific terminology. "Anastomosis," "estoppel," "heteroscedasticity" - AI might flag correct technical terms as errors or miss incorrect usage of terms it doesn't understand deeply.

Intentional style choices. Sentence fragments for emphasis. Starting sentences with "And." Comma splices in dialogue. AI can't distinguish intentional rule-breaking from mistakes.

Factual accuracy. Proofreading catches language errors, not content errors. AI won't notice that you wrote "revenue increased 40%" when the actual figure was 14%.

Cultural and audience nuance. What reads as professional in one context reads as stiff in another. AI applies general rules; your audience has specific expectations.

The best proofreading workflow accounts for these limitations: AI catches the mechanical errors quickly, then a human reviews the output for anything that requires judgment.

The Cost of Not Proofreading

Errors in published documents have real consequences:

• Academic papers with language issues get desk-rejected before peer review begins
• Contracts with typos create ambiguity that leads to disputes
• Client deliverables with errors undermine credibility and professionalism
• Marketing materials with mistakes damage brand perception
• Internal reports with inconsistencies waste time in review meetings

Professional human proofreading costs $0.01-0.02 per word. A 10,000-word document runs $100-200. AI proofreading with DocMods costs a fraction of that and takes minutes instead of days. Neither replaces the other entirely, but AI handles the mechanical work so human reviewers can focus on substance.

The Bottom Line

AI proofreading tools have matured significantly. Grammarly, ProWritingAid, LanguageTool, and others catch grammar and spelling errors reliably. For real-time writing assistance, they're excellent.

But they all share a design assumption: you're writing in their environment, accepting suggestions one at a time, and the output is text on screen.

When your workflow requires a proofread .docx file with tracked changes - for journal submission, legal review, editorial workflows, or client deliverables - the mainstream tools don't produce that output. You need a tool that operates on the document itself, makes corrections with revision markup, and returns a file your colleagues can review in Word.

That's the gap DocMods fills. Upload a document, get it back proofread, with every correction tracked. Same workflow as a human proofreader, at the speed of AI.