Scramble: Open-Source Alternative to Grammarly

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

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.