QuillBot review
- Made by
- QuillBot, a Learneo, Inc. business (formerly Course Hero)
- Founded
- 2017, by Anil Jason, Rohan Gupta and David Silin
- Free plan
- Yes: 125-word paraphrases, unlimited grammar checks, free citations
- Paid plans from
- $8.33/month billed yearly ($99.95/year); $19.95 month-to-month
- Platforms
- Web, Chrome, Edge, Safari, Word, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
- Languages
- Paraphrasing in 23 languages, grammar in 6, translation in 52
- Users
- 35 million+ monthly active writers (company claim)
QuillBot is a set of AI writing tools, best known for its paraphraser, which rewrites a sentence or paragraph in a different style while keeping the meaning. The same account gives you a grammar checker, AI detector, AI humanizer, summarizer, citation generator, translator and plagiarism checker, plus newer extras: AI chat, an image generator, an AI presentation maker and a free AI resume builder. Many tools work free with tight limits. Premium removes most of them for $99.95 a year ($8.33 a month) or $19.95 month-to-month.
QuillBot began in 2017 as a student project at the University of Illinois and has been part of Learneo (formerly Course Hero) since 2021. Learneo also owns Scribbr and LanguageTool. QuillBot says it has more than 35 million monthly active writers. It ranks #1 in our best AI paraphrasing tools.
QuillBot Premium is good value if you rewrite, summarise and cite text often, especially as a student or a non-native English writer: $99.95 a year covers many small tools. Its paraphraser gives you more control than a chatbot. It is weak at drafting from scratch, its grammar explanations are thin, and heavy paraphrasing can change meaning, or become plagiarism if you use it to reword other people's work.
Score breakdown
Best for
- Students who paraphrase, summarise and cite often
- Non-native English writers polishing their own sentences
- People who want many small writing tools on one cheap plan
- Quick free reference lists in APA, MLA, Chicago or Harvard
Skip it if
- Writers who want an AI to draft whole pieces
- Anyone hoping to disguise copied or AI-written text
- Professional proofreading of long documents
What we like
- Paraphraser offers 9 preset modes, custom modes and a synonym slider
- Unlimited free grammar checks and a free citation generator
- Premium is cheap on the yearly plan and can be paused
- AI detector wrongly flagged no human texts in two small academic studies
- Apps for Chrome, Edge, Safari, Word, Mac, Windows and phones
Watch out for
- Free paraphraser stops at 125 words and 2 modes
- High synonym and Creative settings can change meaning
- Grammar explanations are brief next to Grammarly's
- Humanized text is still caught by strong AI detectors
- Refunds only where the law requires them
Key features, explained
Paraphraser
Paste text, pick a mode and QuillBot rewrites it, highlighting every changed word. Free users get 125 words per run in Standard and Fluency modes. Premium removes the word cap and adds seven more presets (Formal, Simple, Creative, Academic, Expand, Shorten and Humanize) plus unlimited custom modes you describe yourself. A synonym slider sets how much vocabulary changes, and Freeze Words locks terms you want kept. It works in 23 languages.
Grammar Checker
The grammar checker is free with no usage cap and needs no sign-up. It fixes grammar, spelling and punctuation in 6 languages, recognises different English dialects and has a one-click button to fix every error at once. Premium adds advanced writing suggestions and tone insights. Explanations are short, so it is quicker than Grammarly for cleaning a draft but teaches you less. It ranks #4 in our grammar checker ranking.
AI Detector
The free detector checks up to 1,200 words per scan, six scans a day, and gives a 0 to 100% AI likelihood score with one explainer card. Premium removes the word and scan limits, explains every flagged passage and lets you download reports. QuillBot claims a 99% detection rate, citing the RAID benchmark, and says it leans towards "human" when unsure. Independent studies found few false positives but weak results on paraphrased AI text.
AI Humanizer
The humanizer rewrites stiff AI drafts to read more naturally, in English (US, UK, Australian and Canadian), Spanish, German, French and Portuguese. The free version handles up to 125 words with limited use and no history; Premium removes the word and usage limits, adds tone insights and works inside ChatGPT and Gemini through the extension. In Pangram's August 2025 test, QuillBot-humanized text was still detected every time, and QuillBot tells users to follow their institution's AI rules.
Summarizer and Translator
The summarizer shortens pasted text into bullet points or a paragraph, with a length slider. Free users can summarise 1,200 words at a time; Premium raises that to 6,000 words and adds custom summary instructions. It does not cite back to the source. The translator covers 52 languages and dialects, is free with a per-translation word limit, and Premium removes the limit and adds synonyms and transliteration for Chinese and Hindi.
Citation Generator and Plagiarism Checker
The citation generator is free, has no usage limits and needs no account. It builds references for websites, books, journal articles, videos and more in over 1,000 styles, including APA, MLA, Chicago and Harvard, and exports lists to Word. The plagiarism checker is Premium-only: 25,000 words a month in 100+ languages, with source links and one-click citations. Extra words cost more.
AI Presentation Maker and Resume Builder
Two newer tools reach beyond text. The AI presentation maker turns a prompt, outline, or uploaded PDF, Word, PowerPoint or image file into slides you can edit with others in real time and export as PPTX, PDF or images; QuillBot calls it free but does not publish deck limits. The AI resume builder imports LinkedIn or an old resume, rewrites bullet points and exports without a watermark, which QuillBot says is completely free.
AI Chat, images and apps
QuillBot also offers an AI chat assistant and an AI image generator, both with limited use on Free and higher limits on Premium. Its Flow editor stores documents (10 MB free, 100 MB on Premium). You can use the tools on the website, through extensions for Chrome, Edge and Safari, an add-in for Word, desktop apps for Windows and Mac, and keyboards and apps for iPhone and Android.
Where QuillBot ranks
Our scores come from our category rankings, where each tool is scored 0–10 on weighted criteria against its rivals.
| Ranking | Listed as | Position | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best AI Paraphrasing Tools | QuillBot | #1 of 9 | 8.6 |
| Best AI Grammar Checkers | QuillBot Grammar Checker | #4 of 9 | 7.9 |
| Best AI Humanizer | QuillBot AI Humanizer | #4 of 7 | 7.5 |
| Best AI Detectors | QuillBot AI Detector | #4 of 9 | 6.8 |
| Best AI for Essays | QuillBot | #6 of 8 | 7.5 |
| Best AI Proofreaders | QuillBot Grammar Checker | #7 of 9 | 7.9 |
| Best AI for Writing | QuillBot | #8 of 10 | 7.7 |
| Best Free AI Writing Tools | QuillBot Free | #8 of 10 | 7.6 |
| Best AI for Resume Writing | QuillBot AI Resume Builder | #8 of 10 | 7.4 |
| Best AI Citation Generators | QuillBot Citation Generator | #9 of 10 | 7.4 |
| Best AI Summarizer | QuillBot Summarizer | #9 of 10 | 7.2 |
| Best AI for Presentations | QuillBot AI Presentation Maker | #11 of 11 | 7.0 |
What users say about QuillBot
QuillBot's consumer ratings are high. Trustpilot shows 4.8 out of 5 from more than 14,000 reviews, the iPhone app scores 4.7 and the Android app 4.5 from over 22,000 reviews. Business-software sites are a little cooler, with 4.5 on Capterra and 4.4 on G2 from far fewer reviews. Reviewers like how simple it is, how well the paraphraser smooths clumsy sentences while keeping their tone, and how much the free tools do. Complaints cluster around billing: renewals people forgot, charges for subscriptions they no longer used, and a refund policy that only pays out where the law requires. Others say paraphrased text can read mechanically or drift from the original meaning, and that free word caps arrive quickly.
Users praise
- Very easy to use: paste, pick a mode, done
- Smooths awkward sentences while keeping the writer's tone
- Generous set of free tools for students
- Cheap Premium compared with rivals
- Handy browser extension and phone keyboard
Users complain about
- Surprise renewals and refunds that are hard to get
- Free paraphraser cap of 125 words
- Paraphrases can sound mechanical or shift meaning
- Account access and billing support problems
| Review site | Rating | Reviews | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 4.8/5 | 14,247 | 2026-09 |
| App Store (US) | 4.7/5 | 3,000 | 2026-09 |
| Google Play | 4.5/5 | 22,200 | 2026-09 |
| Capterra | 4.5/5 | 157 | 2026-09 |
| G2 | 4.4/5 | n/a | 2026-09 |
| Chrome Web Store | 4.7/5 | 6,000 | 2026-09 |
Ratings are third-party aggregates and change over time. They are context, not part of our score.
QuillBot has one paid plan, Premium, which costs $99.95 a year ($8.33 a month), $39.95 every three months or $19.95 month-to-month. Teams can buy Premium seats at a volume discount. The free plan covers short jobs: 125-word paraphrases in two modes, unlimited grammar checks, 1,200-word summaries, six AI-detector scans a day and free citations. Pay for Premium if you paraphrase longer text, need plagiarism checks or keep hitting the free caps; pick the yearly plan if you will use it for more than five months.
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | $0 |
| Premium | $99.95/year ($8.33/month), $39.95 every 3 months ($13.31/month) or $19.95/month |
| Team Plan | Per seat, billed yearly: 10% off for 2–10 seats, 20% off for 11–50, 30% off for 51+ |
Full QuillBot pricing breakdown, hidden costs and money-saving tips
How QuillBot works
Each tool has its own page on quillbot.com with the same layout: your text on the left, QuillBot's output on the right. You choose a mode or setting, run it, then compare and copy. Many tools work without an account; signing up saves history, citation lists and documents. The browser extensions bring the paraphraser, grammar checker, humanizer and AI detector into Gmail, Google Docs, ChatGPT and other sites, and the phone keyboards do the same on mobile.
The website now writes the name as "Quillbot", and since 2025 the company has expanded into audio, image and search tools under CEO Andrew Grauer.
Academic integrity: paraphrasing, humanizing and detection
Paraphrasing is a writing skill, but rewording someone else's ideas without a citation is still plagiarism, and QuillBot says so on its own pages. Use the paraphraser on your own clumsy sentences, and cite every source with the free citation generator.
QuillBot sells both an AI humanizer and an AI detector. The humanizer does not make AI text undetectable: in Pangram's August 2025 test, humanized samples were still flagged every time. Its own detector also struggles with reworded AI text: a 2026 study found its accuracy fell to between 54.5% and 79.2% on paraphrased samples. If your school restricts AI, disclose what you used rather than trying to hide it. See our best AI detectors and how AI detectors work.
Privacy and data
QuillBot's trust centre says access to customer data is restricted inside the company and its service providers. It says it complies with GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act, is certified under the EU-US and Swiss-US Data Privacy Frameworks (with the UK extension), meets the PCI DSS payment card standard and has passed a CASA Tier 2 cloud security assessment. As with any online writing tool, avoid pasting confidential client or company documents into the free web tools.
- Keep the synonym slider low and stay in Standard or Fluency mode for technical or academic text. Higher settings swap key terms for near-synonyms that change the meaning.
- Use Freeze Words to lock names, technical terms and numbers so the paraphraser cannot touch them. Free accounts get one frozen word; Premium gets unlimited.
- On the free plan, paraphrase one paragraph at a time to stay under 125 words. It also makes it easier to check each output against the original.
- Only paraphrase your own writing. Anything based on a source still needs a citation, which the free citation generator makes in seconds.
- Check your own draft with the free AI detector before you submit, but treat the score as a signal, not a verdict.
QuillBot alternatives
Jargon explained
- Paraphrasing
- Rewriting a sentence or passage in different words while keeping its meaning. Other people's ideas still need a citation after you paraphrase them.
- Synonym slider
- A QuillBot control that sets how many words get swapped for synonyms. Higher settings change more words and risk changing the meaning.
- Freeze Words
- A QuillBot setting that locks chosen words or phrases so the paraphraser never changes them.
- AI humanizer
- A tool that rewrites AI-generated text so it sounds more natural. It does not reliably stop AI detectors from flagging the text.
- False positive
- When an AI detector wrongly labels human writing as AI-generated.
Frequently asked questions
Is QuillBot free?
Many tools are. The grammar checker and citation generator are free with no usage limits, and the translator, summarizer (1,200 words), AI detector (1,200 words per scan, 6 scans a day) and paraphraser (125 words, 2 modes) are free with caps. Premium removes most limits. See QuillBot pricing.
Is QuillBot Premium worth it?
Yes, if you use two or more of its tools every week. At $99.95 a year you get unlimited paraphrasing in 9 modes, 6,000-word summaries, 25,000 words of plagiarism checks a month and unlimited AI detection. If you only need grammar checks and citations, stay on Free.
Is using QuillBot cheating?
Not in itself. Rephrasing your own sentences or checking grammar is normal editing. It becomes cheating if you use it to reword someone else's work without citing it, or to disguise AI-written text where your course bans AI. Check your school's rules.
Can AI detectors or teachers detect QuillBot?
Often, yes. In Pangram's August 2025 test, text humanized by QuillBot was still detected every time. Paraphrasing does lower the accuracy of some detectors, but no tool makes AI text reliably undetectable, and teachers also look at drafts, sources and writing style.
Who owns QuillBot?
QuillBot is part of Learneo, Inc., the company formerly called Course Hero, which it joined in 2021. Learneo also owns Scribbr and LanguageTool.
Is QuillBot better than Grammarly?
For paraphrasing, yes: it has more modes and costs less. For grammar checking and in-app writing help, Grammarly is stronger. Many students use QuillBot's paraphraser with Grammarly Free. See Grammarly vs QuillBot.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from public information. Vendor figures are labelled as vendor claims.
- QuillBot pricing and plans (QuillBot)
- How much is QuillBot Premium? (QuillBot)
- QuillBot Premium: plan comparison (QuillBot)
- QuillBot Team Plan (QuillBot)
- Can I get a refund for Quillbot subscription? (QuillBot Help Center)
- How do I pause a subscription? (QuillBot Help Center)
- Paraphrasing Tool (QuillBot)
- Grammar Checker (QuillBot)
- AI Detector (QuillBot)
- AI Humanizer (QuillBot)
- Translate (QuillBot)
- Citation Generator (QuillBot)
- Plagiarism Checker (QuillBot)
- AI Presentation Maker (QuillBot)
- AI Resume Builder (QuillBot)
- About Quillbot (QuillBot)
- Data Security and Privacy at Quillbot (QuillBot)
- QuillBot reviews (Trustpilot)
- Quillbot-AI Writing and Keyboard App (Apple App Store)
- Quillbot: AI Writing Assistant (Google Play)
- QuillBot reviews (Capterra)
- QuillBot reviews (G2)
- Quillbot Chrome extension (Chrome Web Store)
- Grammarly Pro pricing (Grammarly)
- Wordtune pricing (AI21 Labs)
- Claude pricing (Anthropic)
- ChatGPT pricing (OpenAI)
- LanguageTool Premium (LanguageTool)
- LanguageTool on GitHub (LGPL core) (GitHub)
- ProWritingAid pricing (ProWritingAid)
- Hemingway Editor (Hemingway Editor)
- How well does Pangram perform on humanizers? (August 2025) (Pangram Labs)
- Testing the Limits: Evaluating AI Detectors' Accuracy and the Impact of Obfuscation Techniques on AI-Generated Text (2026) (Journal of Advances in Information Technology)
- Evaluating the Performance of AI Text Detectors, Few-Shot and Chain-of-Thought Prompting Using DeepSeek Generated Text (arXiv)
- RAID: A Shared Benchmark for Robust Evaluation of Machine-Generated Text Detectors (arXiv)