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Should I self-host Grammarly?
LanguageTool's server boots in seconds and the browser extension points at it with one setting — grammar and style rules without shipping every keystroke to a cloud. But Grammarly's AI rewrites are genuinely a tier above. Worth it if privacy is the point; not if the AI editor is.
The math (nothing hidden, including your time)
| Grammarly (Pro) | $12.00/mo |
| VPS share + storage | −$0.50/mo |
| Your maintenance: 10 min/mo at $20/h | −$3.33/mo |
| Net saving | $8.17/mo |
| Setup: 11 min measured (one-time) | $3.67 |
| Break-even | 0.4 months |
| Markup Index (price ÷ real self-host cost) | 3.1× |
Price: source, checked 2026-08-06. Inputs are stored in git; every number above is derived, never hand-written.
What you lose
- GrammarlyGO rewriting and tone suggestions
- The premium rule-sets (LanguageTool's own premium exists for that)
What you're paying Grammarly for
- grammar & spelling checks
- style suggestions
- browser integration
Ranked alternatives
The grammar and style engine behind the browser add-on, running on your own machine, with nothing you write leaving it.
Hardware
Runs comfortably on a real VPS (2 GB+).
The tested compose file (our evidence, CI-booted)
# LanguageTool — grammar server the browser extension can point at
services:
languagetool:
image: erikvl87/languagetool:latest
container_name: languagetool
restart: unless-stopped
environment:
Java_Xms: 256m
Java_Xmx: 1g
ports:
- "8103:8010"
healthcheck:
test: ["CMD-SHELL", "wget -qO- 'http://localhost:8010/v2/languages' >/dev/null || exit 1"]
interval: 5s
timeout: 10s
retries: 30
start_period: 30s
Want a guided install instead? caniselfhostit.com/grammarly has AI-agent prompts that assume a bare machine — that's their half of the stool, and it's good.
Verification
Protocol v1 · verified by zernonia on 2026-08-10 · setup measured at 11 min · AI assistant: claude-code (allowed & stated)
What broke
- Boot to healthy measured at 20s on the 2GB reference env
Full timed log
# Grammarly — verdict log - **Date:** 2026-08-10 - **Verdict:** KINDA — worth it if… - **Protocol:** v1 (2GB reference env, Docker preinstalled, AI assistant: claude-code) ## Setup evidence - Compose: `compose/grammarly-languagetool.yml` - Boot to healthy: **20s** measured this session - Setup time recorded: 11 min (boot + configuration to first working workflow) ## What broke / notes - Boot to healthy measured at 20s on the 2GB reference env ## The call LanguageTool's server boots in seconds and the browser extension points at it with one setting — grammar and style rules without shipping every keystroke to a cloud. But Grammarly's AI rewrites are genuinely a tier above. Worth it if privacy is the point; not if the AI editor is.
Verdict history
- 2026-08-10: unscored → KINDA — Initial verdict: LanguageTool's server boots in seconds and the browser extension points at it with one setting — grammar and s.