9 Best Passive Voice Checker Apps For Perfect Writing In 2023

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Chioma Ezeh is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more

As writers, we’re always told to avoid the passive voice. It can create awkward sentences, and the misuse and overuse can make your text seem flat and uninteresting. 

Many writers struggle to understand the correct use of passive and active voice. Sometimes, we don’t even realize we’re using the passive voice! Thankfully, we can rely on passive voice checker apps to do the work for us.

If you’re a writer that struggles with the passive voice, this article is for you. Below, we will discuss the best apps to identify the passive voice.

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What Is the Best Passive Voice Checker?

Hemingway Editor is the best passive voice checker available on the market. It can detect passive sentences, highlight them in your text, and provide suggestions for how to rewrite them for clarity and better readability. It also offers additional contextual spell-checking, grammar-checking, and other helpful tools to help you improve your writing. However, Hemingway doesn’t offer detailed feedback on why your sentence is considered passive.

Other grammar checkers considered the best in the market include Grammarly, which is highly accurate for detecting passive sentences and also comes with a chrome extension. However, passive voice check isn’t available for the free version.

To determine the best passive voice checker, we evaluated for accuracy, user experience, and functionality. To find the best, we looked at 15 passive checker tools and ranked the best 9 by their accuracy. The top 3 were Hemingway, ProwritingAid, and Grammarly.

While these apps are all recommendable, regarding user experience, we like Grammarly and ProwritingAid the most. Detailed insight on these passive checker apps is found below.

The Best Passive Voice Checker – Overview

I’ve made a list of the best passive voice checker apps that are perfect for all types of writers. I’ve ranked them into the following categories:

How I Evaluated Each Tool

Before choosing the apps listed below, I put each one to the test. In order to properly rank and review them, I used the same sample text. Using this paragraph on each app allowed me the opportunity to properly evaluate without bias. So, using the text below, we checked for accuracy, user experience, and functionality.

Here’s the text used:

The company was founded in 1984. It was inherited by two brothers in 1993 and since then, their products have reached multiple clients all over the world. The company sells handmade soaps, which are made with organic materials.

A book about the success of the company was written by Joan Halls in 2002. The book was received very well by the public, and it received multiple awards, including New York Times Bestseller. It is no secret that many businesses were inspired by the success of these handmade soaps.


The Best Passive Voice Checker Apps

1. Hemingway Editor

Best Overall

Hemingway Editor

Hemingway App is the best passive voice checker in the market. It is perfect for professional writers looking for a top-quality passive voice identifier. It is the best app because it is accurate, easy to use, and very effective. 

Hemingway not only helps you identify the passive voice in your paragraphs, but it also points out other grammar and structure errors. It will point out sentences that are too hard to read, ways you can make your sentences simpler, and give you a readability level. 

The Hemingway Editor has both a writing mode and an editing mode, which makes it easy to use. The readability score also helps you to gauge how easy your text is to read. You can choose from a variety of formatting options, and the editor will check for additional things like adverbs, and simple phrase alternatives.

If you have a difficult sentence, the Hemingway Editor will suggest ways to make it easier to read. You can also use the editor online or on your desktop.

Key Features

  • Writing and Editing modes
  • Readability score
  • Word count
  • Formatting options
  • Checks for
    • Adverbs
    • Passive voice
    • Simple phrases alternatives
    • Hard-to-read sentences
  • Online and Desktop options

My Experience Using Hemingway Editor

I use Hemingway App a lot for my books and articles. It helps me revise and edit all of my written content to make sure they are of the best quality.

One of the best passive voice checker apps, Hemingway Editor Feature dashboard highlighting reports obtained in the paragraph

I love that the interface is simple and provides a distraction-free writing and editing experience. Going to the writing tab removes all the observations, so you can write freely without worrying about the mistakes you’re making. 

Report section from Hemingway app on the content

As you can see from the screenshot, Hemingway highlighted 6 passive voice sentences (highlighted in green) and gave the text a readability grade of 7, which is good according to Hemingway.

The editing tab will point out all the things you can improve in your text, and give you alternatives on how to correct those mistakes. It is very user-friendly, and I can’t recommend this app more.

This app is free to use online. The Desktop app costs $19.99.

Pros And Cons of Hemingway Editor

ProsCons
Free to use onlineOnly available for the English language
Highlights errors in real-timeText is not saved if the tab is closed
More accurate than other apps

Overall, the Hemingway Editor is a writer’s best friend. It is easy to use, has a great interface, and points out mistakes while giving insightful corrections.

2. Grammarly

Best for ACCURACY & Browser Extension

Grammarly

Grammarly is the most accurate passive voice checker. It finds and corrects more than 250 types of grammatical errors, including passive voice, incorrect punctuation, and incorrect verb tense. Additionally, it offers tone suggestions to help you adjust the mood and attitude of your writing.

Grammarly is hands down, the best passive voice checker app for accuracy. It also additionally detects and corrects punctuations, do spellchecks, and correct other grammatical errors. 

This Google Chrome extension works for all types of texts, from emails to google docs, this tool will correct and optimize everything you type!

This tool has a free version and a Premium one. The Passive voice checker is available on Grammarly Premium.

Key Features

  • Correctness
    • Typos
    • Punctuation
  • Tone Suggestions
    • Adjust the mood and attitude
    • Synonyms
  • Full-sentences rewrite
  • Custom style guides

My Experience Using Grammarly

Grammarly is my favorite tool to use. I use it for everything! It is super helpful to catch all common mistakes whenever I’m writing. The Chrome extension is always active, so it will correct everything I write. I use it for Google Docs, emails, and even tweets! 

The best passive voice checker, Grammarly Results output using the document feature showing "Overall score", "Correctness", "Clarity" , "Engagement" etc. of the document

The installation is easy and quick. What I like the most is how not intrusive it is. It’ll highlight the mistakes in real-time and if you hover your mouse over the word, it’ll suggest a correction.

Even without the premium version, it’ll still point out the passive voice. However, it will not give you suggestions on how to fix it. If you wish to see these corrections, then you must pay for the premium membership.

Grammarly is free to use with basic writing suggestions and tone detection. The Premium for individuals costs $12 per month. The Premium for business costs $15.

Pros And Cons of Grammarly

ProsCons
Real-time correctionsIt isn’t 100% accurate
In-depth explanationsNot available offline
Premium option provides advanced features like custom style guides and goal-settingPassive voice checks only available with Premium

Grammarly is a great all-in-one grammar tool to check and improve your writing style.

3. ProWritingAid

Best Paid App

ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid is a useful app for all types of writers. It gives you tools to catch passive voice, grammatical and spelling mistakes. This app also helps improve the readability of your text and provides advice for transitions, style, and structure.

If you’re a writer, then you know that the key to a great piece is often in the details. But details can be hard to catch on your own. ProWritingAid helps you identify and fix common writing mistakes, including passive voice misuse and poor readability.

In addition, ProWritingAid provides in-depth reports on your writing style, which helps you to refine your technique and make your work stand out. And if you’re stuck on how to start or end a paragraph, the handy browser extension can provide helpful prompts.

The app has a free online version, with very limited functions. The premium option gives you many more tools, and you can even use it as a browser extension. 

Key Features

  • Mistakes highlighted in real time
    • Passive voice
    • Grammar
    • Spelling
    • readability
  • In-depth writing reports
    • Style
    • Repetition
    • Summary
    • Transition
    • Pronouns
  • Browser extension

My Experience Using ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid is an easy-to-use tool. I started using the free tool, which has very basic functions, but it’s still adequate. However, paying for the premium option is worth it for all the other options it gives you. 

Reports section of ProWritingAid tool showing results of errors in the content

As you can see, it marks the passive voice in purple, and on the column on the right, it gives advice on how you can improve your text. It not only marks the passive voice, but it also lets you know if the sentence is hard to read and gives you options on how to improve it.

ProWritingAid works perfectly for short text and long-form content. The interface is very similar to Google Docs or Microsoft Word, so you can use it easily. Plus, the browser extension corrects all types of text, regardless of where you’re writing.

The yearly plan for this app costs $120. The monthly plan costs $20, and the lifetime plan costs $399. You can use it for free online with very limited features.

Pros and Cons of ProWritingAid

ProsCons
Real-time editorNot 100% accurate
14-day refund policyNot available offline
In-depth suggestions and analysis

ProWritingAid is the best tool for professional writers!

4. GrammarCheck

Best Free App

GrammarCheck

Looking for a grammar and spelling checker that can work with you? GrammarCheck has a variety of formatting options, multiple English language options, and a free check button.

GrammarCheck is a free-to-use online tool that is perfect for checking quick grammatical errors.  This tool is great for spotting passive voice sentences, spelling mistakes, and punctuation errors. 

GrammarCheck is the best free software to use because it offers a lot at no cost (you don’t need an account in order to use it). It is also easy to use, with an easy-to-understand interface

Key Features

  • Formatting options
  • Copy and Paste
  • Multiple English Options
  • Free Check ButtonGrammar
  • Spelling
  • Passive Voice
  • Deep Check (Connected to Grammarly)

My Experience Using GrammarCheck

GrammarCheck is a good tool to check a short text for passive sentences. I found it worked best for just a quick check, without much depth of analysis. It is a good online tool to use if you’re looking for something simple and easy to use. 

Integrated dashboard of GrammarCheck Tool showing sections  like "Editor Tab", "Body text" & "Tool bar"

Unfortunately, I did notice that it doesn’t point out all the passive sentence errors as other tools do, and it sometimes takes a moment for all the errors to load.

Highlighting of grammar results on the content by the Grammarcheck app

Regardless, it is still a fairly useful tool that may help you in a hurry. For being free, it is perfectly adequate. The app has a Deep Check, which connects directly to Grammarly. In order to use this premium feature, you must have a Grammarly paid account.

This app is free to use online.

Pros And Cons of GrammarCheck

ProsCons
Available online for freeThe accuracy is limited
Good for simple mistakesNot suitable for intricate texts

Overall if you’re looking for a quick and simple tool, GrammarCheck is the perfect one!

5. Sapling

Best for Google Docs

Sapling

With Sapling, you can write in a clear and concise voice, while also having your work checked for passive voice. If you’re a Google Docs user, there’s a Sapling add-on that brings all these features into your documents.

Sapling is an AI assistant designed for businesses, enterprises, and professional writers. It specializes in business writing, to help you communicate more efficiently with your clients.

Sapling offers more than just a grammar check function. It provides live chat responses, snippets, and other tools for eCommerce. However, grammar checking is one of its main features.

Key Features

  • Grammar Check
  • Autocomplete
  • Snippet
  • Chat Assist
  • Google Chrome Extension
  • Google Docs Add-On

My Experience Using Sapling

Sapling is a relatively new tool I discovered not too long ago, but I’ve found its functions very useful.

Feature dashboard of Sapling Tool highlighting sections like "Add-on Extension", "Sapling checker"

The reason Sapling is the best editing app for Google Docs is because it has an add-on specially designed for Google Docs. It’s a function you can directly access through the extensions tab. It makes the editing process easy, practical and convenient. 

Results output of Sapling tool showing use of passive voice sentences on the content

I do have to say that the grammar checks aren’t 100% accurate. However, the software has many functions that make it worth the try. Additionally, having a Google Docs extension, you can also use it on Google Chrome and or other browsers. 

The downside is that it only points out which sentences are in passive voice but won’t suggest how to fix them. 

Sapling is free to download for Google Docs and other extensions. The Pro plan costs $25/month. 

Pros And Cons Of Sapling

ProsCons
Offers many featuresDoesn’t offer suggestions for corrections
Different from other grammar check softwareIt isn’t 100% accurate
Perfect for business writingNot good for long-form texts

Sapling is a new software that offers many great features. Definitely worth the try!

6. LanguageTool

Best For Microsoft Word

LanguageTool

LanguageTool is the perfect grammar tool for multilingual speakers. It can identify and help correct passive voice, styles, spelling mistakes, and more. The app offers a distraction-free experience, with a dark and light appearance to fit your preferences.

LanguageTool is an online passive voice and grammar-checking tool. It detects passive voice misuse, plus other grammatical mistakes, spelling errors, and more.

This is an excellent alternative to Grammarly, as it offers multiple languages. It also offers helpful recommendations to optimize your grammar and overall style. It is the perfect general writing assistant.

Key Features

  • Multilingual grammar
  • Style
  • Spelling
  • Distraction-free experience
  • Personal Dictionary
  • Texts are securely stored
  • Dark and Light appearance

My Experience Using LanguageTool

LanguageTool is my go-to software whenever I’m writing in a different language that isn’t English. I spent a long time looking for a Grammarly alternative to edit in other languages, and LanguageTool came to the rescue.

Integrated feature dashboard of LanguageTool highlighting features like "Google chrome extension", "Tool options" etc.

Aside from being multilingual, it is also very useful for the English language, especially if you’re editing Microsoft Word documents. Not only can you download an extension to your browser, but you can also upload Word documents to the platform to check.

Results output of LanguageTool showing feature like corrections and rephrasing on the content

As you can see in the image, it offers corrections and rephrasing for your passive voice sentences. It highlights the sentence and gives you a list of options to correct it.

This and many other features are what make LanguageTool one of my favorite passive voice detector apps.

LanguageTool has a free plan for beginners. The Premium plan costs $59.90 a year. The Teams plan costs $119.80 a year.

Pros And Cons Of LanguageTool

ProsCons
Basic version is freeRequires sign-in
More than 30 languages and dialectsPassive voice check is better in premium versions
Distraction-free

Overall, LanguageTool is an excellent alternative, especially if you’re writing and editing in a different language from English.

7. Datayze

Best For Text Analyzing

Datayze

Datayze is the perfect tool for writers, bloggers, and authors. It detects passive voice, corrects grammar mistakes, and checks spelling. The word analyzer feature shows you the parts of speech for any word, while the word finder tool helps you locate difficult words in your text. datayze.com/passive-voice-detector

Datayze differs from other writing and editing tools. Not only does it provide an accurate grammar check, but it also analyzes your text with a passive voice detector.

This is an online app, meaning it is only available on a browser. 

Key Features

  • Passive Voice detector
  • Grammar Check
  • Spelling Check
  • Word Analyzer
  • Word Finder
  • Readability analyzer

My Experience Using Datayze

Datayze is a great tool to check short text and analyze the mistakes you’ve made. 

User interace of Datayze tool highlighting analyzed results and founded errors on the content

I like this software because it is very insightful and gives useful information that helps me understand the structure of my sentences and why it marked certain mistakes. In the case of the passive sentences, it explains how the passive voice works and how I can fix it, which I thought was a very nice feature.

Datayze also offers other features like spelling check, word finder, and readability analyzer. Even though the interface might not be as clean as other software, this one works really well!

Datayzer is free to use online.

Pros And Cons Of Datayzer

ProsCons
Available onlineThe interface is not user-friendly
It’s freeNot great on mobile
Text analysisNot 100% accurate
Not suitable for long texts

Overall, Datayze is a good tool if you want quick corrections on short text with insightful observations.

8. Ginger

Best Mobile App

Ginger

Ginger is the solution for anyone who wants to improve their writing. Whether you need to avoid passive voice or spell words correctly, Ginger has you covered. It rephrases sentences to make your writing sound more natural.

Ginger Writer is an AI-powered writing assistant. It helps correct texts, improve your style, and boost your creativity. It is a good alternative to Grammarly or other grammar checkers.

It has free and premium versions. Aside from being available for mobile, it’s also available for desktop. 

Key Features

  • Correct mistakes
    • Spelling
    • Grammar
    • Full-sentences
  • Rephrasing
  • Synonyms
  • Translation
  • Definitions

My Experience Using Ginger

I started using Ginger app on my phone not too long ago, and I’m very pleased with it. The free version offers the basic functions, which are enough to edit short texts.

The premium version has more things, which I think are worth the expense. It not only checks for passive voice sentences, it corrects your grammar and spelling. You can also use the dictionary, look for synonyms, and even translate your texts.

Checking for passive voice is not always accurate, but with the rephrase function, it’ll give you options on how to better write the passive sentence. 

Pricing

Ginger app has a free plan available. The Premium plan costs $84 annually. The monthly plan costs $13.99.

Pros And Cons Of Ginger

ProsCons
Practical grammar and spelling Passive voice detector only on Premium plan
Many other featuresIs not 100% accurate
Good for short textsNot good for long-form texts

Ginger app is a good alternative if you’re looking for a comfortable mobile app to edit short texts.

9. AISEO

Best Online App

AISEO

AISEO is a unique tool that helps you improve your writing style and make your texts more readable. It offers a passive voice checker, readability analysis, paraphrasing, and AI text generator. With AISEO, you can make sure your texts are clear, concise, and error-free.

AISEO is a top-notch tool that specializes in detecting the passive voice in a text. It uses an advanced algorithm that detects the passive voice almost immediately. 

Not only does it detect mistakes, but it also corrects them and offers alternatives on how to improve your writing. The best of all is that it is a totally free software you can use online.

Key Features

  • Passive voice checker
  • Readability analysis
  • Paraphrasing
  • AI text generator

My Experience Using AISEO

AISEO is another app I’ve used to edit short texts. It is a great tool that is easy to use and provides a good grammar guide.

User interface of AISEO tool highlighting segments like "highlighting colors" and "additional features"

It is very similar to Grammarly in the way that it highlights passive sentences and offers solutions on how to correct them. The platform is clean and very user-friendly.

Results obtained after using AISEO tool on the content

I also liked the additional features it has to offer. It has a paraphrasing tool that works perfectly, and the readability analysis feels accurate.

Although it is best for short texts, it is also useful for essays and other forms of writing. 

The Grammar and passive voice checking tool is free to use online. The premium plans are for the AI text generator tool. 

Pros And Cons For AISEO

ProsCons
Good quality contentNot suitable for long-form texts
Accurate Other tools are paid
User-friendly

In summary, AISEO is a great tool for revising and editing. It’s easy to use and gives accurate corrections to your text.

Comparison Of The Best Passive Voice Checker Apps

Here you can see all the best features of the best passive voice-checking apps: 

App NameSuitable forSpecial featuresDevice CompatibilityPriceOur Rating
Hemingway EditorWriters, studentsIn-depth analysis, real-time editingWindows, Mac, and Online$19.99 one-time5/5
GrammarlyWriters, beginnersReal-time editing, compatible with multiple platformsWindows, Mac, Browser extension, Online, iOS, Android$12/month5/5
ProWritingAidProfessional writersIn-depth writing reports, real-time editingWindows, Mac, Browser extension, Online $20/month4/5
LanguageToolWriters, beginners Multilingual, real-time editingWindows, Mac, Browser extension, Online $59.90/year4/5
GrammarCheckBeginnersEasy-to-useOnlineFree3/5

What is a Passive Voice Checker?

There are many useful writing and editing apps, all of them with different functions. Some are perfect for correcting your structure, while others focus on spelling and grammar. Believe it or not, many of these apps check for passive voice.

But what exactly is a passive voice checker? That’s easy! They’re a tool that detects whether sentences are in the passive voice or not. You can copy and paste your text and then these tools will automatically point out the passive voice and suggest a correction. 

Why Should You Use A Passive Voice Checker?

Writing is challenging. Whether you’re a novelist or a blogger, creating the perfect text takes time and dedication. Sometimes, as independent creators, we not only take the job of writers but also that of editors. This comes with its own branch of challenges. So should you use a passive voice checker?

You should use the passive voice because it can help you identify sentences written in the passive voice. It quickly and easily finds and fixes these types of sentences so that your writing is more concise, clear, and effective. Also, it can help you become a better writer overall by helping you recognize when it’s appropriate to use the passive voice.

Overall, a passive voice checker app makes the writing and editing process easier by:

  • Identifying passive sentences and suggesting corrections
  • Making your points clearer
  • Improving your clarity and fluency
  • Boosting the quality of your writing

Pros And Cons Of Using Passive Voice Checker Tools

Grammar tools are great options for checking for passive voice in your writing.

Here are the Pros of using grammar tools:

  • Tools like Grammarly can pick out sentences you missed while editing.
  • Software tools make the entire process faster.
  • There’s more than one tool out there, so you can put your writing through various checks.
  • Thanks to developments in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, modern grammar tools are better than they were a decade ago, and they are constantly improving.

Cons of Using Passive Voice Checker Tools

That said, passive voice checker and corrector tools have their own cons. They include:

  • Software doesn’t always understand context – so it will end up flagging sentences that will otherwise not make sense if they are not in the passive voice.
  • Grammar tools have been known to provide questionable suggestions.
  • The more complex the grammar tool, the more it is to be likely expensive.
  • Passive voice checkers can never be a replacement for the human mind – these tools won’t help you much if you don’t have a good grasp of English grammar rules.

How To Spot Passive Voice

The apps we’ve discussed above will help you identify the passive voice in your texts. However, it is useful to know how to spot the passive voice so that you can avoid making the mistake as much as possible, even if have no passive voice checker handy.

Identifying the passive voice is simple. When you’re looking at a sentence, try to locate what happened and who did it.

For example:

Passive voice: The wall was painted by Maria.

What happened? The wall was painted.

Who did it? Maria.

If the person or thing responsible for the action comes after the verb, then it is a passive sentence. 

Look at the same sentence in active voice:

Active Voice: Maria painted the wall.

See the difference? In short, in a passive sentence, the subject is acted upon by the verb while in an active sentence, the subject is doing the verb.

See our comprehensive guide on Active Vs Passive Voice where we discussed these in detail, including several examples and worksheets to help you practice.

Should You Use Passive Voice In Writing?

You might be wondering, can I use the passive voice? Why is it such a big deal? Why do I have to avoid it?

Depending on the type of writing project and the purpose of your writing, there are certain instances where you should use the passive voice. Scenarios such as when reporting for news, academic writing, or creating suspense in storytelling. Otherwise, it is best to avoid using the passive voice altogether.

When you use the passive voice, your sentences might look vague. It creates emphasis on the action, rather than on the subject. This means your sentences may sound awkward, flat, or uninteresting.

See our guide on Passive voice in writing to learn more.

How Can You Use Passive Voice As A Writer Or Author?

Of course, that does not mean the passive voice is always a bad thing. There are some cases in which you can use the passive voice, and it’ll help your writing.

There are times when the passive voice works best to present an idea. It is especially used in some formal, professional, or legal instances.

Here are some examples and special cases when it is okay to use passive voice:

  • When reporting a crime with unknown perpetrators: My friend was assaulted yesterday.
  • In a scientific context: The drug was tested on human beings.
  • To emphasize an action and the doer is irrelevant: The president was sworn in last month.

For more in-depth explanations with examples, see our guide on When to use the Passive voice in writing.

FAQs On Passive Voice Checker Apps

Have Questions? We Have Answers.

Think about the action and who is performing the action. If whoever is performing the action is not the grammatical subject of the sentence, then it is in passive voice.

There are free software that checks for passive voice and they’re free. You can use AISEO, Datayze, or GrammarCheck.

Grammarly Premium spots passive voice and offers a correction for your sentence.

You can check for passive voice using Microsoft Word. Go to the “Review” tab and then click on the Spelling and Grammar button, and search through the suggestions.

Final Notes On Passive Voice Checker Apps

At the end of the day, we’re all writers or authors looking to improve our writing. There are so many useful writing and editing apps that help us make our writing stronger. 

These nine apps presented in the article are the best in the market at the moment. They’ll give you insight into whether you’re using the passive voice and help you correct the mistakes in your texts. 

I hope you found these apps useful. Have fun writing!

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