# Hemingway Editor

> Readability-focused editor that color-codes hard sentences, passive voice, adverbs, and complex word choices for a prose clarity pass.

Source: https://selfpublishingdirectory.com/writing-tools/hemingway-editor
Website: https://hemingwayapp.com
Category: Writing Tools (https://selfpublishingdirectory.com/writing-tools)
Pricing: freemium — $0–$150
AI-powered: yes
Tags: grammar-checker, readability, clarity, passive-voice, style, one-time-purchase, desktop-app
Last verified: 2026-05-07
Best For: A clarity pass to tighten dense prose after a grammar check
Collaboration: no
Platform: web, mac, windows
Tool Type: grammar-checker

Hemingway Editor uses a color-coded system to flag hard-to-read sentences (yellow), very hard sentences (red), passive voice (green), adverbs (blue), and complex word choices (purple). It's a clarity pass, not a grammar checker — pair it with a tool that actually catches typos.

- **Best for:** Tightening prose readability after a grammar check; targeting genre-appropriate reading levels via the Flesch-Kincaid score
- **Key features:** Color-coded readability highlights, readability grade scoring, free web app with no signup, one-time desktop purchase, optional AI rewrite suggestions in Editor Plus
- **Pricing:** Free web app (full readability analysis, no character cap); Desktop app $19.99 one-time (Mac + Windows); Editor Plus subscription $100/yr (5K AI sentences) or $150/yr (10K AI sentences) with 14-day no-card trial
- **Limitations:** Misses typos and grammar errors entirely — designed for clarity, not proofreading; flags intentional literary techniques (subordinate clauses, stylistic passive voice); free web version saves nothing locally
- **Why authors love it:** $19.99 one-time desktop license is exceptional value; offline-capable with .docx import/export, PDF, and direct WordPress/Medium publishing