A LanguageTool alternative for people who write English at work in their second language.

Two tools for two different jobs

LanguageTool is a multilingual checker. It reads German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and more than 25 other languages, which makes it a good fit if you write in several of them. It is also open source, so a company can run the basic checker on its own server.

WriteNative does one narrower job: it helps people who think in another language write English at work. It does not check German, French or Spanish text. What it adds is around the English: a reason for each suggestion in your first language, the meaning and pronunciation of the words it suggests, and English written for you from what you type in your own language.

WriteNative and LanguageTool side by side

Compared with LanguageTool's Premium and Mac pages, its privacy policy and its public checking service in October 2026. Where LanguageTool is the better choice, the table says so.

What WriteNative adds for writing English

The parts that matter if English is your second language:

• A reason you can read. Click an underline and the card says what is wrong and why in German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese or Korean, not in the language you are still learning.
• Words explained. Each suggested word shows its meaning in context and how to say it.
• Typos fixed as you finish the word. In native apps like Notes and Messages "recieve" becomes "receive" without a click; in Mail, Slack, Notion and the browser the fix goes in when you click it.
• Write in your language. Press ⌥ twice with nothing selected, write in your own language, and natural English appears at the cursor.
• Rewrite and understand. Select text and press ⌥ twice to rewrite it in a tone, or to have a message you received explained.

When LanguageTool is the better choice

If you also need your German, French, Spanish or Portuguese checked, LanguageTool does that and WriteNative does not. The same goes if you work on Windows or in Google Docs and Word, if you want a browser extension rather than a Mac app, or if your company wants to run the checker on its own servers. Some people use both: LanguageTool for their own language, WriteNative for English.

Privacy on both sides

LanguageTool's privacy policy says texts are not used to train its models, and its data processing agreement lists servers in Germany. Its open-source server can run inside your own network, without the AI-based rules.

WriteNative's cloud check sends only the paragraph you just finished; nothing is kept or used for training. With the On-device plan, checks run on your Mac and nothing is sent at all.

Questions

What is a good LanguageTool alternative for writing English on a Mac when English is not my first language?

WriteNative is built for that: it checks your English in Mail, Outlook, Slack, Notion and the browser, explains each suggestion in your first language, fixes obvious typos as you type and turns what you write in your own language into natural English. If you also need your own language checked, LanguageTool is the better fit.

Can WriteNative check German, French or Spanish text?

No. WriteNative checks English (and Chinese). It uses German, French, Spanish and Portuguese to explain your English mistakes and to let you write in your language, not to check text in them.

Is WriteNative free like LanguageTool's basic version?

Partly. Spelling and typo fixes are free without an account, and a free account adds 30 paragraph checks and 5 AI uses a day, such as a rewrite or a translation. Pro, with everything unlimited, is $20 a month or $96 a year and starts with a 7-day free trial.

Can I use LanguageTool and WriteNative at the same time?

Yes, but two sets of underlines in one English text get confusing. You can keep LanguageTool for your own language and switch it off for English, or switch WriteNative off in the apps where you prefer LanguageTool.

Can WriteNative check my text without sending it anywhere?

Yes, with the On-device plan ($49 once, up to 3 Macs): checks run on your Mac and nothing is sent. A Mac you no longer use can be removed to free its place.