Grammarly (free) can be used at work only under specific conditions. Our verdict for a typical 50–500 person company handling client or regulated data: Limited. A browser extension that reads nearly everything an employee types — on a free personal account, that stream is outside company control. The risk profile is unusual: it is not one paste, it is continuous capture of everything typed — emails, HR docs, legal drafts.
| Vendor | Grammarly |
|---|---|
| Category | Writing assistant |
| Our tier verdict | Limited — A browser extension that reads nearly everything an employee types — on a free personal account, that stream is outside company control. |
| Trains on your data? | Depends on plan / settings. Grammarly states it does not sell user content and offers training opt-outs, but free personal accounts are governed by consumer terms the company cannot audit or enforce. |
| Data retention | User content is processed and stored per Grammarly’s consumer privacy policy; retention specifics for free accounts are controlled by the individual user, not your company. |
| Admin controls | None on free personal accounts. |
| Compliance certifications | Not publicly documented |
| HIPAA / BAA | No BAA on free consumer accounts. |
Grammarly states it does not sell user content and offers training opt-outs, but free personal accounts are governed by consumer terms the company cannot audit or enforce.
Retention: User content is processed and stored per Grammarly’s consumer privacy policy; retention specifics for free accounts are controlled by the individual user, not your company.
No BAA on free consumer accounts. As a rule: no signed Business Associate Agreement means no protected health information (PHI) — regardless of how good the vendor’s general security posture is.
HIPAA is the gate: No BAA on free consumer accounts. Until a BAA is confirmed in writing, treat Grammarly (free) as off-limits for anything containing PHI — patient names, appointment details, clinical notes, even "anonymized" summaries that could be re-identified.
For SEC/FINRA-regulated firms the questions are recordkeeping and confidentiality: can communications through Grammarly (free) be captured for books-and-records requirements, and do the data terms hold up in vendor due diligence? None on free personal accounts.
The privilege question comes first: entering client-confidential facts into any third-party AI service must be evaluated as a potential disclosure. Because training/retention on Grammarly (free) depends on account type and settings, assume client matter data is off-limits unless your firm controls the account and has verified the terms.
Why the tier verdict is "generic": Limited is the right starting classification for most 50–500 person companies — but a healthcare company, a law firm, and a SaaS startup should not have identical tool lists. The $79 policy kit classifies Grammarly (free) and 24+ other tools specifically for your industry, company size, and the data your team handles.
And it goes stale: vendor data policies change quietly — a terms update can move a tool between tiers overnight. The $149/mo Monitor plan exists precisely because this page is only accurate as of July 2026.
Grammarly (free) can be used at work only under specific conditions. Our verdict for a typical 50–500 person company handling client or regulated data: Limited. A browser extension that reads nearly everything an employee types — on a free personal account, that stream is outside company control. The risk profile is unusual: it is not one paste, it is continuous capture of everything typed — emails, HR docs, legal drafts.
Grammarly states it does not sell user content and offers training opt-outs, but free personal accounts are governed by consumer terms the company cannot audit or enforce.
No BAA on free consumer accounts. As a rule: no signed Business Associate Agreement means no protected health information (PHI) — regardless of how good the vendor’s general security posture is.
We classify Grammarly (free) as Limited for a typical 50–500 person company. A browser extension that reads nearly everything an employee types — on a free personal account, that stream is outside company control. Your own classification should reflect your industry, data types, and which plan/account type your company actually uses.
A 4-document AI policy kit — acceptable use policy, tool tier list, acknowledgment form, manager FAQ — that classifies Grammarly (free) and 24+ other tools for your company, industry, and data. Generated in about 10 minutes.
Generate my policy kit →We re-check vendor terms monthly and alert you when Grammarly (free)’s data policy changes — plus regenerate your whole kit so it never goes stale. This directory is a snapshot — Monitor is the live feed.
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