WhiteSmoke Pros <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n WhiteSmoke Cons<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bottom Line: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Without a free version or a monthly subscription option, I can\u2019t recommend WhiteSmoke over comparable tools like ProWritingAid.<\/strong> It\u2019s cheaper than Grammarly Premium, but you can get the same per-year price for the premium version of ProWritingAid. And while it works well as a proofreading tool, there\u2019s nothing that really sets it apart from the competition.<\/strong> I\u2019d love to see them offer a free trial like their two main competitors in the future!<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I've been writing for many years, and writing professionally through both my books and Kindlepreneur articles for over 10 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I've been using a spellchecker for all of that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, for this review, I tested WhiteSmoke and a ton of other tools to really understand which was the best, and to understand the intricacies that make make a program like WhiteSmoke more appropriate for some, while another program like ProWritingAid or Grammarly might be better for others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Plus, before I put together this review, I reached out to Kindlepreneur's audience to get a general overview of what they thought was the best proofreading software <\/p>\n\n\n\n So with that in mind, let's dive in to the meat of the review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WhiteSmoke is an English language proofreading tool that checks grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style. Using AI-based Natural Language Processing (NPL) technology, this tool boasts advanced style-checking features to keep your voice and style intact in your writing. It also includes a handy plagiarism checker. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The company has been around for 20 years, focusing on streamlining and optimizing communication in the internet age. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, there\u2019s no free trial<\/strong>. Well, there supposedly is, but I couldn\u2019t find it, so maybe there was in the past and it\u2019s gone now. There\u2019s also no trial period, so if you\u2019re looking for a tool that you can try before you buy, this isn\u2019t it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The most basic version of WhiteSmoke is for your browser. It works with Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, and Opera. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The functionality is similar to other proofreaders, using different colors to alert you to various types of grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes. If you\u2019ve ever used a proofreader like Grammarly or ProWritingAid (even the free versions), you shouldn\u2019t have any issues using the web browser version of WhiteSmoke.<\/p>\n\n\n You can pay a little more for the premium subscription, which also gives you a desktop version of the app so you can use it with Microsoft Word and other word processing tools. It works on both Windows and Mac operating systems.<\/strong> Plus, you can get it on your Android or Apple phone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Through the use of Natural Language Processing technology, WhiteSmoke seeks to understand style and voice from context. This includes recognizing things like slang, brand names, sentence structure, and other factors that make your writing style unique to you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, it\u2019s not perfect at this. In maintaining your writing style, it\u2019s similar to other proofreading tools on the market today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But, I\u2019m getting ahead of myself. Let\u2019s discuss whether WhiteSmoke is any good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n WhiteSmoke has some pretty great features. However, it\u2019s not really above and beyond other options out there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s take a look at the WhiteSmoke features and talk about their performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The spell check feature is pretty standard. Like other writing tools, WhiteSmoke will often flag things like unique first and last names. That\u2019s pretty unavoidable, but it can help you double-check to make sure you\u2019re spelling someone\u2019s name correctly! However, it does a good job of not <\/em>flagging brand names, which is helpful. <\/p>\n\n\n The grammar checker can help flag things like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you click on the mistake, it brings up some options for you to choose from, just like similar writing tools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The punctuation checker is helpful for me because I have a thing with commas \u2014 I either use them too much or too little. WhiteSmoke helps me deal with my comma issues as well as any other spelling and grammar error that pops us when writing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another nice feature that comes with all WhiteSmoke plans is the plagiarism checker. I like this because I\u2019m always writing blog posts (like this one), and I want to make sure I\u2019m not unintentionally duplicating someone else\u2019s work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But if you\u2019re primarily writing books, you probably won\u2019t be using this plagiarism checker much, if at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All three plans come standard with 500 credits for the plagiarism checker. You can purchase more at any time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n WhiteSmoke also comes with a built-in translation feature. It can translate to and from 55 languages using Statistical Machine Translation technology. I personally haven\u2019t had much use for this feature, but it\u2019s nice to have. <\/p>\n\n\n I wouldn\u2019t rely on it to translate anything without checking it with someone fluent in the language, though. Just like any other feature, you\u2019ll always want to make sure you double-check the WhiteSmoke Translator's work to make sure it\u2019s accurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It's also worth noting here that Google Translate is a free tool that does pretty much the same thing as the WhiteSmoke Translator.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n WhiteSmoke automatically works away in the background to help you keep your writing style intact throughout your piece. However, you don\u2019t really have the option to go in and change what style you want like you can in Grammarly.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, if you want to write with a certain style, just start writing in it! WhiteSmoke will analyze what you have down already and try to keep you on track. It does this by suggesting corrections in tense, repeated words, sentence structure, and flow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n WhiteSmoke comes with over 100 templates to help you streamline your writing. I'm not talking about book templates here (you can find those in Atticus<\/a>). These templates are more for business, legal, and medical writing. They also have letter and CV templates.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even indie authors are sure to find a couple of templates to help run the backend side of the author business!<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are some great in-app video tutorials to help you become a better writer. Relying on a tool like WhiteSmoke is fine, but I think it\u2019s important to always be improving your writing. And these videos can help you do that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t understand the mechanics of the mistakes WhiteSmoke is flagging, they make it easy to watch a quick explanatory video. Once you get your head around your mistakes, you can stop making them! (Or at least cut back on them.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Looking for an actual human proofreader for your manuscript? Check out this article on the best proofreading services<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that I\u2019ve covered the features, it\u2019s time to take a look at the cost of this writing tool. At the time of this writing, there are three different tiers to choose from:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can get a discount on all versions if you\u2019re willing to pay for three years upfront. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As I said before, there\u2019s no free trial. And you can\u2019t just buy a month to try it, which is kind of a bummer. Still, WhiteSmoke is significantly cheaper than a premium subscription for Grammarly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The premium version is about the same price as the yearly premium plan for ProWritingAid, but the web-only version is a bit cheaper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n WhiteSmoke excels at checking grammar, spelling, style, and punctuation mistakes. This is good because it\u2019s one of the key features. Even the best writers let an error slip through now and then, so it's important to have a good punctuation and grammar checker. The plagiarism checker is nice, but it\u2019s not much different than the capabilities offered by Grammarly or ProWritingAid<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WhiteSmoke uses Natural Language Processing technology to analyze your writing style and keep its suggestions consistent. While it is by no means perfect, it seems to work pretty well to keep your style and voice intact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The last thing you want from proofreading software is to watch a bunch of videos to learn how to use it. Luckily, WhiteSmoke is easy to use, just like most other proofreading tools. And while the interface isn\u2019t exactly slick, it\u2019s simple, which definitely matters more. The desktop version works well with writing software programs like MS Word and Notepad. It's not the most seamless integration, but it does the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The in-app video tutorials are an excellent feature. This keeps you on track with your writing. Anytime you have to go away from your document \u2014 say to check YouTube for a video about passive voice \u2014 it\u2019s easy to become distracted. So by keeping you on your work, you can watch the video and get right back to your writing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The templates are also nice, but if you\u2019re looking for a proofreading tool for your books, you probably won\u2019t get much use out of them. If you\u2019re a blogger, a VA, or have a side hustle as a freelance writer, this could be a significant feature for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps best of all, WhiteSmoke is cheaper than Grammarly<\/a> and comparably priced to ProWritingAid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The interface is decidedly old-school. It feels like I\u2019m using a proofreading tool from ten years ago \u2014 which I kind of am. They haven\u2019t done much to upgrade the interface in the last decade, as far as I can tell. But this is purely an aesthetic complaint on my part, so take it with a grain of salt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One major complaint is the limited licenses. If you purchase the desktop version, you can only use it on one computer. So if you work on multiple devices, you won\u2019t have access to the desktop app on all of them \u2014 only the browser app. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I can\u2019t speak to their customer service, but there are more than a few negative WhiteSmoke reviews detailing issues getting support, refunds, and the like. This is something to keep in mind, especially since you can\u2019t try the product before you buy it, like other proofreading software. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On top of all this, you\u2019re limited to checking 10,000 characters at a time. Not words; characters. As a comparison, Grammarly\u2019s web editor can check 100,000 characters at once. This makes the tool frustrating to use if you\u2019re checking long texts \u2014 like book manuscripts<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The last thing I\u2019ll say in this section is that there\u2019s some frustrating wording on the website. There\u2019s a page that says WhiteSmoke has a free version, which is only partially true. There\u2019s a little window on this page you can paste your text into, but it only checks 250 characters. <\/p>\n\n\n It also says that you can \u201cAdd WhiteSmoke to Chrome for Free,\u201d but clicking this brings you to a payment page. And when your competition is actually giving away free versions of their software, these kinds of sales tactics seem particularly disingenuous. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When talking about other proofreading tools, the chief competitors are Grammarly and ProWritingAid. And honestly, there are not a lot of differences in functionality. They all flag the same mistakes, with some minor differences here and there. Certainly not enough to declare a clear winner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n None of these tools work offline. They all present things in similar ways. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest difference comes down to price. Grammarly and ProWritingAid both have free versions. WhiteSmoke doesn\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That said, WhiteSmoke is cheaper than Grammarly. But you have to buy a year before you can even use the tool to determine if you like it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So unless you foresee using the translation feature a lot, or it really seems like this proofreading tool is perfect for you, I\u2019d say choose a free version of Grammarly or ProWritingAid. And for a tool with a comparable premium version of the same price, go with ProWritingAid<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also check out my article on the best proofreading software<\/a> for more alternatives. And check out these other proofreading software reviews:<\/p>\n\n\n\n WhiteSmoke is a suitable tool for checking your writing. However, without a free version and a limit of 10,000 characters at a time, it\u2019s not the best option for indie authors. <\/strong>There are some great features that are sure to benefit some writers out there. Things like the translation tool and the in-app tutorials are great. But when comparing the editing<\/a> capabilities to other proofreading software, WhiteSmoke doesn\u2019t really stand out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Their minimum subscription length is a year, so it\u2019s a bit of a gamble. You could end up not liking it. You can try to return it, but many users have complained about their poor customer service and their confusing return policy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Table of contents<\/h2>
What Qualifies Me to Talk About WhiteSmoke?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What is WhiteSmoke?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/whitesmoke_751035cc-3112-11e8-8ba9-11a64e24a244.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHow Does WhiteSmoke Work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"WhiteSmoke](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/WhiteSmoke-Features-1-1024x456.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHow Does WhiteSmoke Perform?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Spelling and Grammar Checking<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"WhiteSmoke](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/WhiteSmoke-Editor.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Plagiarism Checker<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Translator<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"WhiteSmoke](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/WhiteSmoke-Translate.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nStyle Checker<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Helpful Templates<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Video Tutorials<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How Much Does WhiteSmoke Cost?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
What I Like About WhiteSmoke <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. It Does What It Says<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Maintains Your Style and Voice<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Easy To Use<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. In-App Tutorials for Enhancing Your Writing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Great Templates for Professional Writers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6. It\u2019s Cheaper Than Grammarly<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What I Don\u2019t Like About WhiteSmoke<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Wanting in Aesthetics<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Limited Licenses<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Reports of Poor Customer Service<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Can Only Check 10,000 Characters<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Confusing Wording on the Website<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Not-So-Free](\"https:\/\/kindlepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Not-So-Free-WhiteSmoke-Proofreader-1024x493.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHow WhiteSmoke Compares to Other Tools<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pricing and Trying Before You Buy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n