Two writing assistants go head-to-head: Is MyStylus better than After the Deadline?

I almost sent an embarrassing typo to my boss last week.

Thankfully, I caught it at the last second, but it made me wonder – what if I hadn’t? What if I’d been using something better than my basic spell checker?

That’s when I tumbled down the rabbit hole of AI writing assistants. After testing several options, I narrowed my focus to two contenders: MyStylus and After the Deadline. Both promise to catch errors and polish your writing, but they take surprisingly different approaches.

Since I write everything from work emails to personal blog posts, I needed to know: which one actually delivers?

The basic breakdown: What each tool offers

MyStylus feels like the new kid on the block – sleek, loaded with AI features, and ambitious in scope. When I first tried it, I was impressed by how it caught not just typos but awkward phrasing I hadn’t even noticed.

Its interface reminds me of modern apps like Notion – clean, intuitive, with just enough options without overwhelming you. Besides fixing grammar, it offers plagiarism detection (saved me when I accidentally copied a line from an article I’d read), different writing style options (formal, casual, academic), and complete rewriting capabilities.

After the Deadline, meanwhile, is the veteran player. Created by Automattic (the WordPress people), it’s straightforward and focuses on doing one thing well: catching basic writing issues.

Its interface is simpler – almost spartan compared to MyStylus. It highlights spelling mistakes, grammar problems, some style suggestions, and common word misuse.

The real test: Finding actual errors

I decided to run both tools through a real-world test using three different types of writing:

A work proposal with technical language

A casual email to a friend

A blog post draft with intentional errors

Here’s where things got interesting.

MyStylus caught 93% of the errors I planted, including subtle issues like passive voice overuse and awkward transitions. What impressed me most was how it explained why certain phrases didn’t work – teaching me to be a better writer rather than just fixing things.

After the Deadline caught about 75% of basic errors but missed most style issues. It was lightning-fast, though, and didn’t get confused by technical terms in my proposal like some other tools do.

The real difference showed up in how they handled rewrites. I asked both to help me rephrase a paragraph that wasn’t working.

MyStylus offered three different approaches, each maintaining my meaning but with different tones. After the Deadline mostly focused on individual sentences rather than the paragraph’s overall flow.

The deal-breaker features

For me, MyStylus won on three key points:

First, the plagiarism checker. As someone who reads tons of content daily, I sometimes worry about accidentally using someone else’s phrasing. Having this built in rather than paying for a separate service saves me about $15/month.

Second, the rewriting capability. When I’m stuck on how to express something (which happens at least twice a day), getting AI-suggested alternatives saves me from staring at a blank screen.

Third, the academic style options. I’m taking online classes, and formatting citations correctly in APA or MLA style has always been my nightmare. MyStylus handles this automatically.

After the Deadline shines in simplicity and speed. If you just need quick checks and aren’t writing anything complex, it does the job without fuss.

What about real users?

I was curious what others thought, so I asked around in some writing groups.

Maya, a freelance copywriter, told me: “I switched to MyStylus three months ago after using Grammarly for years. The difference in how it handles tone is night and day. It actually understands context.”

Meanwhile, James, a programmer who writes documentation, prefers After the Deadline: “It’s lightweight, doesn’t try to change my voice, and integrates perfectly with my workflow.”

The price factor

Let’s talk money, because that matters.

MyStylus costs more, with plans starting around $12/month when billed annually. After the Deadline offers a free version with basic features and premium options at lower price points.

Is the extra cost worth it? If you write professionally or academically, I’d say absolutely. If you’re just fixing occasional emails, probably not.

My personal take

After three weeks of using both, I’ve settled on MyStylus for my daily writing. The comprehensive approach just works better for someone who writes across different contexts. If you want to try MyStylus for free, I highly recommend it.

That said, I still use After the Deadline for quick checks when I’m in a hurry and don’t need all the bells and whistles.

Writing tools are deeply personal choices that depend on your specific needs. The good news is that we’re living in a golden age of writing assistance, where technology can help us communicate more clearly than ever before.

What’s your experience with writing tools? Have you tried either of these? I’d love to hear which features matter most to you.

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