Limato vs DeepL Write: which rewriter for non-native English speakers? (2026)

Mikhail Konkov · Founder, Limato

Non-native English speaker. Builds Limato for ESL writers.

DeepL Write Simple style trims an ESL email by 17% and casualizes the register — and in our run added "and day", a phrase that wasn't in our source. Limato Native cut 55% with zero hallucinations. Same input, two tools, side-by-side below.

Disclosure: Limato is our product. Both screenshots are from real runs on the same email — DeepL Write Simple style explicitly selected (web app); Limato Native tone (Chrome extension). Pricing reflects publicly listed plans as of May 2026.

The short version

DeepL Write rewrites in styles. Polish-and-recast tool from the team behind DeepL Translator — Simple drops formal register, Business preserves it, Casual goes further. Default mode (no style) is conservative (~6% trim). Strong on European languages. Web app first; Chrome / Edge / Firefox extension and desktop apps mostly mirror the web flow.

Limato rewrites for native tone. Restructure the sentence, drop ESL openers, cut hedges. One rewrite on the selection — typically 30–55% shorter. Works for any of 34 target languages, not just English.

They share an ESL audience but solve different jobs. DeepL keeps your scaffold and casualizes the register; Limato drops the scaffold. Which one fits depends on how aggressive a rewrite you want.

Same email, two tools

Below is a real ESL email opener and the output each tool produced on its strongest equivalent mode — DeepL Write's Simple style and Limato's Native tone.

DeepL Write — Simple style (53 words)

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to ask if we could arrange a short call about the project we talked about before. As I said last time, I'd really like to find a time and day that works for both of us to talk about what to do next.

−17% length. Trims verbose phrases ("ask about the possibility of scheduling" → "ask if we could arrange") and casualizes the register ("regarding" → "about", "align on the next steps" → "talk about what to do next"). Adds "and day" — an expansion not in the source. Reads simpler than the original but loses the formal-email register.

Limato — Native tone (29 words)

Quick ask — can we hop on a call about the project we discussed last time? I'd like to align on next steps. What time works for you this week?

−55% length. Stiff opener gone. ESL hedging cut. Reads like a native colleague.

DeepL Write Simple trims ~17% and casualizes the register without changing the shape of the email — and in our run added "and day" (not in the source). Limato Native trims ~55% and restructures cleanly. Methodology: DeepL Write Simple style explicitly selected; default mode (no style) returned a more conservative trim (~6%). Limato Native single run, default settings.

Head-to-head

When to pick each

They can coexist. A natural split: DeepL Write for documents and longer-form work in its editor, Limato for inline daily writing. They don't conflict in Chrome.

The one-line rule

Ask yourself which sentence is more often true:

• "I want a light polish or register adjustment." → DeepL Write.
• "I want a rewrite that doesn't read ESL." → Limato.

DeepL earned its reputation on translation. DeepL Write extends that pedigree to rewriting. Limato takes a different stance: most non-native writing problems aren't about word choice or register, they're about structure — and structure needs a rewrite, not a recast.