Grammarly's AI Grader predicts the grade a piece of writing may get and gives document-level and paragraph-level feedback against a rubric you add, so you can fix things before you submit. As of Nov 2026 it's an agent in Grammarly's docs writing surface for Pro and Plus subscribers, and Free users get one document scan per day with limited suggestions.
Grammarly built it around assignments, and its help page talks about rubrics, course details and professors. The idea also travels: anything you write to a set of criteria can be checked against those criteria. But the vendor frames it for coursework, so that's how I'll describe it.
What the Grader looks at
Grammarly's pitch is that it isn't generic AI feedback. You give it your rubric, course details and writing topic, and it gives you a set of recommendations for the whole document and for individual paragraphs, plus an estimated grade. Grammarly says it can assess any kind of writing assignment across disciplines.
The quality of what comes back depends on what you put in. In Grammarly's own words, the more specific the criteria you provide, the more targeted the feedback will be.
Run it step by step
- Open your assignment in docs, Grammarly's writing surface at app.grammarly.com.
- Click the AI Grader icon on the agents panel on the right.
- Click Add rubric and paste your rubric or assignment guidelines. If you don't have any, click Check with basic guidelines instead.
- Read the predicted grade and the suggestions in the AI Grader panel.
- Hover over the bars on the left side of your text to see feedback prompts for each section.
- Changed brief? Click Edit assignment info in the lower-right corner of the panel and run it again.
Grammarly's Superhuman Go guide also lists the AI Grader among its installed agents, so you may meet it there too. The steps above are the ones the AI Grader guide gives for docs.
Why the rubric matters so much
Without a rubric, the Grader runs a generic evaluation of your argument, readability and delivery. That's useful, but it's the same check anyone would get. With a rubric, it uses that information and your content to gauge how your marker might evaluate the line of thinking in your paper.
So paste the real thing: the marking criteria, the word limit, the question exactly as it was set, and any notes your tutor gave the class. Don't paraphrase the rubric from memory. If the criteria say evidence carries the most weight, that's what you want the Grader judging.
What the predicted grade means
Grammarly is careful here, and you should be too. Its FAQ says the grade is a prediction and shouldn't be considered the final grade you'll get. It also says the AI Grader isn't a replica of your professor, and that the grade shouldn't be taken as a direct prediction of what your professor will assign.
Read the grade as a signal of how close your draft is to the brief. The paragraph-level feedback is the part that changes your mark, because it tells you where the draft falls short.
Grader, plagiarism check or AI detector
People expect one tool to do everything. Grammarly splits the jobs across separate agents, and the AI Grader FAQ is plain that it doesn't detect plagiarism. Here's who does what, from Grammarly's docs and admin pages as of Nov 2026:
| Agent | What it does |
|---|---|
| AI Grader | Predicts a grade and gives feedback against your rubric or basic guidelines |
| Plagiarism Checker | Checks your writing against academic, web and professional sources so copied text is cited |
| AI Detector | Flags sections that may have been generated by AI |
| Citation Finder | Scans for claims that need citations and suggests sources, in APA, MLA or Chicago style |
| Authorship | Keeps a record of your writing process so you can show how the text came together |
| Reader Reactions | Predicts how your chosen audience may interpret the piece |
A sensible order before you hand in is Grader for content, then Citation Finder and Plagiarism Checker for sources. Keep in mind that Grammarly's AI Detector guide says its score shouldn't be treated as an objective source of truth, and that other detectors may score the same text differently.
Free, paid and work plans
As of Nov 2026, Pro and Plus subscribers get the AI Grader in docs. Grammarly Free gets one free document scan per day, with limited specific suggestions. That's enough to try it on your next assignment and see whether the feedback helps.
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On Enterprise, Business and Education plans, the AI Grader is only there if an admin has switched on both docs and the agent. Admins control each agent on the Agent access page, so if your school account doesn't show it, that's a setting, not a fault.
The honesty question
Grammarly's FAQ asks the question directly: is using the AI Grader cheating? Its answer is that the tool is designed to coach you to meet the assignment's requirements, so it shouldn't be regarded as cheating, but if you're in doubt, ask your instructor.
Two more lines from that FAQ are worth knowing. The AI Grader has no features for instructors, so it isn't a teacher's marking tool. And its rewrite components are AI-based, so Grammarly recommends checking with your instructor before using any generative AI features. If your course bans AI help outright, take the suggestions as notes and do the rewriting yourself.
My verdict
I'd add the real rubric every time and treat the grade as a signal, then spend my energy on the paragraph feedback. I'd skip treating the predicted grade as a promise, and I'd skip the Grader entirely on any course that rules out AI tools. For other options, my round-up of AI essay checkers covers the alternatives, and if you're weighing tools that write rather than check, see the AI essay writers compared.
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Frequently asked questions
What does Grammarly AI Grader do?
It predicts the grade your writing may get and gives document-level and paragraph-level feedback, based on a rubric you add or on basic guidelines.
Is Grammarly AI Grader free?
Partly. As of Nov 2026, Pro and Plus get it in docs, and Grammarly Free users get one document scan per day with limited suggestions.
Is the AI Grader's grade accurate?
Grammarly says the grade is a prediction, not the final grade you'll receive, and that the Grader isn't a replica of your professor.
Does Grammarly AI Grader check for plagiarism?
No. Grammarly says you need the separate Plagiarism Checker agent for that.
Is using the AI Grader cheating?
Grammarly says it shouldn't be regarded as cheating, but recommends asking your instructor if you're in doubt, because its rewrite components are AI-based.
