These days, there are countless apps and platforms that can help you with different parts of your writing. Choosing the right one for you is crucial for perfecting your writing process.

So, which tools are actually worth checking out? 

One tool that’s gotten a lot of attention in the writing community is AutoCrit, a tool that’s designed specifically with fiction writers in mind. But, like any tool, it has its strengths and weaknesses.

In this article, we’ll give you our honest review of AutoCrit and break down its pros and cons for fiction writers. 

What Is AutoCrit?

Before we dive deeper, let’s start with the basics: what exactly is AutoCrit?

AutoCrit is an online editing tool designed specifically for fiction writers.

Unlike general grammar and spellcheckers, AutoCrit focuses on the unique needs of storytelling. It offers a full writing suite that helps you with every step of the writing process, from planning to editing.

Like ProWritingAid, AutoCrit goes beyond surface-level editing. It analyzes your entire manuscript to identify areas for improvement, such as pacing, dialogue, word choice, repetition, and more.

AutoCrit is designed with ease of use in mind. Its intuitive interface makes it simple to upload your manuscript, run analyses, and review feedback. You don’t need to be a tech expert to navigate AutoCrit and make the most of its features.

In essence, AutoCrit is like having a personal, genre-savvy editor available 24/7. It provides insights that help you refine your manuscript and elevate your prose.

Does AutoCrit Work for Nonfiction?

Though it’s still marketed largely as a tool for fiction writers, AutoCrit does also offer all the same features for nonfiction writers. 

They have a Nonfiction Builder and a Nonfiction Analyzer, which are direct equivalents of their Fiction Story Builder and Fiction Analyzer. 

So, if you’re writing nonfiction, you don’t necessarily have to rule out AutoCrit. 

How Much Does AutoCrit Cost?

Like many writing software, AutoCrit offers a free plan with limited features and a paid subscription with full access. Let’s take a closer look at what you can get with each plan option. 

Free Plan

The free plan gives you a basic version of AutoCrit’s features.

The nice thing about AutoCrit’s free plan is you can use it on an unlimited word count. The downside, though, is that most of the reports are inaccessible. 

You can only use a few of the interactive editing tools, such as Word Choice, Adverbs, and Readability, and those are basic enough that most grammar checkers offer them. 

AutoCrit Pro

If you want to actually use AutoCrit’s full power, you’ll need to sign up for AutoCrit Pro.

The monthly plan costs $30/month, and the annual plan costs $180/year. That’s a fairly expensive plan compared to other writing software—including ProWritingAid, where a Premium subscription only costs $120/year. 

AutoCrit Pro unlocks a lot more features. In addition to the features you get with the free plan, you can also unlock many more editing tools, such as Dialogue, Pacing, and Strong Writing.

You also get a summary report to show you AutoCrit’s overall editing recommendations and direct comparison scores to let you compare your writing to the writing of 100+ authors and genres.

Plus, joining AutoCrit Pro makes you a member of the AutoCrit Member Community, where you can access online workshops, author Q&As, and other events. 

The Pros of Using AutoCrit

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s talk about the biggest benefits of using AutoCrit.

See Detailed Reports Tailored for Fiction Writers

One of the biggest advantages of AutoCrit is that it’s designed specifically for fiction writers. 

Unlike general grammar checkers, AutoCrit understands the nuances of storytelling. It analyzes elements like pacing, dialogue, and overused words, which are critical in fiction writing.

This specialization means the feedback you’ll get is more relevant for crafting compelling stories.

AutoCrit provides in-depth reports that go beyond basic grammar and spelling. 

When you upload your manuscript to AutoCrit, it generates detailed reports on various elements of your writing. These reports cover aspects like:

• Pacing and Momentum: ensures your story maintains a compelling pace by looking at sentence variation, paragraph variation, chapter variation, and overall pacing

• Dialogue: checks for natural-sounding and effective dialogue, repetitive dialogue tags, and unnecessary adverbs in dialogue

• Strong Writing: looks for tense consistency, passive voice, showing vs telling, clichés, and redundancies

• Word Choice: checks for POV consistency, suggests power words to replace weaker word choices, highlights generic descriptions, and looks at your personal words and phrases

• Repetition: looks at word frequency, phrase frequency, and repeated words

• Readability: provides readability statistics 

These detailed insights can help you identify patterns and areas for improvement, making your revision process more targeted and efficient.

Get Genre-Specific Feedback

One standout feature of AutoCrit is its ability to provide genre-specific feedback.

Whether you’re writing romance, fantasy, thriller, or any other genre, AutoCrit tailors its suggestions to fit the conventions and expectations of that genre. This ensures that your manuscript aligns with what readers and publishers are looking for.

One unique feature of AutoCrit is its ability to compare your writing to published works in your genre. This benchmarking helps you understand how your work stacks up against successful books and identifies areas where you can improve to meet industry standards.

It’s like having a virtual library of successful novels to guide your writing. It’s a great way to understand industry standards and ensure your writing is competitive.

Try New AI Features

AutoCrit’s Inspiration Studio is a collection of AI features. 

For example, you can click a button called “What happens next?” to get AI-generated ideas about what should happen next in your story. Or you can click a button called “Change the mood” to change the tone of a scene you’ve already written. 

It’s not necessarily a game changer, but the Inspiration Studio could definitely come in handy when you’re struggling with writer’s block. 

Easily Dive In With a User-Friendly Interface

AutoCrit’s interface is intuitive and easy to navigate. Even if you’re not particularly tech-savvy, you’ll find it pretty straightforward to upload your manuscript, run reports, and interpret the feedback you’re getting.

AutoCrit’s visual representation of data, such as charts and graphs, makes it easier to understand and act on their suggestions.

Connect With a Community of Writers

Using AutoCrit gives you access to a community of fellow writers and robust customer support. The AutoCrit Member Community lets you share experiences, get daily accountability, and discuss tips and tricks. 

There’s also an AutoCrit Academy, where you can access a fairly robust catalog of virtual courses and workshops. 

Opt for Extra Personalized Feedback

If you want to get some more hands-on feedback than the AI-powered features, AutoCrit gives you the option of chatting with a human expert. 

For example, you can pay for a first chapter critique to get an editor’s take on your 3,000 words.

The Cons of Using AutoCrit

Of course, no tool comes without drawbacks. Here are the biggest cons of AutoCrit.

Pay a Pricey Subscription

One of the primary drawbacks of AutoCrit is its cost.

Let’s face it, their paid plan is fairly expensive compared to other editing tools. This cost might be a barrier for some writers, especially if you’re just starting out or working with tight budgets.

Work Without Integrations

Another downside of AutoCrit is that it only works within its own platform.

Unlike ProWritingAid, AutoCrit doesn’t integrate with any of your current writing apps, like Microsoft Word, Scrivener, or Google Docs. Instead, you have to manually upload your file to the AutoCrit website every time you want to get it checked, which can definitely be a pain.

Beware of Genre Limitations

Although it’s great that AutoCrit offers genre-specific insights, its effectiveness can vary depending on how well your work fits into those genres. If you’re writing in a niche genre or highly experimental fiction, you might find that the tool’s feedback to be less applicable. 

Also, AutoCrit’s genre analysis relies on existing popular authors, tropes, and styles. That can sometimes run the risk of making your work feel a bit cookie-cutter. 

Risk Over-Relying on Automation

While AutoCrit is powerful, it’s important to remember that it’s an automated tool. It might miss some nuances and subtleties that a human editor would catch.

Relying solely on AutoCrit could result in a manuscript that feels polished but lacks the deeper human touch that a professional editor would give you.

So, remember that while AutoCrit is a fantastic tool for self-editing, it’s not a replacement for human feedback. Beta readers, critique partners, and professional editors provide insights that go beyond what an automated tool can offer.

Final Thoughts on AutoCrit

There you have it—our honest review of AutoCrit with all the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

AutoCrit can be a powerful ally in your fiction writing journey, offering detailed and genre-specific feedback that can help you enhance your manuscript. Still, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution and should be used in conjunction with other editing resources. 

If you’re looking for an AutoCrit alternative, check out ProWritingAid. This is another AI-powered editor that fiction writers love. It offers even more detailed reports than AutoCrit does, and you can get a Premium subscription for less than half the price of AutoCrit’s. 

Good luck, and happy writing!