Comparison
Writing9 vs Gradeful
Both grade IELTS Task 2 essays. The difference is how you pay and how honest the score is. Here is the whole picture, side by side.
| Gradeful | Writing9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free graded essay | Yes — your first full report is free | Essay checking is Premium-only — no free graded check |
| Pricing | $19 one-time, 30-day pass — no subscription | Weekly, monthly and yearly auto-renewing subscriptions (from $7.99/week) |
| Scoring basis | The four official IELTS band descriptors | AI band score across the same four criteria |
| Score calibration | Calibrated against inflation — rounds down, not up | Users report scores that run optimistic |
| Feedback | Sentence-level rewrites with the criterion each one costs | Band scores and sample essays; less sentence-level rewriting |
The bottom line
Writing9 puts its essay checker behind a weekly subscription. Gradeful grades your first essay free and, if you keep going, charges $19 once for 30 days — never a recurring bill.
If you only need to check one essay, Gradeful costs nothing. If you are grinding toward test day, $19 once beats a weekly subscription you have to remember to cancel — and an honestly calibrated score, even half a band pessimistic, beats a flattering one that leaves you surprised on the day.
Prefer the long version? Read the Writing9 alternative guide.
Grade your essay both ways — start free
Your first full report is free. After that, a 30-Day Pass is $19, one-time — unlimited essays, no subscription.
Prep is temporary. So is our billing.
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