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What Is WhiteSmoke?

WhiteSmoke is the world's leading English proofreading & grammar software. It checks English grammar, spelling, punctuation & writing style, and ensures that every email, document or any other text you write is effective, crystal-clear and error-free. WhiteSmoke 2019 is an all-in-one solution - it includes dictionary, translator & built-in templates. Use it to write confidently everywhere. WhiteSmoke offers a mobile app (ios & android), web based writing solution, a premium & a business version.

Who Uses WhiteSmoke?

It can be used in the workplace and by corporate professionals writing business reports and documentation.

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Reviews of WhiteSmoke

Average score

Overall
3.8
Ease of Use
3.9
Customer Service
3.1
Features
3.8
Value for Money
3.5

Reviews by company size (employees)

  • <50
  • 51-200
  • 201-1,000
  • >1,001
McKaffui Aikins
McKaffui Aikins
UI/Graphics Designer in Ghana
Verified LinkedIn User
Graphic Design, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Perfectly The Best Grammar App

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: Impressive

Pros:

I like the user interface. Tools are neatly arranged and reachable. It's just user friendly with a very good user experience. Great navigation.

Cons:

Nothing much but the price must be cosidered down a little bit. I had small problem with integration way back when i started using it. This bug should be fixed asap!. Thank you

James
Finance Chief in US
Accounting, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

WhiteSmoke Review

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: I like being able to add custom dictionaries very easily. It seems like spell checker jargon and often uses internally uncountable words as part of the full text to correct these errors instead of wasting the manager's time by adding abbreviations as words to speed up revisions.

Pros:

WhiteSmoke works well on every report that our field technician sends to the manager. The manager then matches the report and sends it to the operations supervisor, using WhiteSmoke to mix the reports with different types of entries while eliminating errors. The result is a fast and consistent document.

Cons:

Many current "style guides" seem to have rather conservative responses to analyzing the collection of text and sentence structures present in the document being reviewed. I wanted to get a more interactive experience about improving grammar.

ofer
ofer
ceo in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Financial Services, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source
Source: GetApp

recently i dont get any support from whitesmoke ,i am not sure if company in buisness

1.0 2 years ago

Comments: very poor customer service, this is the answer I get hank you for contacting us, I would love to assist you. Unfortunately, there are many reasons for all kinds of malfunctions.I suggest you get the help of someone professional on your side who might be able to solve the problem. I apologize in advance for not being able to help you beyond that. Best Regards,WhiteSmoke Support

Pros:

the system doesn't work and many times where I try to upload with no results

Cons:

no customer support and the answer i get for the problem was very unproffesional here are the sample :hank you for contacting us, I would love to assist you. Unfortunately, there are many reasons for all kinds of malfunctions.I suggest you get the help of someone professional on your side who might be able to solve the problem. I apologize in advance for not being able to help you beyond that. Best Regards,WhiteSmoke Support

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Translation & Localization, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Excellent tool but not very user-friendly

5.0 3 years ago

Comments: Excellent tool except for the formatting issue.

Pros:

Excellent grammatical and orthographic correction features, context and style check.

Cons:

It saves the corrected version in plain text so you lose any formatting when you paste the corrected text to the original document. It is hard to proofread lengthy texts due to the loss of formatting. It would be great if the formatting could be retained. Maybe a plugin that works directly in Microsoft Word would be a solution.

Diane
Paralegal in US
Law Practice, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Accurate spellcheck.

4.0 2 years ago

Comments: Whitesmoke is great for spellcheck, but I have submitted multiple documents with punctuation and grammar errors that whitesmoke failed to catch.
In my view, its not as good as the other software that's available.

Pros:

Whitesmoke has accurate spellcheck. It offers style guides, punctuation check, and grammar check. One thing I really liked was that corrections are displayed above the error, vs the error only being marked or highlighted. Whitesmoke can be used in Microsoft Word and in your web browser. The pricing is acceptable.

Cons:

I had problems keeping documents in their original format and I've noticed that the grammar check and punctuation check aren't always accurate. Whitesmoke doesn't offer a free version.

Tim
Tim
Compiler in Canada
Verified LinkedIn User
Research, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

I bought a lifetime plan, but WhiteSmoke keeps cancelling my subscription.

2.0 4 years ago

Comments: I have had a bad experience with WhiteSmoke. I invested more upfront thinking I would save in the long run, but with diminishing features and constantly being locked out of my account and told to "upgrade" again, it's just not worth the hassles.

Pros:

At the start WhiteSmoke worked well on my Mac with MS Office, but now it doesn't work on a Mac at all.

Cons:

I bought the Lifetime plan, but then after some updates and you find that they force you to "upgrade again" even after buying the Lifetime plan. So then your left with a web-based version only and again they cancel your account unless you write and complain, then they reinstate it for a short while and then cancel it again. There are no updates, it was only version 8 of the web-based software. I have bought other Lifetime grammar checkers which have not given me these problems.

Timmy
Software Developer in US
Computer Software, 1,001–5,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Customizable Grammar and spelling software with a sturdy API

5.0 4 years ago

Comments: Whitesmoke runs on each of the reports that field technicians send to managers. The managers then collate their reports and send them to an operational overseer and use Whitesmoke to blend the many types of writing and reporting while removing errors. It results in a quickly-made, yet cohesive, document.

Pros:

I love that I am able to very easily add a custom dictionary- we often use words internally that appear like jargon to the spellchecker and can't be counted as part of a complete sentence- rather than wasting time of our managers to correct these errors, we add the abbreviations as words and speed along in reviews.

Cons:

Many of the pre-existing "style guides" seem like they are canned responses rather than analyzing the corpus of text and sentence structures that are present in a document that is being reviewed. I had hoped for a more interactive experience on grammar improvement.

WhiteSmoke Response

4 years ago

Thanks for the feedback Tommy!

Swier
Directie in Netherlands
Professional Training & Coaching, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Unreliable supplier

3.0 last year

Comments: Over 10 years ago I bought two life long licenses from Whitsmoke. During the years one of them got lost. Now I'm writing a book, and Whitsmoke informs me (a month after informing) that my license has expired due to their new EULA, which didn't even exist when I bought the licences. I find this a despicable way of doing business. If you want to be successful in business, this is not the way to go. I will delete what is left of Whitesmoke from my computer, and I will tell everyone *NOT* to buy it. They are unreliable.

Pros:

Easy to use, when it works. Does what it has to do.

Cons:

Unreliable in their business approach. After several years they try to get you to pay again for life long licenses. Despicable behavior.

John
John
Regional Vallue Engineering in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Civil Engineering, 1,001–5,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Power grammar and editing software

5.0 6 years ago

Comments: I would totally be a loss without WhiteSmoke. Even when I'm not using it strictly professional. I use it to make sure that my casual writing is up-to-par.

Pros:

The functionality of the software, which allows you to check on your overall grammar:subject verb agreement, readability of our document and the quick response to your grammar checks.

Cons:

It is hard to pinpoint anything that I don't like, because it fills my need by enabling me to check a document as I write, also it allows me to the opportunity to accept certain changes that make the document correct and well as its readability.

Syavash
Syavash
devops engineer in Canada
Verified LinkedIn User
Information Technology & Services, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

paid the yearly subscription, never received a confirmation ....

1.0 3 years ago

Comments: awful ... stay away

Pros:

nothing! it is awful, no support no purchase confirmation ... nothing ... stay away

Cons:

everything about this software is a cons ... stay away. i paid 100 CAD for a yearly subscription and I get no support ... nothing. i don't even know how to use this piece of junk. it is not even installing ... i cannot login to their portal with credentials they provided, I didn't receive a confirmation email that I purchased. i don't receive any responses on support tickets and emails I sent them ... they are just awful ... don't throw your money in the garbage

Jen
Writer/ Marketer in US
Marketing & Advertising, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

I Used to Love WhiteSmoke

2.0 4 years ago

Comments: Without notice, my lifetime (paid) subscription shut off on January 1, 2021. The notice yet again said my "free" version expired. I emailed customer service thinking they'd faced some kind of error that took it offline again and that they'd tell me when to expect it to come back up. Instead, I got a curt note back informing me that "lifetime" refers to the lifetime of the product and they felt like they'd delivered on it. They offered me a "discounted rate" to sign up for their desktop subscription that only works on one system. No thanks. I can't think of anything more worthless to me. I use several computers and logins based on what project I'm working on. Being able to only have it in one location is a step back into the dark ages. Moreover, after the way this company has treated me, I wouldn't give them another dime. I don't trust them and am moving to Grammarly or Hemmingway.

Pros:

I started using WhiteSmoke when I was a newbie content writer. I loved it because it was easy to use and genuinely taught me how to be a better writer. I learned what errors I usually made and how to correct them, which made me feel very confident publishing work or submitting it to clients.

Cons:

The service was terrible. I purchased a lifetime "anywhere" (online/ cloud) subscription and it would lock me out on an annual basis, telling me my "free" version expired. Customer service would take days to respond and it would take a week or more before it would come back. When they'd finally respond, which sometimes took several messages spread out over several weeks, they'd talk to me like I should be grateful they were even answering. Considering I wrote for a living and was producing four or five pieces per day, not having access to the proofing tool I paid for was crippling.

Clinton
Senior EHS Program Manager in US
Biotechnology, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Excellent, and maintains excellent reputation

5.0 6 years ago

Comments: I have been able to improve my reputation in the organization, especially in the days of reorganization, and this helps me maintain my stature, high reputation.

Pros:

Context - I have a learning disability that impacts my english skills when it comes to writing. My employer hired a writing coach, and the sessions resulted in breaking bad habits. However, I have difficulties with the aspects of English grammar and rules. Product - I have been using is for several years, where I am able to reduce the time to craft, and produce reports with confidence. By using it exclusively enabled me to reduce the number of errors, and able to rearrange my thoughts with clarity. Even though I have gain confidence in the written communication, I will always use WhiteSmoke since there has been a need to get the work done in a quicker manner.

Cons:

Sometimes in mac IOS, the software crashes, but it is not a big problem.

Dossie H
Author, freelance writer in US
Writing & Editing, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Not consistent

4.0 6 years ago

Comments: Overall, it's a good program, but I believe it could be better if you give it a few more tweaks. As I noted above, it will often show errors that aren't there. There also seems to be a problem identifying tenses.

Pros:

The most salient feature of WhiteSmoke is a spell check. It's confusing sometimes because it does not always show correctly subject and verb agreement. It's time-consuming, trying to see what's wrong when there's nothing wrong.

Cons:

The program will often stop in the middle of reviewing, which is also exasperating. It may be something I am not doing, but I must "call up" the program, using f2, rather than have it visible and available whenever I need it. If you could provide information about that, I'd appreciate it.

Kay
Consultant in US
Hospital & Health Care, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

After five years with White Smoke.

3.0 6 years ago

Comments: I have not found another product I like better but I do look .... Even after five years using it I would jump in a heartbeat if I found one that I didn't have the grammer problems, and the duplication and deletion issues.

Pros:

I like knowing 95% of the time White Smoke finds and corrects my spelling errors.

Cons:

It doesn't do a good job of catching the grammatical errors. It also often doubles and triples line of text. Other times it deletes items. It is madding when you have an email only to have White Smoke "bastardize" it so much with it duplication or it deletions that it doesn't look anything like your email at all. On occation it delete my entire email or word document.

Susan
Author in US
Writing & Editing, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Excellent Product

5.0 5 years ago

Comments: I've published 3 novels thanks to this program. It helps alleviate my fear of commas. And guarantees I spell words like alleviate correctly. :)

Pros:

I love this program and would not be able to function without it.

Cons:

I like every feature of this program. It's easy to use and does everything I need it to do.

Paul
President in US
Industrial Automation, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

A Quick Check

4.0 6 years ago

Comments: Customer relations and appearance.

Pros:

My major use of WhiteSmoke is a quick check of emails. I do not regularily prepare lengthy documents, but I do like that I can highlight my writing and do a quick Fn F2 check. I strive for an 8 or better. :) I did a check of this writing.

Cons:

Contacting a service tech when I have an issue. When I have a need, I look for an immediate resolution, and hate waiting hours, or days. As a service organization, we rely on prompt service.

Jeffrey
bumb writer in US
Writing & Editing, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

They are like a street begger always wanting money.

2.0 2 years ago

Comments: Liked it not perfect but helped in writing just kept asking for money.

Pros:

It worked well when it was not wanting license or you to purchase it again.

Cons:

Kept asking for money like a dumb upgrade and more purchased lifetime about five times. Finally stopped paying and found something else.

Teresa
Executive Director in US
Nonprofit Organization Management, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Great for PC but not as efficient for MAC

4.0 6 years ago

Pros:

I like how it is integrated into Outlook. Emails are completed so fast that you sometimes forget to proof. WS reminds you as you hit send.

Cons:

That I can not integrate it into my apps as a do on my PC.

Mikhail
Assoc Professor in US
Research, 5,001–10,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

My WhiteSmoke review

4.0 6 years ago

Pros:

F2 button and automatic checks of the emails

Cons:

frequent crashes, the paragraphs disappear after you click Apply Changes and you need to spend time to recover the text

Muhammad Mohsin
Muhammad Mohsin
Education in Pakistan
Verified LinkedIn User
Chemicals, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Review on WhiteSmoke Spell Checker

4.0 2 years ago

Pros:

It is an accurate checker for grammar and spelling. It has a very low monthly cost about 10 dollars a month for WhiteSmoke Essential

Cons:

WhiteSmoke can check 10000 character at a time only which is very short as compared to other softwares like Grammarly.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Health, Wellness & Fitness, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Looks good on paper but on workflow....

3.0 6 years ago

Comments: Close but not quite. It can do a few cool things but still yet to be convinced whether it is necessary compared to alternatives

Pros:

It does a lot of different things at a lower price point so worth a looks

Cons:

It feels clunky and old. Also, customer service is no great. Made me feel like I was doing something wrong when I changed laptops and tried to reinstall

Brenda
author in US
Writing & Editing, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Why I like WhiteSmoke

5.0 6 years ago

Comments: I am an author and I would not turn in my manuscript without a WhiteSmoke check.

Pros:

WhiteSmoke found punctuation and mistakes in spelling I made that other spell checkers did not. It gave helpful suggestions on other words to use and pointed out when I used the same word too many times. It also rated my paragraphs. I was not only helpful but made me think.

Cons:

It would have saved some time when checking a manuscript if the program would have ignored the paragraphs that did not need to be fixed.

Lindell
Retired nikitary in US
Hospital & Health Care, 1,001–5,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Assessmentmof Whitesmoke

5.0 6 years ago

Pros:

It is a quick way to spot mistakes I have made in sending messages.

Cons:

Support is slow in responding to my requests.

Amandeep
Founder in India
Health, Wellness & Fitness, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Best inexpensive alternative to grammar check apps

5.0 4 years ago

Pros:

It is having multiple features, best in terms of money inexpensive.

Cons:

Functionality and application are not at all up to the mark.

Software found in