Ever tried using Grammarly while coding and wanted to throw your laptop out the window? You're not alone. That frustration is exactly what led to the creation of Harper, a grammar checker that's actually built for the way developers work.
What Makes Harper Different?
Harper isn't just another grammar tool trying to compete with the big players. It's designed with a simple philosophy: "just right." While tools like Grammarly can be overbearing with context-blind suggestions (and let's be honest, pretty expensive), Harper takes a more nuanced approach.
The tool runs completely offline, which means your sensitive code comments and documentation never leave your machine. No privacy nightmares, no data harvesting – just clean, fast grammar checking that respects your workflow.
What's particularly clever about Harper is how it integrates seamlessly into developer environments.
It's available as extensions for Visual Studio Code, works in Neovim, Obsidian, and even has a Chrome extension for web-based writing. The tool is built in Rust, making it fast enough to provide real-time feedback without slowing down your editor.
Harper excels at catching the kinds of mistakes that matter in technical writing – improper capitalization, misspelled words, and awkward phrasing that can make documentation unclear. It's especially useful for technical documents, emails, and other formal communication where precision matters.
The Automattic Acquisition
In November 2024, WordPress.com owner Automattic acquired Harper, adding it to their growing portfolio of content creation tools.
This acquisition makes perfect sense – Automattic already serves millions of content creators through WordPress, and Harper fills a gap for developers and technical writers who need more sophisticated grammar checking than standard tools provide.
The acquisition also signals Automattic's continued commitment to building tools that prioritize user privacy and developer experience. With Harper now under their umbrella, we can expect to see deeper integrations with WordPress and potentially other Automattic products.
For startup founders and technical teams, Harper represents something important: a tool that actually understands how developers work. Too often, productivity tools are built by people who don't understand the technical workflow.
Harper's creator clearly felt the pain points firsthand.
The privacy-first approach is also crucial for companies handling sensitive information. When your grammar checker runs offline, you don't have to worry about confidential business plans or code snippets being processed on someone else's servers.
Plus, at free and open-source, Harper removes the budget friction that often prevents smaller teams from adopting better writing tools. Your entire team can use it without licensing headaches or subscription management.
Harper might not have the marketing budget of Grammarly, but it's solving a real problem that many developers face daily. With Automattic's backing, it's positioned to become the go-to grammar solution for technical teams who value both functionality and privacy.
For founders building developer tools or technical products, Harper's approach offers a masterclass in understanding your audience's actual needs rather than trying to be everything to everyone.
