Top 7 Free AI Tools Like Quillbot – Which One Works Best?
AI writing tools make editing faster and easier. If you’re looking for free alternatives to Quillbot, here are the top 7 tools to improve grammar, style, and readability:
- Grammarly Free: Best for basic grammar, spelling, and tone checks. No plagiarism detection or advanced style features.
- Hemingway Editor: Focuses on clarity and readability with color-coded feedback. Great for simplifying complex sentences.
- ProWritingAid Basic: Offers detailed grammar and style reports but limits free users to 500 words per check.
- Ginger Free: Includes multilingual support and basic grammar tools but lacks advanced rewriting features.
- LanguageTool Basic: Supports 30+ languages and offers style suggestions, but has a 10,000-character limit.
- Wordtune Read Basic: Summarizes articles and videos, ideal for researchers. Free plan allows 5 summaries per month.
- Slick Write: Provides in-depth writing analysis with customizable feedback but has a slower interface.
Quick Comparison
Tool | Key Features | Limitations |
---|---|---|
Grammarly Free | Grammar, spelling, tone checks | No plagiarism or advanced style tools |
Hemingway Editor | Readability, sentence simplification | No save function in free version |
ProWritingAid | Detailed reports, style analysis | 500-word limit per check |
Ginger Free | Multilingual support, basic grammar tools | No advanced rewriting features |
LanguageTool | 30+ languages, style suggestions | 10,000-character limit |
Wordtune Read | Summarizes articles and videos | 5 summaries/month |
Slick Write | Customizable feedback, analytics | Slower interface |
Each tool has strengths depending on your needs. Grammarly is great for everyday corrections, while Hemingway focuses on readability. For multilingual users, try Ginger or LanguageTool. Researchers may prefer Wordtune Read for summaries, and ProWritingAid offers detailed feedback for writers working on short texts.
Choose the one that best fits your writing style and goals!
6 Free AI Writing Assistants (No Investment Required!)
1. Grammarly Free Version
Grammarly’s free version is a popular writing tool used by over 50,000 organizations and 40 million people worldwide. It focuses on helping users write error-free content through its core features, all without needing a paid subscription.
This version offers real-time feedback across websites, apps, and browsers, covering essential writing needs. While it only supports English, it accommodates different dialects, including American, British, Australian, and Canadian English. This makes it especially handy for users who need to work with various English styles.
"Grammarly allows me to get those communications out and feel confident that I’m putting my best foot forward. Grammarly is like a little superpower, especially when I need to be at 110%." – Jeanette Stock, Co-founder of Venture Out
That said, the free version does have its limits. As one analysis notes, "Grammarly Free is good for detecting and correcting basic spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors. But it doesn’t have features that improve the quality and consistency of your writing style – not to mention it lacks the plagiarism checker."
Feature | Availability |
---|---|
Basic Grammar Check | ✅ |
Spelling Correction | ✅ |
Punctuation Fixes | ✅ |
Tone Detection | ✅ |
AI Writing Prompts | 100/month |
Dialect Support | 4 English variants |
Plagiarism Check | ❌ |
Full-sentence Rewrites | ❌ |
Grammarly Free covers the basics well, making it a solid choice among free AI writing tools. PhD Candidate Jessica Wythe sums it up perfectly: "Grammarly catches mistakes you might miss and helps with communicating clearly. Game changer!"
2. Hemingway Editor
Inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s straightforward writing style, the Hemingway Editor helps make your writing clear and concise with its color-coded feedback system. It’s not your typical grammar checker – it focuses on improving readability and trimming unnecessary complexity.
Here’s how the color system works:
Color | Issue Type | What It Highlights |
---|---|---|
Yellow | Long Sentences | Suggests breaking down lengthy or complex sentences |
Red | Hard-to-Read | Flags sentences that are unclear or overly complicated |
Purple | Complex Words | Points out words that could be simplified |
Blue | Adverbs | Suggests cutting down on unnecessary modifiers |
Green | Passive Voice | Recommends switching to active voice for clarity |
The free web version includes two helpful modes: Write, for distraction-free drafting, and Edit, for detailed feedback. It also calculates a readability score based on grade levels, which is useful since studies show the average American reads at a 10th-grade level. This focus on simplicity and readability has made the tool popular among writers.
"Hemingway Editor enhances writing quality, though its AI features for subscribers are inconsistent." – Gabriela Vatu, PCMag
While the free version is excellent for simplifying text, it does have some drawbacks. PCMag gave it a solid 4.0 rating, highlighting its user-friendly design and effective color-coded system. However, they noted the absence of browser extensions could be a downside for some users.
3. ProWritingAid Basic
ProWritingAid Basic provides 25 detailed reports that offer real-time feedback on grammar, style, and spelling. These reports break down your writing and highlight areas for improvement:
Report Type | Purpose | How It Helps |
---|---|---|
Summary Report | Gives an overview of writing stats | Compares your work to published pieces in your genre |
Writing Style | Improves readability | Flags passive voice and overuse of adverbs |
Grammar Check | Detects errors | Spots issues like subject-verb agreement and tricky rules |
Readability Analysis | Assesses comprehension | Points out paragraphs that may be hard to follow |
The free version comes with some restrictions: you can edit up to 500 words at a time, run two reports daily, and are limited to 10 rephrases and 3 AI-powered Sparks per day.
ProWritingAid is accessible through various platforms, including a web editor, desktop app, browser extensions, and a Microsoft Office add-in.
This real-time feedback simplifies the editing process, helping you work more efficiently. While the 500-word cap and daily limits might feel restrictive, ProWritingAid Basic still provides a solid way to improve clarity and style.
Next, we’ll explore another free AI tool with a different approach to enhancing your writing.
4. Ginger Free Plan
Ginger offers essential writing tools with a focus on multilingual support, making it a useful choice for writers working in multiple languages.
Feature Category | Free Plan Offerings | Limitations |
---|---|---|
Core Writing | • Basic grammar check • Spelling correction • Punctuation checker | Word count restrictions |
Translation | • Support for 40+ languages, including French, German, Spanish | – |
Additional Tools | • Word definitions • Context-aware spelling | No style guide or tone detection |
Ginger stands out with its context-aware spelling and robust translation capabilities. While it covers the basics like grammar, spelling, and punctuation checks, its strength lies in helping multilingual users. This makes it a practical option for those who frequently switch between languages.
"Basically anything you need to write great English"
That said, the free version is best suited for routine writing tasks. It lacks advanced features like sentence rephrasing, detailed synonym suggestions, and comprehensive analytics.
For those needing more, premium plans are available starting at $13.99 per month (discounted from $19.99). Annual plans cost $6.99 per month, and a 2-year subscription is priced at $4.99 per month.
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5. LanguageTool Basic
LanguageTool Basic is a helpful tool that provides grammar, punctuation, and style checks, along with support for over 30 languages.
Feature | Capabilities | Limitations |
---|---|---|
Core Functions | • Checks grammar and spelling • Fixes simple punctuation errors • Offers style suggestions | Limited to 10,000 characters per check |
Language Support | • Works with 30+ languages and 6 English variants | Style checks are limited in non-English languages |
Integration | • Browser extension • Works across platforms • Provides instant feedback | Only includes basic features |
LanguageTool provides reliable checks for multiple languages, including French, German, Spanish, Dutch, and Portuguese.
The browser extension offers real-time help for emails, social media, and blogs by automatically detecting the language you’re using.
"When it comes to writing in different languages, LanguageTool is the way to go. But if you’re only writing in English, Grammarly still delivers better results."
– Tooltivity
This tool has earned a 4.8 rating on the Chrome Web Store, backed by over 2 million users. Its GDPR compliance ensures privacy for users concerned about data security.
However, the free version has a 10,000-character limit per document, which may not be enough for longer projects. Still, it works well for shorter tasks like emails or social media posts.
Its ‘Picky Mode’ feature identifies complex sentences and redundant phrasing, helping users improve clarity. This functionality sets the stage for comparing how different free tools cater to various writing needs.
6. Wordtune Read Basic
Wordtune Read Basic uses AI to create concise summaries of articles, documents, and YouTube videos, reducing reading time by up to 85%.
Feature | Capabilities | Limitations |
---|---|---|
Core Functions | • Summarizes text and videos • Section-specific summaries • Personal content library • Note-taking tools | • Limited to 5 new summaries per month • English-only support |
Integration | • Browser extension • Website compatibility • PDF file analysis | • Desktop-only access • No offline mode |
Organization | • Link storage • Video file storage • "Spotlight" topic filtering | – |
These features make Wordtune Read Basic a go-to tool for researchers and content creators. Its browser extension has a 4.7/5 rating on Google Chrome and serves over 10 million users worldwide. The "Spotlight" feature allows users to zero in on specific topics within summaries, making research more efficient.
"Wordtune Read has been helpful for me when I need to quickly summarize content and then share helpful business ideas in emails, blog posts and social media. I haven’t found any competing services that come close to it, and it is now indispensable to my workflow."
This user feedback highlights how Wordtune Read Basic simplifies content analysis. While the free version limits users to five new summaries a month, it offers unlimited access to previously summarized content, making it ideal for those who frequently revisit their notes.
"The summarizing feature speeds up my research process by 25%, helping me discern which articles will be useful to read in full and which articles are irrelevant."
Wordtune Read Basic helps users process large volumes of information quickly, making it a valuable tool for writers and researchers aiming to boost productivity. Its clear summaries and user-friendly design make it an excellent choice for handling content-heavy tasks.
7. Slick Write
Slick Write offers detailed analysis tools and customizable feedback, along with browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox to expand its usability.
Core Features | Analysis Tools | Customization Options |
---|---|---|
Grammar checker | Word count tracking | Over 30 adjustable analysis settings |
Style analyzer | Readability scoring | Cliché identification |
Flow assessment | Sentence structure review | Conjunction tracking |
Word associator | Prepositional phrase detection | Contraction monitoring |
Highlighted Features
The Word Associator is particularly helpful for overcoming writer’s block, offering suggestions for related terms and phrases. Additionally, the platform provides detailed analytics, such as sentence variety and word usage patterns, giving users a clearer picture of their writing style.
"Slick Write is a powerful, free application that makes it easy to check your writing for grammar errors, potential stylistic mistakes, and other features of interest." – Slick Write Website
For larger projects, Slick Write can handle documents up to 200,000 characters (about 30,000 words). If your text exceeds this limit, you can split it into smaller sections for analysis. The Flow Tab is another standout feature, reviewing sentence variety, length, and word choice to pinpoint rhythm issues.
Drawbacks to Consider
While Slick Write has many strengths, it does have some limitations:
- Requires manual switching between the editor and critique screen.
- Does not include an integrated spelling checker.
- Slower analysis speed compared to some competitors.
Despite these drawbacks, the platform’s customization options make it particularly useful for academic writing. Users can adjust settings to focus on specific aspects like adverb usage or prepositional phrases.
Though its interface may take some time to get used to, Slick Write provides in-depth writing analysis and tailored feedback, making it a strong choice for anyone looking to refine their writing skills.
Feature Comparison
Compare the main features and limitations of each tool to find the one that fits your needs. Below is a breakdown of what each tool offers.
Grammarly Free focuses on grammar and spelling corrections, along with rewriting suggestions to improve writing. It works with over 500,000 tools, making it highly versatile.
Hemingway Editor enhances readability and clarity by offering style recommendations. However, its free version doesn’t include a save function.
ProWritingAid Basic provides grammar, style, and readability analysis through in-depth reports. The free plan is limited to checking 500 words at a time.
Ginger Free offers grammar and spell checking alongside rewriting suggestions, but it works best for shorter pieces of text.
LanguageTool Basic is a strong choice for multilingual writers, offering grammar checks in multiple languages. Advanced style suggestions are only available in the premium version.
Wordtune Read Basic focuses on sentence-level rewriting, refining individual sentences. However, it can only handle one sentence at a time.
Slick Write simplifies editing with grammar and style checks, quickly identifying errors without offering additional features.
Each tool has its strengths: Grammarly excels with its integrations, Hemingway prioritizes readability, and ProWritingAid offers detailed feedback. Your choice should depend on what you value most – whether it’s grammar accuracy, in-depth analysis, multilingual support, or focused rewriting.
Recommendations
Based on the feature comparisons above, here are some suggestions tailored to different writing needs:
For everyday writing and basic corrections, Grammarly Free stands out. It provides essential grammar, spelling, and punctuation checks across various platforms. Journalist Bill Winterberg highlights its value:
"The service goes beyond the basic spell-check and grammar check built into the word processor, as Grammarly can identify correctly spelled words that are used in the wrong context"
This makes Grammarly Free a great choice for routine writing tasks, while other tools may cater to more specific requirements.
If you’re focused on content rephrasing and tone adjustments, Wordtune Read Basic is an excellent option. It helps users refine and rewrite their content effectively. User Tracy Johnson shares:
"Wordtune is the best in my opinion, when it comes to rewriting content"
This tool is particularly useful for sales and marketing professionals looking to create engaging copy. Sales professional Noel Pagan agrees:
"Can’t live without Wordtune, as someone who writes a lot of sales-related copy Wordtune helps me personalize and gives me ideas on how to rewrite words or sentences"
With the free plan offering up to 10 rewrites and three AI generations per day, frequent users should keep an eye on their daily limits.
These recommendations, alongside the earlier feature comparisons, can help you choose the tool that aligns best with your writing goals.