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Writing9 vs Bandly
Both check IELTS Writing with software and give you a band estimate. Writing9 covers all three writing tasks today and bundles extra practice material into its plan. Bandly is narrower and says plainly how rough its estimate still is.
you need Academic Task 1 chart reports checked now, you want unlimited checking on one plan, or you want its bundled speaking and vocabulary material.
you write Task 2 essays or General Training letters and want a separate estimate for each of the four criteria, with the sentences behind it, before you commit to anything.
At a glance
As of 26 October 2026. Numbered sources are listed at the end of the page. Plans and features change, so check each site before you decide.
| Writing9 | Bandly | |
|---|---|---|
| Tasks covered | Task 1 General letters, Task 1 Academic charts and Task 2 essays.Source: 1 | Writing only: Task 2 essays and General Training Task 1 letters. Academic Task 1 needs the chart image, and the web app cannot take one yet. |
| What you get back | A band estimate, highlighted mistakes, a grammar checker, weakness discovery and suggestions, per its plan page.Source: 1 | An estimated band for each of the four Writing criteria and overall, with the sentences behind each one. When the estimate sits near a band boundary it shows a range instead of one number. |
| Free use | A demo to see how it works. Its homepage lists no free checks; unlimited checking is on its paid Premium plan.Source: 1 | Your first essays are free, no card needed. |
| Speaking | A speaking course and a speaking practice tool are listed as Premium bonuses.Source: 1 | No. No Speaking, Reading or Listening scoring. A free band score calculator converts Reading and Listening raw scores. |
| Human review | Not offered. Its FAQ says an automated system checks the essays.Source: 1 | None. The estimate comes from software only. |
| How it describes the score | A scoring estimation; it says your exam score might be slightly different.Source: 1 | Not yet compared against examiner marked essays, so no accuracy figure is published. In our own tests it runs generous, most of all on Task Response. |
Where Writing9 is better
- Academic Task 1 works today. Writing9 checks chart reports. Bandly cannot score an Academic Task 1 answer from the web app yet, because it needs the chart image and there is no upload.
- More in one place. Its plan bundles speaking practice, an ebook, templates and an ideas and vocabulary tool alongside the checker. Bandly only does Writing.
- Unlimited checking. Premium includes unlimited submissions, so heavy practice weeks are not rationed.
Where Bandly is better
- Four criteria, each with its reasons. Bandly scores Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy separately, each against the public band descriptors, and shows the sentences that drove each one.
- A range when it is close. If the estimate sits near a boundary, Bandly shows a range rather than pretending to know which side you are on.
- Try it with nothing to sign up for first. Your first essays are free with no card, which is enough to see whether the feedback is useful to you.
One thing Bandly is not better at is the number itself. Its band estimates have not been compared against examiner marked essays, and in our own tests they run generous, most of all on Task Response. Read the guide to what a writing checker can and cannot see before you rely on any checker’s band, ours included.
Using both
Some candidates use one tool for Academic Task 1 and another for Task 2. Whichever you use, treat the number as a practice signal and the named sentences as the part worth acting on.
Questions
Does Writing9 check Academic Task 1 charts?
Yes. Its homepage says it checks letters from Task 1 General, charts from Task 1 Academic and essays from Task 2.
Is Writing9 free?
Its homepage offers a demo and paid plans, with unlimited checking on Premium. It does not list free checks. Check its site for current terms.
Is Bandly more accurate than Writing9?
Nobody can say from public information. Bandly has not been compared against examiner marked essays, and in our own tests it runs generous on Task Response. Use either as practice, not as a prediction.
Sources
- Writing9 homepage, plan list and FAQ: https://writing9.com/, checked 2026-10-26
- Bandly terms: https://bandly.shop/terms, checked 2026-10-26
Facts about Writing9 were taken from the public pages above on the dates shown. Bandly facts come from how Bandly works today. Writing9 is a trademark of its owner; Bandly is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by it. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email hello@bandly.shop and we will fix it.
Other comparisons
See what Bandly says about your essay
Paste a Task 2 essay or a General Training letter and get an estimated band for each of the four criteria, with the sentences behind it. It is a practice estimate from software, not an IELTS score.
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