Scramble: Open-Source Alternative to Grammarly

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

An open-source Chrome extension called Scramble aims to replicate Grammarly-style writing assistance by sending selected text to OpenAI’s GPT‑4‑turbo via the user’s own API key. Commenters welcome a lighter, cheaper, and more customizable tool, especially for non‑native speakers, but question claims of being “open source” and “privacy‑respecting” when the core functionality depends on a proprietary cloud model. Many call for local LLM or self‑hosted backends, broader platform support beyond Chrome, and note existing alternatives like LanguageTool and Vale that better align with strict privacy or open-source expectations.

Overview of Scramble

  • Chrome extension that uses GPT-4-turbo via user-supplied OpenAI API key to improve writing with pre-baked prompts.
  • Intended as a simpler, cheaper, “open source alternative to Grammarly” with future plans for model choice, custom prompts, and potentially local models.
  • Some users report installation / functionality issues (e.g., on Ubuntu/Vivaldi) and ask for better UX and real-time inline feedback.

OpenAI Dependency & “Open Source Alternative” Debate

  • Many argue this is essentially an OpenAI wrapper, not a true open-source Grammarly alternative.
  • Core functionality (language improvement) lives in a proprietary API; the extension is just thin glue code and prompts.
  • Others counter that the extension code is MIT-licensed and genuinely open source; the problem is more the marketing than the license.

Privacy Concerns

  • Strong pushback on calling it “privacy-respecting” when all text is sent to OpenAI.
  • Some note OpenAI’s claim not to train on API data, but others highlight storage and breach risk.
  • Several insist that true privacy requires local models or self-hosted services under user control.

Demand for Local / Alternative Models

  • High interest in supporting:
    • Local LLMs (ollama, LM Studio, koboldcpp + Llama, Gemini nano).
    • Custom/OpenAI-compatible endpoints with custom base URLs and HTTP Basic auth.
  • Some users already patch the extension to point at localhost LLM servers.

Use Cases, UX, and Comparisons to Grammarly

  • Grammarly’s value is seen less in “AI rewriting” and more in:
    • Robust grammar, style, and tone checking, especially for non-native speakers and dyslexic users.
    • System-wide, real-time, inline suggestions with clear diffs.
  • Several complain Scramble is currently just “right-click → send to LLM → replace text,” lacking:
    • Inline highlights, diff views, tone control, and system-wide integration.
  • Requests for:
    • Firefox support.
    • Non-browser and cross-platform apps (VS Code, Typora, Linux, iOS, system-wide helpers).
    • A mode that fixes errors while preserving the writer’s voice.

Existing Alternatives Mentioned

  • LanguageTool (self-hostable, open core, strong grammar; browser and editor integrations, LTEX for VS Code).
  • Vale (local style/grammar linter with customizable rules).
  • Other privacy-focused or local tools like Harper and small, local-LLM-based grammar extensions.