Comparison 03 // Self-Operated Voice Engine vs. Done-For-You Service.
grai ($69 Founder / $149 Agency, one-time payment) is a self-operated local HTML5 software workbench. Founders use grai when they want to draft and audit their own posts locally, while agencies buy the $149 Agency Edition to audit client voice standards across their writers.
| Option | Best For | Starting Price | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| grai Agency Edition |
Founders and agencies wanting self-operated software to profile Voice DNA and audit drafts locally. | $149 once $69 Founder for solo use |
Self-operated software tool. Audits cadence deterministically and exports printable A4 client Dossiers, but requires user-driven drafting. |
| Retainer Ghostwriting Agency | Hands-off editorial strategy and done-for-you ghostwriting. | $1,500 to $4,000/month Single vendor guide (NYC Ghostwriting); varies by scope |
Full human service with professional editorial judgment. Not an equivalent software comparison; pricing reflects human labor across contract scope. |
A skilled human ghostwriter who interviews you, challenges your positioning, and crafts original prose is a high-value editorial partner. The fee buys human labor and judgment: the writer finds the angles, researches the topic, and owns delivery deadlines.
Agencies vary in how they use AI. Before signing a retainer, ask who drafts the posts, what research and editing are included, and how client data is handled. Whether you write your own posts or work with an external ghostwriter, grai gives you a deterministic local cadence gate (CV ≥ 0.32) to measure voice fidelity before publishing.
CV ≥ 0.32): Whether you write the draft yourself or receive it from a ghostwriter, grai scores it from 4 to 100 and highlights structural AI tells in your browser.grai to lock each client's Voice DNA into a portable .grai file and print an A4 Dossier for client onboarding.| Criterion | grai (Founder $69 / Agency $149) | Retainer Ghostwriting Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Self-operated local HTML5 voice workbench and deterministic cadence auditor | Done-for-you human editorial and ghostwriting service |
| Typical cost scenario | $69 once (Founder) or $149 once (Agency) + your existing AI subscription ($240/yr) or local Ollama ($0 API fee) | $1,500 to $4,000/month mid-level range ($24,000 over 12 months / $48,000 over 24 months at a $2,000/mo retainer scenario) |
| Who does the work | Self-operated (you supply the raw premise, run the prompt, and review highlighted spans) | Human writer and editor (you participate in interview calls and draft approvals per your contract) |
| Data & raw notes privacy | Stored in local browser localStorage (with session memStorage fallback if restricted on file://) and user-exported .grai files; no grai application backend |
May be governed by an NDA; actual data handling depends on the agency and its contract (plus the tools its writers use) |
| Voice fidelity verification | Deterministic 6-rule regex audit + CV ≥ 0.32 floor + span highlights + targeted span repair; user keeps final control over editing and copying |
Depends on the assigned writer and editor (unless the agency audits drafts through grai) |
grai is not an enemy of good ghostwriters; it is their quality-control instrument. The Agency Edition ($149 once) includes commercial rights for client work, an unlimited multi-client voice switcher, 1-click .grai profile sharing over Slack (with zero per-seat cloud fees), and the printable 1-page A4 Client Voice DNA Dossier (#grai-print-certificate).
When you click Print cadence certificate on The Writing Desk, grai renders 8 concrete DOM fields onto a single A4 page:
#cert-voice): The active client profile name.#cert-samples): The exact count of real client posts ingested.#cert-len): The calibrated length target for the client profile.#cert-platforms): The configured publishing surfaces (such as LinkedIn and X).#cert-rules): How many of the 6 structural anti-slop rules the active draft passed (X of 6).#cert-score): The 4-to-100 cadence score and measured sentence burstiness (score/100 (CV X.XX)).#cert-date): The ISO generation date (YYYY-MM-DD).#cert-fingerprint): A locally computed SHA-256 hash over the JSON payload of the profile and audit state (via Web Crypto or sha256OfflineFallback). This serves as a deterministic content fingerprint of the audited state, not a third-party identity signature.grai.html): Ships with a Content Security Policy (default-src 'none'; style-src 'unsafe-inline'; font-src data:; img-src data:; script-src 'unsafe-inline'; connect-src 'none'; object-src 'none'; base-uri 'none') that allows inline styles and inline scripts (plus data: fonts and images) while blocking direct API connections (connect-src 'none') from the page. Out of the box, it runs in Copy-Paste mode.http://localhost:11434), edit connect-src in source/src/app.html and rebuild with python3 scripts/build.py..grai file or PDF Dossier (such as over Slack or email, which transfers the exported profile to that external communication service), or if your own browser profile syncs local storage across your devices.Hire a human ghostwriting agency ($1,500 to $4,000/mo) if: you have the budget for a full-service editorial partner, do not want to touch a keyboard, and want a human to interview you and manage your content calendar.
Buy grai Founder Edition ($69 once) if: you prefer to draft and edit your own ideas using your existing AI subscription, or want to audit drafts your ghostwriter sends you before approving them.
Buy grai Agency Edition ($149 once) if: you are a ghostwriter or agency owner who wants to onboard clients with a measurable A4 Voice DNA Dossier. It helps writers check drafts against each client's cadence with zero monthly seat fees.
One-time payment. 30-Day Distinction Guarantee via [email protected].