Paraphrasing means explaining someone else's idea in your own words and sentence structure — and giving them credit. AI paraphrasing tools can help you find clearer wording, but pasting a source into a rewriter and submitting the result can still count as plagiarism or break your course's AI rules. This guide shows a safer workflow and compares the tools that help.
A paraphrase still needs a citation. Changing a few words or swapping in synonyms while keeping the original's structure (sometimes called patchwriting) can still be plagiarism. Understand the idea first, write it your own way, then cite the source. Check your course's AI policy before using any rewriting tool.
Read the passage until you can explain the main idea without looking at it. Note any key terms that should stay the same.
Close the source and write the idea in your own words and your own sentence structure.
Run your own sentences through a tool like QuillBot, Wordtune or Grammarly for clearer wording, instead of pasting the original text into a rewriter.
Put both side by side. If your version follows the same structure or reuses distinctive phrases, rework it or use a direct quote with quotation marks instead.
Add an in-text citation and a reference-list entry in your required style (APA, MLA, Chicago). Free generators in QuillBot and Grammarly can help, but check every detail.
If you have access, run a plagiarism checker (included in Grammarly Pro and QuillBot Premium) to catch passages that are still too close to a source.
If your instructor requires it, disclose which AI tools you used and how.
Prices and features as of November 2026 — check the official site for current details
Best for: rewording your own sentences with different tone modes
QuillBot is an AI writing toolkit centered on its Paraphraser, plus a Grammar Checker, Summarizer, AI Detector, Plagiarism Checker (Premium) and a free Citation Generator for APA, MLA and Chicago. The free Paraphraser handles 125 words at a time in two modes (Standard and Fluency); Premium unlocks unlimited words and more modes such as Formal, Academic, Simple, Creative, Expand and Shorten. Premium costs $19.95/month, $39.95 every 3 months, or $99.95/year ($8.33/month), and verified students can get up to 25% off through StudentBeans.
Why students use it:
Best for: polishing your paraphrase and documenting your writing process
Grammarly checks grammar, spelling and tone as you type in Google Docs, Word and your browser. The free plan includes 100 generative AI prompts a month, a citation generator for APA, MLA and Chicago, and Authorship, which records what you typed, pasted or generated with AI so you can share a report of your writing process. Pro adds full-sentence rewrites, 2,000 AI prompts a month and a plagiarism checker for $12/month billed annually ($144/year) or $30/month billed monthly.
Why students use it:
Best for: getting alternative phrasings for a sentence you wrote
Wordtune suggests rewrites of your sentences so you can pick the wording that sounds most like you. The free Basic plan includes up to 10 rewrites and AI suggestions per day, 3 AI summaries a month, and unlimited spelling and grammar checks. Advanced (30 rewrites a day) starts at $4.89/month billed annually and Unlimited starts at $6.99/month billed annually. Students and educators with a valid .edu email can get 30% off by contacting Wordtune support.
Why students use it:
Best for: checking that you understand a source before you paraphrase it
ChatGPT can explain a difficult passage in simpler terms and give feedback on whether your paraphrase keeps the original meaning. Study mode, available on all plans, guides you with questions instead of handing over answers. Plans: Free, Go ($8/month in the US) and Plus ($20/month). Through October 31, 2026, eligible US college and graduate students could claim four free months of ChatGPT Plus after SheerID verification; that offer has now ended.
Why students use it: