Private Writing AssistantPrivate Writing Assistant vs Microsoft Editor
Updated October 29, 2026
Microsoft retired the Microsoft Editor extension for Chrome and Edge on October 31, 2025. Its writing help now lives only inside Microsoft Edge. If you write in Chrome, Private Writing Assistant brings back spelling and grammar checks, plus rewriting, and checks your text on your computer with Chrome Built-in AI.
| Browser extension | Private Writing Assistant | Microsoft Editor (now in Edge) |
|---|---|---|
| Works in Chrome | Yes | No, the Chrome extension was retired on October 31, 2025 |
| What it checks | Spelling, grammar and punctuation, by an AI model that reads the whole sentence | Spelling and grammar; clarity, conciseness and formality refinements with Microsoft 365 |
| Where your text is checked | On your computer, by Chrome Built-in AI | In Microsoft's cloud; Edge's Basic mode checks spelling only, on your computer |
| What happens to your text | It never leaves your computer. Usage stats without any text are on by default and can be turned off | Microsoft says checked text is deleted after processing; text predictions are kept for up to 30 days |
| Price | Free | Basic checks free; refinements need a Microsoft 365 subscription |
| Languages | 101, detected for each sentence | More than 20 |
| Works offline | Yes, after the one-time model download | Only Edge's Basic spell check |
| Browsers | Chrome 138 or newer | Microsoft Edge only, built in |
Facts about the other products were checked on their own pages on October 28, 2026 and are listed under Sources. Prices are in US dollars and can change.
When Editor in Edge is the better choice
- You already write in Microsoft Edge and have Microsoft 365.
- Your computer can't run Chrome Built-in AI.
When Private Writing Assistant is the better choice
- You write in Chrome, where Editor no longer works.
- You want more than basic corrections, such as rewriting a sentence to be shorter or more professional, without a Microsoft 365 subscription.
- You don't want your text checked in the cloud.
- You want grammar checks that keep working without an internet connection.