[HN Gopher] Harper - an open-source alternative to Grammarly
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       Harper - an open-source alternative to Grammarly
        
       Author : ReadCarlBarks
       Score  : 38 points
       Date   : 2025-06-20 19:51 UTC (3 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (writewithharper.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (writewithharper.com)
        
       | mika6996 wrote:
       | Which LLM is running with Harper?
        
       | skeptrune wrote:
       | Is this using local LLMs or some other engine?
        
         | JPLeRouzic wrote:
         | I don't think it uses an LLM.
         | 
         | https://github.com/Automattic/harper
        
       | JPLeRouzic wrote:
       | It is available in Autommatic's Github repository:
       | 
       | https://github.com/Automattic/harper
        
         | sestep wrote:
         | Automattic*
        
       | sharkjacobs wrote:
       | This seems to use a hard coded list of explicit rules, not an LLM
       | 
       | https://writewithharper.com/docs/rules
       | 
       | https://github.com/Automattic/harper/blob/0c04291bfec25d0e93...
       | "PointIsMoot" => (                 ["your point is mute"],
       | ["your point is moot"],                 "Did you mean `your point
       | is moot`?",                 "Typo: `moot` (meaning debatable) is
       | correct rather than `mute`."             ),
        
         | a2128 wrote:
         | From a quick look phrase corrections is just one type of rule.
         | There are many other rules, some are dynamic like when to use
         | "your" vs "you're", oxford commas, etc.
         | 
         | That it doesn't use LLMs is its advantage, it runs in under
         | 10ms and can be easily embedded in software and still provide
         | useful grammar checking even if it's not exhaustive
        
       | VTimofeenko wrote:
       | Comes with a great LSP server capable of checking grammar in code
       | comments:
       | 
       | https://writewithharper.com/docs/integrations/language-serve...
        
       | pram wrote:
       | IMO not using LLMs is a big plus in my book. Grammarly has been
       | going downhill since they've been larding it with "AI features,"
       | it has become remarkably inconsistent. It will tell me to remove
       | a comma one hour, and then tell me to add it back the next.
        
       | jacooper wrote:
       | I think if you can self host language tool, it would still be the
       | better option.
        
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       (page generated 2025-06-20 23:00 UTC)