Last updated: June 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. See our review methodology.
QUICK VERDICT
Bottom line: Knowadays (formerly Proofreading Academy) is the most credible paid route into freelance proofreading we’ve assessed — CPD-accredited, tutor-supported, and the only major course that ends in a guaranteed paid work trial with a real editing company. It’s not cheap, and the work guarantee has strict conditions. But for someone serious about earning from proofreading, it’s worth the money in a way a $15 Udemy course can’t match.
- Best for: Career-changers who want a structured path into paid freelance proofreading, not just the skill
- Pricing: $499 for Becoming A Proofreader; bundle both courses to unlock the work guarantee (saves 15%)
- Skip if: You only want to tidy up your own writing — a $10–20 Udemy course covers that
If you’ve researched proofreading courses, you’ve run into Knowadays — and you may know it by its old name, Proofreading Academy. Same company, rebranded. It’s the training arm of Proofed, a long-running professional editing business, and its flagship course, Becoming A Proofreader, is one of the most-reviewed proofreading programs online.
The question buyers actually ask isn’t “is it good?” — most courses teach the basics fine. It’s “is it worth $499 when Udemy sells proofreading courses for the price of a sandwich?” That’s the question this review answers. We’ve gone through what Knowadays includes, how its much-discussed work guarantee really works, what it costs, and who should buy it versus who’s wasting their money.
What is Knowadays (formerly Proofreading Academy)?
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Knowadays is an online training provider that teaches proofreading and editing as professional skills — the goal isn’t a hobby, it’s freelance income. It rebranded from “Proofreading Academy” a few years ago, which is why you’ll see the two names used interchangeably (and why this page ranks for both). It’s owned by Proofed, an editing company that handles work for academics, businesses, and authors, so the curriculum is built by people who proofread for a living rather than by a generic course factory.
The catalog has grown to cover editing, freelance writing, copywriting and more, but the two courses that matter for most people are Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor. The proofreading course is the usual starting point and the one we focus on here.
What’s included in Becoming A Proofreader
The course is genuinely substantial — this is where the price starts to make sense. You get:
- 13 modules across 78 lessons covering grammar, punctuation, style guides, proofreading marks, and the business of going freelance
- Dozens of hands-on exercises on real sample documents, not just multiple-choice quizzes
- 1:1 tutor support — a real person marks your assignments and gives feedback
- A graded final assignment (two proofreading tests) with detailed tutor commentary
- CPD accreditation and a certificate of completion
- Lifetime access to the materials, with no deadlines — most people finish in 30–50 hours
The tutor feedback is the part that separates Knowadays from a video library. Cheaper courses hand you lessons and leave you to self-assess; here, someone who proofreads professionally tells you where you went wrong. For a skill where the whole job is catching the mistakes you’d otherwise miss, that feedback loop is the actual product.
The guaranteed work trial — the real differentiator
This is the reason Knowadays costs what it does, and it’s worth understanding precisely, because the headline (“guaranteed work!”) oversimplifies it.
If you pass both Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor with a distinction score of 80% or above, you unlock a 10-document paid work trial with Proofed — one of the largest professional editing networks in the world. Do well on the trial and you can continue taking paid work. No other mainstream proofreading course offers a direct, contractual on-ramp to a real client like this.
The catch, stated plainly: completing the proofreading course alone does not guarantee work. You need the editor course too, and you need to hit 80% on both. That’s an achievable bar for someone who takes it seriously, but it’s not automatic — and it means the true “career package” is the two-course bundle, not the single course. Budget accordingly.
See How The Work Guarantee Works →
Knowadays pricing
Pricing is one-time per course (no subscription), with pay-later instalment options at checkout. Here’s how it stacks up against the cheaper ways to learn proofreading:
| Option | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Knowadays — Becoming A Proofreader | $499 one-time | Full course, tutor support, CPD certificate |
| Knowadays — Proofreader + Editor bundle | Both courses, ~15% off | Unlocks the guaranteed paid work trial with Proofed |
| Udemy proofreading courses | $10–20 (on sale) | Core skills, video-only, no tutor, no work path |
| Free resources (Purdue OWL, etc.) | $0 | Reference material, no structure or credential |
The honest read: you’re not paying $499 for grammar lessons — those are available for $15. You’re paying for tutor feedback, a recognised credential, and a contractual route to a paying client. If you’ll use that route, it’s good value. If you won’t, it isn’t.
Is Knowadays legit?
Yes — and the trust signals are verifiable rather than self-reported. The course carries CPD accreditation, it’s run by an established editing company (Proofed) rather than an anonymous course seller, and it holds a 4.8 out of 5 rating from 500+ reviews on Trustpilot as of June 2026. That combination — independent accreditation, a real parent business, and a large body of public reviews — is about as strong as legitimacy gets in the online-course space.
That doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone (price and the conditional work guarantee are real caveats), but “is this a scam?” is firmly answered: it isn’t.
Pros and cons
| Strengths | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| Real 1:1 tutor feedback on your work | Expensive next to Udemy/Skillshare |
| Guaranteed paid work trial with Proofed (on conditions) | Work guarantee needs both courses + 80% scores |
| CPD-accredited, strong Trustpilot record | No free-skills shortcut — it’s a committed program |
| Lifetime access, self-paced, no deadlines | Freelance income still depends on your effort after |
Who Knowadays is for — and who should skip it
Buy it if you want to actually earn from proofreading and you’ll commit to the full path. The tutor feedback, the credential, and the Proofed work trial are a coherent on-ramp to freelance income, and that’s exactly what they’re priced for. The two-course bundle is the version that delivers on the “guaranteed work” promise, so treat that as the real offer if income is your goal.
Skip it if you just want to sharpen your own writing, proofread your own documents, or test whether you enjoy the work before investing. For that, a well-rated Udemy proofreading course at $10–20 teaches the same fundamentals without the commitment. You can always upgrade to Knowadays later if you decide to go pro.
RECOMMENDED PARTNER — KNOWADAYS
Becoming A Proofreader
Tutor-marked, CPD-accredited, and the only major course that ends in a guaranteed paid work trial. Try free sample lessons before you commit.
Affiliate partnership — we may earn a commission when you enrol via this link. We only recommend courses we’d send a friend to.
Knowadays vs the cheaper alternatives
The genuine alternative to Knowadays isn’t another premium course — it’s deciding you don’t need a premium course. Udemy is where most people should start if budget is the deciding factor: its proofreading and editing courses teach the same grammar and technique for $10–20 on sale, and you can browse the current top-rated options to find one with strong recent reviews. What you give up is tutor feedback, accreditation, and any path to paid work — Udemy is skills-only.
Free resources like Purdue OWL and style-guide references will get you the rules for nothing, but they’re reference material, not a structured program, and there’s no credential at the end. They’re a fine supplement, not a substitute.
Browse Proofreading Courses On Udemy →
Frequently asked questions
Is Knowadays worth it?
For someone serious about earning from proofreading, yes — the tutor feedback, CPD credential, and guaranteed paid work trial justify the price. For casual self-improvement, no; a cheap Udemy course covers the skills for far less.
How much does Knowadays cost?
Becoming A Proofreader is $499 as a one-time payment, with pay-later instalments available. Bundling it with Becoming An Editor costs less than buying both separately (about 15% off) and is what unlocks the work guarantee.
Is Proofreading Academy the same as Knowadays?
Yes. Proofreading Academy rebranded to Knowadays — it’s the same company and the same courses under a new name.
Does Knowadays really guarantee work?
Conditionally. You must pass both Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor with scores of 80% or above to access a 10-document paid work trial with Proofed. Completing only the proofreading course does not guarantee work.
Is Knowadays legit?
Yes — it’s CPD-accredited, run by the established editing company Proofed, and rated 4.8/5 from 500+ reviews on Trustpilot as of June 2026.
How long does the course take?
It’s self-paced with lifetime access and no deadlines. Most students finish Becoming A Proofreader in 30–50 hours.
Related guides
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- Best Free Online Courses — if you’d rather start without spending