TextWarden review
A free Mac proofreader with broad English controls and limited platform coverage.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
TextWarden is a free, open-source grammar checker and writing assistant for macOS. It reviews spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, word choice, and style while users type across supported Mac applications, including browsers, chat apps, web editors, and Microsoft Office. Its audience is Mac users who want English proofreading without a paid plan, particularly solo users and small teams that can work within a desktop-and-browser-extension setup.
The correction toolkit is broader than basic spelling checks. TextWarden provides real-time suggestions, one-click corrections, and a Fix All command, while readability scores and sentence-complexity underlines help users review writing quality. Five English dialects are supported: American, British, Canadian, Australian, and Indian English. Custom vocabulary and technical word lists are useful for specialized terminology. Users can also pause or disable underlines per app and exclude websites. Optional detection of 69 non-English languages is available, but grammar checking itself is English-only.
Platform fit is the main boundary. The desktop application is macOS-only, there is no mobile app, and the browser extension is a manual preview for Chrome, Brave, Firefox, Zen, and Safari. Processing runs locally on the Mac, with optional Apple Intelligence style suggestions and rewriting on compatible Macs. That combination suits users who prioritize on-device assistance, dialect selection, and control over where suggestions appear. Users who need Windows, mobile coverage, broad integrations, or non-English grammar correction should choose a different tool.
TextWarden pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Real-time corrections with one-click fixes and Fix All
- Supports five English dialects plus custom vocabulary
- Local processing, readability scores, and per-app controls
- Where it doesn't
- Grammar checking is limited to macOS
- Grammar checking supports English only
- Browser extension remains a manual preview
TextWarden fact sheet, pricing and score →
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update