Has anyone used writing services like Grammarly, ProWritingAid, or Language Tool? Any thoughts?

This post is meant to be informative, and I am genuinely curious about your thoughts on writing services.<br><br>Just about every time I post a piece of writing on Chambers, I have someone respond with a suggested Grammarly edit. It's always super helpful to have another pair of eyes on my writing, and I always make sure to do a thorough review of every edit. I have never sent in a piece of writing without having at least one beta reader, and I have had the same beta readers for several years now. <br><br>I have always been a bit skeptical about these editing services, both because so many people use them and because they don't always make sense. Grammarly thinks I use commas wrong (and I do, but it's not wrong because I'm being purposeful in my use of commas), it never understands my citations, and it does not like double spaces.<br><br>The most common edits it suggests are things like "very," "really," "so," and "quite." These sorts of things are stylistic, and I use them quite a bit. I am working on using more descriptive language and have been working on my descriptive skills for a couple of years now. That's a big part of why I am hesitant to ask about these things in writing critiques. I do not want to come across as arrogant, and I would much rather have my writing critiqued in ways that reflect my writing style. Many times, I have asked my beta readers to make sure my writing is clear and concise. They always have several suggestions, and none of them are stylistic. I would much rather have my writing critiqued in context than out of context. <br><br>I have tried to use ProWritingAid, which I have used with my students in the past. It can be super useful for identifying parts of your writing that need to be revised, and it has been useful for me to work on researching sources and citations. <br><br>Language Tool seems to me like an AI alternative to Grammarly. I have always been a bit skeptical of AI, and it's my understanding that if you do use AI, you have to make sure to cite it in your references. I have not used this, but I am curious if you have and what you think.<br><br>I have always been a bit skeptical of services that promise to "perfect" your writing, mostly because I think they can lead to over-reliance on AI. I have used AI-generated images several times, and I also use Grammarly's suggestions to help me with my writing. <br><br>So, I would love to hear your thoughts on these types of writing services. What are your favorite writing services to use? Do you use these services in place of beta readers, or do you use these services in conjunction with beta readers? How do beta readers fit into your writing process? Some writing communities don't actually allow you to ask for beta readers because they want to help you develop your writing skills in other ways. What do you think about this approach?