PerfectIt Review (Pros, Cons, Cost, and Uses)

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PerfectIt is a unique and valuable tool that ensures consistency across multiple elements in writing. I’ve been using PerfectIt for many years for proofreading work and wouldn’t want to be without it.

PerfectIt is a proofreading software for professionals that detects numerous inconsistencies. It’s especially useful for long documents where checking for consistency is time consuming and tedious. PerfectIt does not check for grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors.

Let’s explore the pros and cons of PerfectIt and see who would benefit from it. I’ll let you know precisely how PerfectIt can help you so you can decide if it’s worthy of a place in your editing tools arsenal.

PerfectIt Review: Pros, Cons, and Key Takeaway

Pros of PerfectIt

• finds mistakes that grammar and spell checkers miss
• wide range of consistency checks
• can check four English dialects (US, UK, CA, and AU)
• easy to install and use
• goes through a text fairly quickly
• especially helpful for long documents (over 1,000 words)
• enables user to retain control over any edits
• allows for customization
• valuable integration with The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS)
• software is continually updated and improved
• customer service is excellent
• reasonable price

Cons of PerfectIt

• occasionally misses an inconsistency
• doesn’t identify grammar, punctuation, or spelling mistakes
• doesn’t check for clarity or concision of writing
• takes time to put in your own customizations
• doesn’t work with Google Docs
• not particularly useful for short documents (e.g., memos, agendas, brief emails)
• doesn’t support any language other than English (but some of PerfectIt’s checks work in other languages)

Key Takeaway

PerfectIt is the most robust consistency-checking software on the market. It does not check for other writing-related mistakes, but it’s easy to use, finds errors that grammar and spelling checkers miss, and reduces the time needed to proofread and copyedit a text. It’s ideal for proofreaders, editors, and writers who want to produce more polished and professional documents.

You can sign up for a free trial of PerfectIt here.

Who Is PerfectIt For?

PerfectIt is designed for anyone needing to proofread or edit writing for consistency or to produce consistent writing.

PerfectIt can benefit the following groups of people:

• proofreaders
• copy editors
• editors
• content writers
• copywriters
• authors
• bloggers
• translators
• lawyers
• paralegals
• proposal managers
• engineers
• marketers
• anyone concerned with producing or ensuring consistent copy

Louise Harnby—a well-known proofreader, editor, and writer—says the following about PerfectIt:

“I’ve been using PerfectIt since its first iteration and, for me, it’s a must-have. Not because the human brain isn’t able to handle the checks it carries out but because software can do it faster.”

– Louise Harnby

What Is PerfectIt?

Soon we’ll talk about how PerfectIt can help you improve a document, but let’s briefly discuss the creator and company behind this software so you can understand its origins.

Daniel Heuman created PerfectIt after recognizing the need for software that would improve and expedite a time-consuming part of the editing and proofreading process: checking for consistency.

In 2009, Daniel started his business, Intelligent Editing, and launched the first iteration of PerfectIt.

Intelligent Editing is headquartered in London, and team members work throughout the US and UK.

The Two Versions of PerfectIt and What You Need to Run Them

PerfectIt comes in two versions: PerfectIt 5 and PerfectIt Cloud.

PerfectIt 5

This version is recommended for Windows users.

Requirements for PerfectIt 5

To run PerfectIt 5, you’ll need a PC that runs Windows 10 or 11 and one of the following versions of MS Word:

• 2013, 2016, 2019, or Office 365

Note: PerfectIt 5 may work on older versions of Windows and Word. However, since Microsoft no longer supports these versions, full compatibility can’t be guaranteed.

PerfectIt Cloud

This version is recommended for Mac users.

Requirements for PerfectIt Cloud

PerfectIt Cloud functions on any computer with Office 2016 (Office 365) or higher.

It runs on Mac, Windows, iPad, or Word Online.

Differences between PerfectIt 5 and PerfectIt Cloud

Although the two versions are similar, a few differences are worth noting.

PerfectIt 5 vs. PerfectIt Cloud

	PerfectIt 5	PerfectIt Cloud
connects to a server	no	yes
Internet speed affects software speed	no	yes
can add your own customized style sheets	yes	no
ease of installation	easy	even easier

How Does PerfectIt Integrate with Other Software?

Let’s get answers to a few common questions about PerfectIt’s integrations.

Can you use PerfectIt with Google Docs?

PerfectIt is a Word add-on, so you can’t use it in Google Docs.

However, if you’re a proofreader or copy editor with a client who sends you Google Docs, you can work around this problem.

You’ll need to download the Google Doc as a Microsoft Word (.docx) file or copy and paste the text from the Google Doc into a Word document.

Then, you can run PerfectIt and make the necessary changes in the client’s Google Doc.

It involves a bit of back-and-forth, but it’s doable.

Can PerfectIt be used in OpenOffice?

No, PerfectIt can’t operate in OpenOffice.

Can you use PerfectIt on a PDF?

You can’t use PerfectIt directly on a PDF.

You’d need to convert the PDF to Microsoft Word (.docx) format first.

Is a browser extension available for PerfectIt?

Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge are all examples of browsers.

PerfectIt does not provide an extension that works with a browser. An extension would only be minimally helpful since PerfectIt is primarily used for checking long documents.

Short texts like emails or social media posts are unlikely to contain many (if any) inconsistencies. They also don’t need to adhere to any particular style guide.

How Do You Install PerfectIt?

I’m not too tech-savvy, and I found PerfectIt easy to install.

Installation for PerfectIt 5 is straightforward. You’ll receive an email with instructions about how to install the software. They’ll give you a license key to copy and paste when prompted.

The cloud version of PerfectIt is especially easy to install; you simply add it from the Microsoft Office Store.

Intelligent Editing has a comprehensive FAQ that includes a troubleshooting section for Windows and Mac/Cloud if you have any trouble with installation.

What Does PerfectIt Do?

Here’s a brief video that highlights what PerfectIt can accomplish.

PerfectIt is a tool; it’s not a replacement for a human editor or proofreader.

I’m a fan of Intelligent Editing’s philosophy:

“We believe that humans make the best editing decisions and that they always will. We build technology to help people edit faster and better.”

– Intelligent Editing

Here are the top uses for this software according to Intelligent Editing:

• reduces time required for editing
• decreases number of errors
• helps your writing make a good impression
• assists with building your brand

PerfectIt Checks Consistency Across Seven Dimensions

PerfectIt can be used to check for consistency in all kinds of writing, including creative, business, legal, medical, and science.

Let’s see how it improves your writing or clients’ documents within all seven categories.

Please keep in mind that PerfectIt runs a multitude of consistency checks. Below, I’m only hitting the highlights of what this tool can do for you.

1) Abbreviations

We have special rules for the use of abbreviations. PerfectIt verifies you follow these principles:

• an abbreviation is used only if you refer to the abbreviated term more than once
• the abbreviation is defined the first time it appears in a text (and the first time only)
• the same abbreviations are used throughout the document (e.g., CMOS vs. CMoS)

2) Capitalization

Inconsistencies with capitalization equate to mistakes. We have rules that govern capitalization, and we need to follow them to the best of our ability to avoid looking careless in writing.

Sometimes we capitalize a word in one context but not another.

PerfectIt ensures you do the following when it comes to capitalization:

• consistently capitalize headings (i.e., using sentence case or title case)
• use correct capitalization with proper names, processes, and business terms
• employ caps according to a house style to reflect brand guidelines

3) House Style

PerfectIt makes sure branding is consistent by checking that your text adheres to a particular style guide or house style.

It allows you to do the following:

• avoid using outdated, inappropriate, or insensitive language
• design style sheets that reflect your brand’s image and way of presenting info
• enforce style preferences to ensure a consistent company voice

4) Hyphens and Dashes

Hyphens are a difficult punctuation mark to master and are often used inconsistently, incorrectly, or both. Dashes can be daunting too.

PerfectIt will make sure these lines of varying lengths (-, –, and —) are correctly used by doing the following:

• ensure consistency of hyphens and dashes in simple and complex words and phrases
• enforce consistent hyphenation for prefixes, numbers, fractions, and directions

5) Bullets, Lists, and Tables

We’re so accustomed to focusing on proofreading the body of our documents that we often neglect to pay close attention to other elements like bullets and lists.

Here’s how PerfectIt helps us with these frequently overlooked text features:

• checks for consistent punctuation (e.g., commas, semicolons, periods) in bullets and lists
• ensures uniform capitalization in tables and consistency of initial caps in bullets and lists
• enforces consistent capitalization in table cells

6) Spelling, Typos, and Numbers

Spelling mistakes, typos, and numerical inconsistencies undermine your credibility. PerfectIt helps you kick these blunders to the curb in these ways:

• detects typos by using contextual clues
• alerts you when an individual word is spelled more than one way
• flags inconsistent use of numbers (numerals vs. spelled-out numbers)

7) Table/Figure Numbering

Since tables and figures tend to stick out on a page, these need lots of TLC. PerfectIt runs these checks to ensure proper numbering:

• makes sure figures and tables are in the appropriate order
• ensures tables and figures have headings and are named consistently

A Brief Note about How PerfectIt Checks Legal Writing

Intelligent Editing has put substantial effort into developing American Legal Style—one of the built-in styles included with PerfectIt.

This style has been influenced by the best style guides and other resources for legal writing, including the Bluebook, the Redbook, and Black’s Law Dictionary.

Proofreading is an important skill for lawyers since a misplaced word or punctuation mark can change the meaning of a text and have significant, sometimes costly, consequences.

Attorneys also have to make sure their citations are on point.

PerfectIt can help lawyers refine and correct contracts, briefs, memos, and other legal documents. American Legal Style now includes over 125,000 legal-specific corrections (source).

My Favorite PerfectIt Features

My favorite feature of PerfectIt is the ability to add CMOS to PerfectIt if you’re a CMOS Online subscriber.

Since CMOS is the main style guide many proofreaders, editors, and writers work with, this is a wonderfully welcome addition!

This feature is available in both versions of PerfectIt.

Here’s a two-minute video explaining how this fabulous feature functions.

Another specific feature I appreciate is PerfectIt’s ability to identify places where quotation marks and brackets are left open since this is an easy mistake to miss.

Here’s an example of PerfectIt in action in this blog post. It identified where a closing quotation mark was missing. Thank you, PerfectIt!

How Can You Customize PerfectIt?

You can create style sheets in PerfectIt 5. If you’re a proofreader or copy editor, having the ability to make style sheets for multiple clients can save you a lot of time!

Here are just a few examples of what a tailored style guide can do for you:

• check for industry-specific mistakes
• make sure a company’s rules for capitalization and italicization are followed
• enforce consistent capitalization and punctuation of business names
• verify that abbreviations are written properly
• ensure people’s names are spelled correctly

PerfectIt provides many video tutorials for creating a style sheet.

Built-In Styles that Come with Both Versions of PerfectIt

PerfectIt 5 and PerfectIt Cloud come with these style guides already in place:

• American Legal Style
• Australian Government Style
• Chicago Manual of Style
• European Union Style
• Government Publishing Office Style
• United Nations Style
• World Health Organization Style
• styles for Australian, Canadian, UK, and US spelling

So even if you have the cloud version and can’t create customized style sheets, you’ll still have plenty of styles and other valuable features at your fingertips.

How Much Does PerfectIt Cost?

Here’s the email I received in June 2019 to let me know about the update and tell me it’s free of charge. 😊

Also, each user can install PerfectIt on all their devices.

Does PerfectIt Offer a Free Trial?

Yes, you can try PerfectIt for free for 14 days.

You don’t need to provide any credit card info for the trial.

What Kind of Support Does Intelligent Editing Offer?

Intelligent Editing supports its users by providing an FAQ section, user guides, and numerous video tutorials.

They’ve also built a PerfectIt Users group on Facebook and LinkedIn.

In these groups, you can ask questions about the software and support members.

Finally, they have a contact form on their site.

My Experience Contacting Customer Support

The one time I needed to contact customer support for an issue, they got back to me right away (in 12 minutes!) with a solution.

Granted, I reached out to them in 2019 when they had fewer customers. But that’s still super speedy!

Here’s a screenshot of the email showing they received the support ticket I created:

And here’s the email with their timely response:

How Intelligent Editing Has Improved Their Product

I appreciate how the Intelligent Editing team continues to perfect PerfectIt. 😉

The cost has only increased once since I started using the software, but the quality has improved substantially.

The company has made numerous improvements over the years.

Here are some of their most noteworthy accomplishments within the past ten years:

• 2015: recruited professional developers and developed their product to serve the legal sector
• 2018: designed the cloud version so Mac users could access the software
• 2019: came out with PerfectIt 4, which was faster, had a new interface, and offered more customization options
• 2021: developed PerfectIt 5—an even faster version with further customization possibilities; added CMOS integration for CMOS Online subscribers
• 2022: implemented the option to skip checking tables and to skip checking acronyms in tables; made the initial scan faster and improved the overall experience
• 2023: improved the initial scan, applied a Microsoft security patch, implemented a Choose Checks button

What I’d Like to See from PerfectIt in the Future

It would be ideal to have more built-in styles.

Perhaps the Intelligent Editing team could work to add The Associated Press Stylebook or the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Of course, this would be a monumental undertaking.

Also, although proofreaders and editors usually do most of their work in MS Word, Google Docs is typically the next most commonly used word processor.

Being able to use PerfectIt while working on a Google Doc would be convenient.

How PerfectIt Compares to Other Proofreading Software

People often wonder how PerfectIt stacks up to other proofreading software, especially Grammarly.  

PerfectIt vs. Grammarly

Let’s briefly compare PerfectIt to Grammarly.

PerfectIt vs. Grammarly (Similarities and Differences)

	PerfectIt	Grammarly
proofreading software	✔	✔
can be customized	✔	✔
cuts down proofreading/ copyediting time	✔	✔
improves document quality	✔	✔
robust consistency checks	✔
checks for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors		✔
checks for clarity and concision		✔
makes sure writing is engaging and has an appropriate tone		✔

Comparing Grammarly to PerfectIt is like comparing apples to oranges. Apples and oranges are both fruits, but they provide different benefits.

In the same way, Grammarly and PerfectIt are both proofreading software, but they have different aims.

They’re similar in that both facilitate the process of proofreading and copyediting. And you can tailor both to your preferences. However, that’s where their similarities end.

PerfectIt was designed to check a text for inconsistencies, some of which relate to formatting.

Grammarly was designed to check for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors, as well as concision issues.

Grammarly Premium offers further checks for clarity, engagement, delivery, and plagiarism.

And while Grammarly Premium provides consistency checks for spelling and punctuation, these checks are far more robust in PerfectIt.

I consider PerfectIt and Grammarly Premium the perfect team: combining them provides the support I need to proofread clients’ documents.

If you’d like a more in-depth comparison of these two tools, feel free to check out this article on Om Proofreading: “Grammarly vs. PerfectIt: Which Is Better?”

PerfectIt vs. ProWritingAid

Comparing PerfectIt to ProWritingAid is also like comparing apples to oranges.

If you didn’t skip over the comparison of PerfectIt to Grammarly above, you may notice that the table below is identical to the previous one, except that Grammarly has changed to ProWritingAid.

PerfectIt vs. ProWritingAid (Similarities and Differences)

	PerfectIt	ProWritingAid
proofreading software	✔	✔
allows customizations	✔	✔
improves proofreading speed	✔	✔
improves document quality	✔	✔
robust consistency checks	✔
checks for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors		✔
checks for clarity and concision		✔
makes sure writing is engaging and has an appropriate tone		✔

ProWritingAid is far more similar to Grammarly than it is to PerfectIt. So let’s briefly compare apples to apples.

ProWritingAid vs. Grammarly

Both ProWritingAid and Grammarly check for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.

However, Grammarly has a more comprehensive database for checking these mistakes, so it catches more blunders. It also takes the edge over ProWritingAid when it comes to accuracy.

Both tools check for concision, clarity, consistency, and overused words.

However, ProWritingAid offers more in-depth suggestions in these areas.

ProWritingAid also identifies more stylistic issues than Grammarly. A few examples are the reports offered for elements like clichés and redundancies, transitions, pronouns, and alliteration.

• Grammarly excels at thoroughly checking nonfiction documents.

• ProWritingAid makes more sense for checking fiction works since it includes checks with pacing and dialogue tags.

You can go to PerfectIt’s free trial here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PerfectIt worth it?

PerfectIt is a wise investment if you need to ensure consistency in a piece of writing. Proofreaders and copy editors are responsible for checking the consistency of documents since they check writing against the appropriate style guide. Therefore, this software is ideal for them.

Does PerfectIt check grammar?

PerfectIt does not check grammar, but it locates errors that grammar and spell checkers don’t find. It also does not check punctuation or other writing-related issues, like clarity, concision, style, and tone. However, PerfectIt excels at ensuring consistency throughout a document.

Do proofreaders use software?

Most proofreaders use software because it enables them to do their job more efficiently and effectively. However, proofreaders are careful not to rely on software too heavily since it isn’t foolproof, doesn’t check for all possible errors, and doesn’t understand subtleties and nuances.

I wrote an article about the software proofreaders use if you’d like to learn more.

I hope this article helped you learn everything you need to know about PerfectIt so you can decide whether it would benefit you.

Best wishes to you!

“Let go of something old that no longer serves you in order to make room for something new.”

– Roy T. Bennett