Vibecode Grammarly
track this build5 steps, step by step0%You can build grammar checks and rewrites, but Grammarly's moat is cross-app extensions, inline UX, enterprise controls, writing telemetry, and long-running language quality.
You are building a lean indie version of Grammarly. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # Grammarly indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Grammarly workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Run text through LanguageTool plus an LLM rewrite/tone checker, expose a browser extension or local editor. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - inline suggestions everywhere - document/email integrations - tone/brand controls - enterprise admin - polished false-positive handling If those capabilities are essential, use LanguageTool instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a personal writing checker to replace Grammarly. Requirements: - Grammar engine: LanguageTool running locally via its official Docker image; grammar checks never leave my machine. - A local web page (Node + Express, binds to localhost): paste text, see LanguageTool issues underlined with hover explanations, click a suggestion to apply it. - An LLM rewrite pane (key in .env) with three buttons: tighten, friendlier, formal. Show a diff against my original before I accept anything. - A personal dictionary file (dictionary.txt) of names and jargon to never flag, passed to LanguageTool on every check. - CLI mode: `check <file.md>` prints issues with line numbers, exits nonzero if any, so it can run as a git pre-commit hook on docs. - Everything local except the optional LLM call; no accounts, no telemetry. - Out of scope: a browser extension and inline suggestions inside Gmail, Docs, or Slack. This is a destination I paste into, that is the honest trade against Grammarly. - README: Docker setup for LanguageTool, the roughly 1 GB of RAM it wants, and where the LLM key goes. ## Required capabilities - grammar engine/API - LLM API - browser extension - optional desktop accessibility layer - user dictionary ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a lean indie version of Grammarly. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # Grammarly indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Grammarly workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Run text through LanguageTool plus an LLM rewrite/tone checker, expose a browser extension or local editor. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - inline suggestions everywhere - document/email integrations - tone/brand controls - enterprise admin - polished false-positive handling If those capabilities are essential, use LanguageTool instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a personal writing checker to replace Grammarly. Requirements: - Grammar engine: LanguageTool running locally via its official Docker image; grammar checks never leave my machine. - A local web page (Node + Express, binds to localhost): paste text, see LanguageTool issues underlined with hover explanations, click a suggestion to apply it. - An LLM rewrite pane (key in .env) with three buttons: tighten, friendlier, formal. Show a diff against my original before I accept anything. - A personal dictionary file (dictionary.txt) of names and jargon to never flag, passed to LanguageTool on every check. - CLI mode: `check <file.md>` prints issues with line numbers, exits nonzero if any, so it can run as a git pre-commit hook on docs. - Everything local except the optional LLM call; no accounts, no telemetry. - Out of scope: a browser extension and inline suggestions inside Gmail, Docs, or Slack. This is a destination I paste into, that is the honest trade against Grammarly. - README: Docker setup for LanguageTool, the roughly 1 GB of RAM it wants, and where the LLM key goes. ## Required capabilities - grammar engine/API - LLM API - browser extension - optional desktop accessibility layer - user dictionary ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a production product version of Grammarly. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== PRODUCT.md ===== # Grammarly product brief ## Problem You can build grammar checks and rewrites, but Grammarly's moat is cross-app extensions, inline UX, enterprise controls, writing telemetry, and long-running language quality. ## Product outcome Run text through LanguageTool plus an LLM rewrite/tone checker, expose a browser extension or local editor. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - grammar engine/API - LLM API - browser extension - optional desktop accessibility layer - user dictionary ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - inline suggestions everywhere - document/email integrations - tone/brand controls - enterprise admin - polished false-positive handling ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees. ===== ARCHITECTURE.md ===== # Architecture ## Starting brief Build me a personal writing checker to replace Grammarly. Requirements: - Grammar engine: LanguageTool running locally via its official Docker image; grammar checks never leave my machine. - A local web page (Node + Express, binds to localhost): paste text, see LanguageTool issues underlined with hover explanations, click a suggestion to apply it. - An LLM rewrite pane (key in .env) with three buttons: tighten, friendlier, formal. Show a diff against my original before I accept anything. - A personal dictionary file (dictionary.txt) of names and jargon to never flag, passed to LanguageTool on every check. - CLI mode: `check <file.md>` prints issues with line numbers, exits nonzero if any, so it can run as a git pre-commit hook on docs. - Everything local except the optional LLM call; no accounts, no telemetry. - Out of scope: a browser extension and inline suggestions inside Gmail, Docs, or Slack. This is a destination I paste into, that is the honest trade against Grammarly. - README: Docker setup for LanguageTool, the roughly 1 GB of RAM it wants, and where the LLM key goes. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone. ===== MILESTONES.md ===== # Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations. ===== OPERATIONS.md ===== # Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Grammarly capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
# Grammarly indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core Grammarly workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Run text through LanguageTool plus an LLM rewrite/tone checker, expose a browser extension or local editor. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - inline suggestions everywhere - document/email integrations - tone/brand controls - enterprise admin - polished false-positive handling If those capabilities are essential, use LanguageTool instead of pretending the gap is solved.
# Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs".
# Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a personal writing checker to replace Grammarly. Requirements: - Grammar engine: LanguageTool running locally via its official Docker image; grammar checks never leave my machine. - A local web page (Node + Express, binds to localhost): paste text, see LanguageTool issues underlined with hover explanations, click a suggestion to apply it. - An LLM rewrite pane (key in .env) with three buttons: tighten, friendlier, formal. Show a diff against my original before I accept anything. - A personal dictionary file (dictionary.txt) of names and jargon to never flag, passed to LanguageTool on every check. - CLI mode: `check <file.md>` prints issues with line numbers, exits nonzero if any, so it can run as a git pre-commit hook on docs. - Everything local except the optional LLM call; no accounts, no telemetry. - Out of scope: a browser extension and inline suggestions inside Gmail, Docs, or Slack. This is a destination I paste into, that is the honest trade against Grammarly. - README: Docker setup for LanguageTool, the roughly 1 GB of RAM it wants, and where the LLM key goes. ## Required capabilities - grammar engine/API - LLM API - browser extension - optional desktop accessibility layer - user dictionary ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden.
# Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
# Grammarly product brief ## Problem You can build grammar checks and rewrites, but Grammarly's moat is cross-app extensions, inline UX, enterprise controls, writing telemetry, and long-running language quality. ## Product outcome Run text through LanguageTool plus an LLM rewrite/tone checker, expose a browser extension or local editor. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - grammar engine/API - LLM API - browser extension - optional desktop accessibility layer - user dictionary ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - inline suggestions everywhere - document/email integrations - tone/brand controls - enterprise admin - polished false-positive handling ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees.
# Architecture ## Starting brief Build me a personal writing checker to replace Grammarly. Requirements: - Grammar engine: LanguageTool running locally via its official Docker image; grammar checks never leave my machine. - A local web page (Node + Express, binds to localhost): paste text, see LanguageTool issues underlined with hover explanations, click a suggestion to apply it. - An LLM rewrite pane (key in .env) with three buttons: tighten, friendlier, formal. Show a diff against my original before I accept anything. - A personal dictionary file (dictionary.txt) of names and jargon to never flag, passed to LanguageTool on every check. - CLI mode: `check <file.md>` prints issues with line numbers, exits nonzero if any, so it can run as a git pre-commit hook on docs. - Everything local except the optional LLM call; no accounts, no telemetry. - Out of scope: a browser extension and inline suggestions inside Gmail, Docs, or Slack. This is a destination I paste into, that is the honest trade against Grammarly. - README: Docker setup for LanguageTool, the roughly 1 GB of RAM it wants, and where the LLM key goes. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it.
# Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone.
# Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations.
# Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted Grammarly capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
$ choose a build depth, inspect the files, then open the complete pack in your agent · this prompt is generated from the build plan · improve it via PR
They pay because suggestions appear inside the apps where writing actually happens.
xinline suggestions everywhere
xdocument/email integrations
xtone/brand controls
xenterprise admin
xpolished false-positive handling
Don't feel like building it? These folks already made it free.
all 4 free alternatives to Grammarly →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
Grammarly pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| free | $0/user | $0/user | 100 generative-AI prompts/month. |
| pro | $30/user | $12/user | 2,000 AI prompts/member/month; up to 149 seats; 1 style guide; 1 brand tone; 2 groups. |
| enterprise | custom | — | Unlimited prompts, members, style guides, brand tones, and groups. |
free tier100 generative-AI prompts/month
billingmonthly + quarterly + annual for Pro; Enterprise is custom
hidden costsAdditional Pro seats are prorated. A 7-day trial is available only for eligible accounts.
verified 2026-08-12 · source ↗
Vibecode Grammarly
Kinda. The core of Grammarly is buildable in a weekend with the prompt on this page, but there are real gaps: inline suggestions everywhere, document/email integrations. Read the honest list above before committing.
How much does Grammarly cost?
Grammarly costs about $30/month (Pro, checked 2026-07-30), which is $360 per year.
What do I lose by replacing Grammarly?
Honestly: inline suggestions everywhere; document/email integrations; tone/brand controls; enterprise admin; polished false-positive handling. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to Grammarly?
Yes: Harper (A fast English grammar checker that stays on your device and mostly keeps its opinions to itself.) Writing Tools (Select text anywhere, hit a hotkey, and fix, rewrite, summarize, or obey a custom instruction without opening another tab.) WritingTool (A LibreOffice extension with long-document checks, style statistics, profiles, and local AI; installing Java is the cover charge.) All 4 curated free alternatives are at vibecodeit.com/grammarly/alternatives. The prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.