# Grammarly

Application: Grammarly Inc.

Also called grammarly desktop, grammarly editor

Grammarly Inc., Productivity

A writing assistant with a Windows desktop app and an Office add-in. The process is Grammarly.exe. It is not Word.

## What you need to know

Grammarly.exe is a helper. Word is WINWORD.EXE.

Grammarly suggests. Word stores the document. The Office add-in runs inside Word. They are different vendors and different executables.

- **What is it?**: Writing assistant

  **Still current?**: Yes, see Current status

  **Official download?**: Use the vendor link in this article

Feex says

If Grammarly.exe is in the tray, that is the assistant, not Word. I would not repair WINWORD to fix a Grammarly account. I also would not delete Word to stop the add-in.

## What is Grammarly?

Grammarly is a writing assistant. Grammarly.exe is the Windows desktop app. Microsoft Word is WINWORD.EXE. Suggestions can appear in Word through an add-in. The file still belongs to Word.

## If you have never used it

If you want grammar suggestions in the browser or in Word, this is Grammarly, not Microsoft Word. Download the Windows app from grammarly.com/desktop. WINWORD.EXE is the document editor. Grammarly.exe is a helper. The Office add-in loads inside Word. Uninstalling Word does not remove every Grammarly piece, and removing Grammarly does not uninstall Word.

## What is it used for?

**Desktop Grammarly editor**

A Grammarly window for drafts. It is not the Word canvas and not WINWORD.EXE.

**Office add-in inside Word**

Suggestions in a running Word document. Ending Grammarly.exe may not unload an already loaded add-in until you restart Word.

**Browser extension**

A different surface in Edge or Chrome. That is not the Windows desktop exe alone.

## Who is it for?

- People who already pay for Grammarly
- Writers who want hints inside Word
- Anyone who should not reinstall Office to fix a Grammarly login

## Current status

Actively developed. This article is the Windows desktop app and the Office add-in story, not only the website editor.

## How old is it?

Grammarly launched in 2009 as a writing assistant. Word launched in 1983 as a document app. The desktop wrapper and the Office add-in are later Grammarly surfaces. They never replaced WINWORD.

## Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Desktop

Office add-in

Browser extension

## System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

### Minimum

| Operating system | A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| RAM              | Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more.          |

## Resource profile

- **CPU demand**: Follows what you open inside the app

  **RAM demand**: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries

## Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

| Grammarly.exe | Desktop app. Office add-in loads inside Word |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------- |

## Startup components

Grammarly can start with Windows from its own setting. That is not Word.

## File locations

| Typical install | C:\Users\\\<you>\AppData\Local\Grammarly\Grammarly.exe |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |

## File formats

drafts in Grammarly, suggestions inside DOCX

## Common problems

### Add-in slows Word

Disable the Grammarly add-in from Word's add-in list. That is not a WINWORD repair by itself.

### People think Grammarly is a Word clone

You still need a real editor for .docx layout. Grammarly does not replace mail merge.

## Getting unstuck

### Sign in at grammarly.com if the desktop app loops

The account is Grammarly's, not the Microsoft 365 account that activates Word.

### Install from grammarly.com/desktop

A "Grammarly free Windows" search ad is the wrong file. Office.com will not install this helper.

### Manage the Word add-in from Word, not from Settings > Apps alone

COM or Store add-ins live in Word. Removing Grammarly.exe may leave the add-in until you disable it.

## Alternatives

Word Editor, LanguageTool, and a careful proofread overlap. Word is the document sibling this article is not.

## Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

| Download      | [www.grammarly.com/desktop ](https://www.grammarly.com/desktop)Official installer or vendor page |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Help          | [support.grammarly.com/ ](https://support.grammarly.com/)Vendor support                          |
| Official site | [www.grammarly.com/desktop ](https://www.grammarly.com/desktop)Start here, not a random exe host |

## Related hardware

The desktop app is light. The add-in cost shows up inside Word's RAM.

## Technical details

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

## Related

These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link.

[Microsoft Word: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/microsoft-word)[How to read Task Manager: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/software/system/how-to-read-task-manager)

## Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research).

- [Grammarly official site ](https://www.grammarly.com/desktop)· Vendor product page
- [Grammarly help ](https://support.grammarly.com/)· Vendor support
- [Grammarly for Microsoft Office ](https://support.grammarly.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000090552)· Add-in versus desktop app
- [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

## Was this article useful?

A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note.

Quick facts

The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article.

- **Developer**: Grammarly Inc.

  **Category**: Writing assistant

  **Process**: Grammarly.exe

  **License**: Free and Premium / Business plans

  **First released**: 2009

  **Official site**: [grammarly.com/desktop](https://www.grammarly.com/desktop)

  **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole

Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026

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Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/software/grammarly/)

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