Vibecode LanguageTool
track this build5 steps, step by step0%Because the core engine is open source, a technical user can run the grammar checker locally or self-host the server for many use cases.
You are building a lean indie version of LanguageTool. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # LanguageTool indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core LanguageTool workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Run LanguageTool locally/self-hosted, connect it to an editor/browser workflow, and optionally add LLM rewrites. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - premium rule set - hosted server convenience - browser extension premium flows - team/admin options - support If those capabilities are essential, use LanguageTool instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a local grammar checker to replace LanguageTool Premium. Requirements: - Do not reimplement the checker: run the open-source LanguageTool server locally (the Java 17 jar, skip Docker) on localhost:8081, started by a wrapper script. - A CLI: `check file.md` prints issues with line numbers, grouped by rule category, and exits nonzero when errors are found so it works as a pre-commit hook. - A tiny web page on localhost:4860 (Express, one textarea): paste text, see underlined issues with suggested fixes, click a suggestion to apply it. - Optional LLM rewrite button: send a paragraph plus the LanguageTool findings to Claude or GPT (key in .env) and show the corrected version as a diff. - Personal dictionary in a plain words.txt that the server loads, so my names and jargon stop flagging. - A setup script that downloads the LanguageTool release zip, and optionally the n-gram data. Warn in the README: the n-gram files are about 8 GB but catch far more real errors. - Everything runs locally and works offline except the optional LLM call. No accounts, no telemetry. - Out of scope: browser extensions and the premium-only rules. The open rule set is what we get. - README: Java install, memory flags for the server, and wiring the CLI into git hooks. ## Required capabilities - Java runtime or Docker - local/server install - browser/editor integration - optional LLM API ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a lean indie version of LanguageTool. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== README.md ===== # LanguageTool indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core LanguageTool workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Run LanguageTool locally/self-hosted, connect it to an editor/browser workflow, and optionally add LLM rewrites. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - premium rule set - hosted server convenience - browser extension premium flows - team/admin options - support If those capabilities are essential, use LanguageTool instead of pretending the gap is solved. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs". ===== BUILD_PLAN.md ===== # Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a local grammar checker to replace LanguageTool Premium. Requirements: - Do not reimplement the checker: run the open-source LanguageTool server locally (the Java 17 jar, skip Docker) on localhost:8081, started by a wrapper script. - A CLI: `check file.md` prints issues with line numbers, grouped by rule category, and exits nonzero when errors are found so it works as a pre-commit hook. - A tiny web page on localhost:4860 (Express, one textarea): paste text, see underlined issues with suggested fixes, click a suggestion to apply it. - Optional LLM rewrite button: send a paragraph plus the LanguageTool findings to Claude or GPT (key in .env) and show the corrected version as a diff. - Personal dictionary in a plain words.txt that the server loads, so my names and jargon stop flagging. - A setup script that downloads the LanguageTool release zip, and optionally the n-gram data. Warn in the README: the n-gram files are about 8 GB but catch far more real errors. - Everything runs locally and works offline except the optional LLM call. No accounts, no telemetry. - Out of scope: browser extensions and the premium-only rules. The open rule set is what we get. - README: Java install, memory flags for the server, and wiring the CLI into git hooks. ## Required capabilities - Java runtime or Docker - local/server install - browser/editor integration - optional LLM API ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden. ===== .env.example ===== # Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
You are building a production product version of LanguageTool. Create the following project files first, then implement the application by following them. Keep the files updated as decisions change. Do not collapse this into a single README or prompt. ===== PRODUCT.md ===== # LanguageTool product brief ## Problem Because the core engine is open source, a technical user can run the grammar checker locally or self-host the server for many use cases. ## Product outcome Run LanguageTool locally/self-hosted, connect it to an editor/browser workflow, and optionally add LLM rewrites. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - Java runtime or Docker - local/server install - browser/editor integration - optional LLM API ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - premium rule set - hosted server convenience - browser extension premium flows - team/admin options - support ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees. ===== ARCHITECTURE.md ===== # Architecture ## Starting brief Build me a local grammar checker to replace LanguageTool Premium. Requirements: - Do not reimplement the checker: run the open-source LanguageTool server locally (the Java 17 jar, skip Docker) on localhost:8081, started by a wrapper script. - A CLI: `check file.md` prints issues with line numbers, grouped by rule category, and exits nonzero when errors are found so it works as a pre-commit hook. - A tiny web page on localhost:4860 (Express, one textarea): paste text, see underlined issues with suggested fixes, click a suggestion to apply it. - Optional LLM rewrite button: send a paragraph plus the LanguageTool findings to Claude or GPT (key in .env) and show the corrected version as a diff. - Personal dictionary in a plain words.txt that the server loads, so my names and jargon stop flagging. - A setup script that downloads the LanguageTool release zip, and optionally the n-gram data. Warn in the README: the n-gram files are about 8 GB but catch far more real errors. - Everything runs locally and works offline except the optional LLM call. No accounts, no telemetry. - Out of scope: browser extensions and the premium-only rules. The open rule set is what we get. - README: Java install, memory flags for the server, and wiring the CLI into git hooks. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it. ===== AGENTS.md ===== # Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone. ===== MILESTONES.md ===== # Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations. ===== OPERATIONS.md ===== # Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted LanguageTool capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
# LanguageTool indie build ## Goal Build the smallest trustworthy replacement for the core LanguageTool workflow for one developer or a tiny team. ## Scope Run LanguageTool locally/self-hosted, connect it to an editor/browser workflow, and optionally add LLM rewrites. ## Quick start 1. Install the documented dependencies. 2. Copy `.env.example` to `.env`. 3. Run the development command chosen during implementation. 4. Complete the acceptance checks in `BUILD_PLAN.md`. ## Honest limits This build deliberately does not replace: - premium rule set - hosted server convenience - browser extension premium flows - team/admin options - support If those capabilities are essential, use LanguageTool instead of pretending the gap is solved.
# Agent instructions - Optimize for a working, understandable weekend build. - Prefer the fewest moving parts that satisfy the brief. - Do not invent cryptography, security guarantees, APIs, or compliance claims. - Keep secrets out of source control and logs. - Add focused tests for destructive, security-sensitive, and data-loss paths. - Run the project checks before declaring the build complete. - Record any deliberate shortcut in the README under "Tradeoffs".
# Build plan ## Original build brief Build me a local grammar checker to replace LanguageTool Premium. Requirements: - Do not reimplement the checker: run the open-source LanguageTool server locally (the Java 17 jar, skip Docker) on localhost:8081, started by a wrapper script. - A CLI: `check file.md` prints issues with line numbers, grouped by rule category, and exits nonzero when errors are found so it works as a pre-commit hook. - A tiny web page on localhost:4860 (Express, one textarea): paste text, see underlined issues with suggested fixes, click a suggestion to apply it. - Optional LLM rewrite button: send a paragraph plus the LanguageTool findings to Claude or GPT (key in .env) and show the corrected version as a diff. - Personal dictionary in a plain words.txt that the server loads, so my names and jargon stop flagging. - A setup script that downloads the LanguageTool release zip, and optionally the n-gram data. Warn in the README: the n-gram files are about 8 GB but catch far more real errors. - Everything runs locally and works offline except the optional LLM call. No accounts, no telemetry. - Out of scope: browser extensions and the premium-only rules. The open rule set is what we get. - README: Java install, memory flags for the server, and wiring the CLI into git hooks. ## Required capabilities - Java runtime or Docker - local/server install - browser/editor integration - optional LLM API ## Delivery order 1. Scaffold the smallest runnable application and document its commands. 2. Implement the primary data model and core workflow. 3. Add validation, safe failure states, and persistence. 4. Cover the critical path with automated tests. 5. Exercise a clean install from the README and fix every missing step. ## Done when - A new user can go from clone to first successful workflow using only the README. - The core workflow works without paid infrastructure unless the brief requires it. - Tests cover the highest-risk behavior. - Known limitations are explicit rather than hidden.
# Copy to .env and document every variable when it is introduced. # Never put real credentials in this file. APP_ENV=development # Add only values required by the selected implementation.
# LanguageTool product brief ## Problem Because the core engine is open source, a technical user can run the grammar checker locally or self-host the server for many use cases. ## Product outcome Run LanguageTool locally/self-hosted, connect it to an editor/browser workflow, and optionally add LLM rewrites. ## Target user A serious builder who needs a maintainable product foundation rather than a one-off demo. ## Required capabilities - Java runtime or Docker - local/server install - browser/editor integration - optional LLM API ## Explicit non-goals for v1 - premium rule set - hosted server convenience - browser extension premium flows - team/admin options - support ## Success criteria - The primary workflow is measurable end to end. - Setup is reproducible in a clean environment. - Failure, recovery, and support paths are documented. - Product claims match what the implementation actually guarantees.
# Architecture ## Starting brief Build me a local grammar checker to replace LanguageTool Premium. Requirements: - Do not reimplement the checker: run the open-source LanguageTool server locally (the Java 17 jar, skip Docker) on localhost:8081, started by a wrapper script. - A CLI: `check file.md` prints issues with line numbers, grouped by rule category, and exits nonzero when errors are found so it works as a pre-commit hook. - A tiny web page on localhost:4860 (Express, one textarea): paste text, see underlined issues with suggested fixes, click a suggestion to apply it. - Optional LLM rewrite button: send a paragraph plus the LanguageTool findings to Claude or GPT (key in .env) and show the corrected version as a diff. - Personal dictionary in a plain words.txt that the server loads, so my names and jargon stop flagging. - A setup script that downloads the LanguageTool release zip, and optionally the n-gram data. Warn in the README: the n-gram files are about 8 GB but catch far more real errors. - Everything runs locally and works offline except the optional LLM call. No accounts, no telemetry. - Out of scope: browser extensions and the premium-only rules. The open rule set is what we get. - README: Java install, memory flags for the server, and wiring the CLI into git hooks. ## Boundaries Separate the product into replaceable modules for interface, application logic, persistence, external integrations, and operational concerns. Keep domain logic independent from delivery frameworks and vendors. ## Production baseline - Configuration: validated at startup with safe local defaults where possible. - Security: least privilege, input validation, secret redaction, rate limits on abuse-prone paths, and no invented security primitives. - Data: explicit schema and migrations, transactional writes where integrity matters, backup and restore instructions. - Integrations: adapters around third-party providers, idempotent webhook or job processing, bounded retries, and timeouts. - Observability: structured logs with request or operation IDs, an error-tracking hook, and health/readiness checks where a server exists. - Quality: unit tests for domain rules, integration tests at module boundaries, and one end-to-end critical-path test. ## Decision records For each major dependency, document why it was chosen, its failure mode, and how it can be replaced. Do not introduce infrastructure until a requirement justifies it.
# Agent instructions - Read `PRODUCT.md` and `ARCHITECTURE.md` before changing code. - Implement milestone by milestone; keep each change reviewable and leave the application runnable. - Treat authentication, payments, encryption, imports, webhooks, and destructive actions as high-risk boundaries when present. - Never invent cryptography or silently weaken a requirement to make a test pass. - Use provider interfaces for external services and deterministic fakes in tests. - Add migrations and rollback or recovery notes for persistent data changes. - Log useful operational context without credentials, tokens, passwords, or personal data. - Update documentation and run all checks before completing a milestone.
# Delivery milestones ## M0 — Decisions and scaffold - Confirm the runtime, persistence model, threat boundaries, and deployment target. - Create a reproducible local environment and continuous checks. ## M1 — Core workflow - Implement the smallest end-to-end product path with validation and tests. - Keep integrations behind interfaces. ## M2 — Trust layer - Add secure failure behavior, recovery paths, audit-relevant events, and data safeguards. - Test abuse cases and destructive operations. ## M3 — Operability - Add structured logs, error reporting hooks, health signals, backup/restore documentation, and deployment configuration. ## M4 — Release gate - Run a clean-install test, critical-path end-to-end test, dependency review, and documented rollback exercise. - Compare the shipped behavior with `PRODUCT.md` and publish remaining limitations.
# Operations ## Before release - Validate configuration and secrets at startup. - Define backup, restore, and rollback procedures and test them. - Document logs, error tracking, health signals, and alert ownership. - Set dependency update and vulnerability review expectations. ## Incident checklist 1. Contain the issue without destroying evidence or user data. 2. Record the timeline and affected scope. 3. Rotate exposed secrets and revoke compromised sessions or credentials. 4. Restore from a verified source when needed. 5. Document the root cause, remediation, and regression test. ## Launch constraint Do not market omitted LanguageTool capabilities as implemented. The v1 non-goals in `PRODUCT.md` remain user-visible limitations until they are deliberately delivered.
$ choose a build depth, inspect the files, then open the complete pack in your agent · this prompt is generated from the build plan · improve it via PR
They pay for hosted convenience, premium rules, and cross-device setup.
xpremium rule set
xhosted server convenience
xbrowser extension premium flows
xteam/admin options
xsupport
Don't feel like building it? These folks already made it free.
all 4 free alternatives to LanguageTool →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
LanguageTool pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| basic | $0 | $0 | 2,000 characters/text on the live comparison page; 3 AI rephrases/day. |
| premium | $24.90 | $5.83 | 150,000 characters/text; unlimited AI paraphrasing. |
| team | — | $5.47/user | Up to 20 users; Premium feature set. |
free tier2,000 characters/text on the live comparison page; 3 AI rephrases/day
billingmonthly + quarterly + annual + 2-year for individual Premium; Team is annual-only
hidden costsTeam pricing is published in EUR; the USD value is an exchange-rate conversion and card/issuer fees or tax can change the final charge.
verified 2026-08-12 · source ↗
Vibecode LanguageTool
Yes. A competent AI coding agent (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor) can build a usable personal LanguageTool replacement in one session with the prompt on this page. It runs on your own machine or server with no subscription.
How much does LanguageTool cost?
LanguageTool costs about $5.47/month (Team, checked 2026-08-12), which is $65.64 per year. That's what you save by replacing it with one prompt.
What do I lose by replacing LanguageTool?
Honestly: premium rule set; hosted server convenience; browser extension premium flows; team/admin options; support. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to LanguageTool?
Yes: Harper (A fast English grammar checker that stays on your device and mostly keeps its opinions to itself.) Writing Tools (Select text anywhere, hit a hotkey, and fix, rewrite, summarize, or obey a custom instruction without opening another tab.) WritingTool (A LibreOffice extension with long-document checks, style statistics, profiles, and local AI; installing Java is the cover charge.) All 4 curated free alternatives are at vibecodeit.com/languagetool/alternatives. The prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.