QuillBot and ChatGPT are both used for school writing, but they do different jobs. QuillBot is built to reword, polish and check text you've already written; ChatGPT is a general assistant for explaining, brainstorming and tutoring. Here's how they compare on features, free plans and price.
| Feature | QuillBot | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Rewording, polishing and checking your own text | Explanations, brainstorming, practice and tutoring |
| Free plan | Paraphraser 125 words at a time in 2 modes; limited summarizer (1,200 words), AI detector and 3 humanizer uses | Unlimited text chats with limits on uploads and images; Study mode included |
| Paid price | Premium $19.95/month, or $99.95/year ($8.33/month) | Go $8/month (US); Plus $20/month |
| Student deal | Up to 25% off Premium via StudentBeans | Student offer of 4 free Plus months ended Oct 31, 2026 |
| Paraphrasing | Dedicated tool with multiple modes and a synonym slider | On request in chat; no dedicated modes |
| Grammar checking | Dedicated Grammar Checker and extensions | On request in chat; no in-document checker |
| Explaining and tutoring | AI Chat (limited daily queries on free) | Core strength, plus Study mode |
| Citations | Free Citation Generator (APA, MLA, Chicago) | Can format citations, but may invent sources — verify every one |
| Integrations | Chrome, Edge, Safari and Word extensions; desktop and mobile apps | Web, desktop and mobile apps; file uploads |
Prices and features as of November 2026 — check the official site for current details
Best for: rewording, polishing and checking your own writing
QuillBot is an AI writing toolkit centered on its Paraphraser, plus a Grammar Checker, Summarizer, AI Detector, Plagiarism Checker (Premium), Translator and a free Citation Generator for APA, MLA and Chicago. It has Chrome, Edge, Safari and Word extensions plus desktop and mobile apps. 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: explaining concepts, brainstorming and tutoring
ChatGPT is OpenAI's general-purpose assistant. Students use it to explain difficult topics, generate practice questions, brainstorm essay angles and get feedback on drafts they wrote themselves. Study mode, available on all plans, guides you with questions and step-by-step explanations instead of handing over answers, and you can upload notes and slides. 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:
Choose QuillBot if you already have a draft and want to reword, tighten, check grammar and format citations. Choose ChatGPT if you need concepts explained, practice questions or brainstorming help. Many students use both — ChatGPT to understand the material, QuillBot to polish their own wording. Whatever you use, check facts and sources and follow your instructor's AI policy.
Rewording someone else's ideas without citing them is plagiarism no matter which tool you use. AI detectors such as Turnitin now flag text that was paraphrased or "humanized" by AI tools (though detectors aren't perfect). Rules vary by course, so read your syllabus and disclose AI use when required.
Choosing between proofreading and tutoring? Read our Grammarly vs ChatGPT for students.
Working with source material? See how to paraphrase with AI without plagiarizing.