Playbook by MediaBistro | Tools & Software for Creative Professionals
ProWritingAid and Frase serve distinctly different writing needs. ProWritingAid functions as a comprehensive writing coach focused on grammar, style, and readability—ideal for authors and content creators prioritizing craft. Frase is an SEO-first platform that combines content research, competitive analysis, and AI writing to help marketers create search-optimized content efficiently.
ProWritingAid positions itself as a writing mentor rather than just a grammar checker. The platform analyzes your text across more than 20 different writing reports, covering everything from overused words and sentence structure to readability scores and style consistency. It integrates directly into popular writing environments including Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Scrivener, and most web browsers, making it accessible wherever you write.
What sets ProWritingAid apart is its depth of stylistic feedback, particularly for long-form writers. The tool identifies vague language, repetitive phrasing, passive voice, and pacing issues that basic grammar checkers miss. Fiction writers appreciate its ability to track character names and maintain consistency across manuscripts, while business writers benefit from readability analysis and tone adjustments. The free plan offers basic grammar checking with limited daily checks, while premium plans unlock the full suite of analysis tools and integrations.
Frase takes a fundamentally different approach to content creation, starting with search intent rather than the blank page. The platform's core workflow begins with analyzing what's already ranking on Google for your target keywords. It crawls top-performing pages, extracts common topics and questions, and generates a content brief that shows you exactly what to cover. This SERP analysis approach helps content teams create strategically informed pieces rather than guessing what will perform.
Beyond research, Frase includes AI writing capabilities that can generate introductions, outlines, and full sections based on your brief. The platform also features a content optimization score that compares your draft against top-ranking competitors, suggesting topics to add and keywords to include. For content marketers managing SEO workflows, Frase integrates research, writing, and optimization into a single dashboard. However, it lacks the deep grammar and style analysis that dedicated writing tools provide—it's built for SEO performance first, prose quality second.
20+ in-depth reports covering grammar, style, readability, overused words, sentence structure, and consistency
Basic grammar checking only; focuses on content optimization rather than writing mechanics
No SEO features; focused entirely on writing quality and readability
SERP analysis, keyword research, competitor content analysis, topic clustering, and optimization scoring
Rephrase and rewrite suggestions; no full content generation capabilities
AI templates for intros, outlines, FAQs, and full sections based on research briefs and SERP data
Specialized for manuscripts and long documents; tracks consistency across 100,000+ word projects
Handles long content but optimized for blog posts and articles (500-3000 words); no manuscript features
Word, Google Docs, Scrivener, browser extensions, desktop app; writes wherever you work
Google Docs integration and dedicated web app; more limited integration ecosystem
No briefing or research tools; assumes you already know what to write
Automated brief generation from SERP analysis, including headings, questions, and topics to cover
The pricing difference reflects fundamentally different target markets. ProWritingAid serves individual writers and authors who need affordable, comprehensive editing assistance. Frase targets content marketing teams and agencies where SEO performance justifies higher per-seat costs. ProWritingAid delivers better value for writing craft; Frase delivers ROI through search rankings and content strategy.
These tools occupy different universes within the content creation spectrum, making direct comparison almost unfair to both. ProWritingAid is the tool for writers who care deeply about craft—the careful selection of words, the rhythm of sentences, the clarity of expression. It's designed for people who write books, essays, and content where the quality of prose matters as much as the information conveyed. If you're editing a novel, crafting thought leadership, or simply want to become a better writer, ProWritingAid provides unmatched depth at an accessible price point.
Frase, conversely, is built for the modern content marketing reality where Google rankings often matter more than literary merit. It excels at answering the question 'what should I write about and how should I structure it to rank?' rather than 'is this sentence beautifully constructed?' For SEO-focused content teams, Frase's research capabilities and optimization scoring provide genuine competitive advantage. Choose ProWritingAid if writing quality is your primary concern; choose Frase if search visibility and content strategy drive your content decisions. Many professional content creators might ultimately need both—ProWritingAid for the writing, Frase for the strategy.
