Checks grammar, tone and clarity and rewrites text in almost any app you type in
Free plan · paid from $12/month
The Best AI writing assistants in 2026
- 10 apps ranked
- Updated Oct 2026
- Researched from official sources
AI writing assistants fix grammar, rephrase sentences, adjust tone and, increasingly, draft text for you. Some work in every app you type in, some are built for one job such as fiction, marketing copy or readability. We tested the leading ones and ranked them with the same published rubric.
Our top picks
Paraphraser with nine modes plus grammar checker, summarizer, citations and AI detector
Free plan · paid from $8.33/month
Multilingual grammar and style checker for 30+ languages, with AI paraphrasing
Free plan · paid from $4.99/month
The full ranking
10 apps, best first- 1
Grammarly
Best forAnyone who wants polished, correct writing in every app without copying text into a separate tool
Checks grammar, tone and clarity and rewrites text in almost any app you type in
Mobile appBrowser extensionFree plan · paid from $12/month
Pros & cons
- Works almost everywhere you type: browser, desktop, mobile keyboard, Word and Docs
- The most dependable grammar and clarity checks for English
- Free plan is genuinely useful
- Pro bundles plagiarism and AI-text detection
- Monthly billing ($30) is expensive compared with the annual price
- Its AI drafting is weaker than dedicated chatbots for long-form writing
- The extension reads everything you type, which raises privacy questions for some
8.6/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 2
QuillBot
Best forStudents and non-native English writers who want to rephrase, summarise and cite on a budget
Paraphraser with nine modes plus grammar checker, summarizer, citations and AI detector
Mobile appBrowser extensionFree plan · paid from $8.33/month
Pros & cons
- Best-in-class paraphrasing with fine control over how much text changes
- Lots of tools in one subscription
- Cheaper than Grammarly on annual billing
- Mobile apps include an AI keyboard
- Free paraphrasing is capped at 125 words per input
- Grammar checking is less thorough than Grammarly's
- Annual price doubled from $49.95 to $99.95 in 2025
8.1/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 3
LanguageTool
Best forPeople who write in more than one language, especially European languages
Multilingual grammar and style checker for 30+ languages, with AI paraphrasing
Web onlyBrowser extensionFree plan · paid from $4.99/month
Pros & cons
- Strongest multilingual support in the category
- Very cheap on annual billing
- Works in Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice, Pages and email clients
- Open-source core with a privacy focus
- Flags correct technical terms and specialist wording as errors
- AI suggestions are less refined than Grammarly's for English
- No current mobile app listing on the US App Store or Google Play
8.0/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 4
ProWritingAid
Best forNovelists and long-form writers who want deep editing reports, not just error fixes
Grammar checker and manuscript editor with 25+ writing reports and AI chapter critiques
Web onlyBrowser extensionFree plan · paid from $10/month
Pros & cons
- Far deeper style analysis than other checkers
- Integrates with Word, Google Docs and Scrivener
- Lifetime licence option
- Doesn't train AI on your writing
- Monthly billing ($30) costs three times the annual rate
- Free plan is limited to 500 words per check
- Can flag correct British English usage
7.7/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 5
Notion AI
Best forTeams that already keep their docs and notes in Notion
AI built into Notion that drafts, edits and summarises using your workspace's pages
Mobile appFree trial · from $20/member/month
Pros & cons
- Writes with context from your own pages and databases
- No copy-pasting between tools
- Strong mobile and desktop apps
- Choice of underlying models
- Full AI requires the Business plan, which is costly for solo writers
- Weaker for long-form writing than dedicated tools
- No grammar checking outside Notion
7.6/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 6
Wordtune
Best forNon-native English speakers who want to find a more natural way to say something
AI rewriter that suggests alternative phrasings, tones and lengths for your sentences
Mobile appBrowser extensionFree plan · paid from $4.89/month
Pros & cons
- Several alternatives per sentence instead of one fix
- Simple tone and length controls
- Cheap on annual billing
- Free plan allows only 10 rewrites a day
- No plagiarism checker
- Wordtune is a side product for its maker, AI21 Labs
7.4/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 7
Sudowrite
Best forNovelists and screenwriters who want an AI co-writer that understands story
AI co-writer for fiction with a Story Bible, style-matched drafts and its own Muse model
Web onlyFree trial · from $10/month
Pros & cons
- Purpose-built for fiction, with tools for description, pacing and continuity
- Story Bible keeps characters and plot consistent
- Matches your prose style
- Easy cancellation and pausing
- Web only, with few integrations
- Credit-based plans can run out on long projects
- Generated prose often needs heavy editing
7.2/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 8
Hemingway Editor Plus
Best forBloggers and marketers who want plainer, more readable copy
Readability editor that flags dense sentences; Plus adds AI fixes, grammar and tone
Web onlyFree plan · paid from $8.33/month
Pros & cons
- Very clear, colour-coded readability feedback
- Excellent free web version
- Distraction-free and fast to learn
- No browser extension, so you paste text in
- AI rewrites can strip nuance and voice
- Narrow feature set compared with full writing suites
7.1/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 9
Rytr
Best forSmall businesses and freelancers who need quick short-form copy cheaply
Budget AI writer with 40+ templates for ads, emails, product descriptions and social posts
Web onlyBrowser extensionFree plan · paid from $7.50/month
Pros & cons
- Very cheap paid plan with unlimited generations
- Simple template-based interface
- Useful free plan for occasional use
- Output quality is a tier below newer tools
- Weak for long-form or research-heavy writing
- No mobile apps or office integrations
7.1/10★★★★★Visit ↗ - 10
Jasper
Best forMarketing teams that need on-brand content at scale
AI content platform for marketing teams, with brand voice, agents and campaign workflows
Web onlyGroup planningBrowser extensionFree trial · from $59/month
Pros & cons
- Strong brand-voice controls keep teams consistent
- Marketing-specific agents and workflows
- Team collaboration and governance
- Expensive for individuals compared with general AI tools
- Long-form output can be repetitive and needs editing
- Interface can feel cluttered for new users
6.8/10★★★★★Visit ↗
Compare at a glance
Scroll sideways on mobile| # | App | Free plan | Paid from | iOS | Android | Web | Writing quality | Ease of use | Features | Value for money | Platforms | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Grammarly | Yes | $12/month | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 8.5 | 9 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 10 | 8.6 |
| 2 |  QuillBot | Yes | $8.33/month | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 7.5 | 8.5 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8.1 |
| 3 |  LanguageTool | Yes | $4.99/month | — | — | ✓ | 7.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 9 | 8.5 | 8.0 |
| 4 |  ProWritingAid | Yes | $10/month | — | — | ✓ | 8 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 7.7 |
| 5 |  Notion AI | Trial | $20/member/month | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 7.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 6 | 9 | 7.6 |
| 6 |  Wordtune | Yes | $4.89/month | ✓ | — | ✓ | 7 | 8.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 7.4 |
| 7 |  Sudowrite | Trial | $10/month | — | — | ✓ | 8.5 | 7.5 | 7 | 7 | 3.5 | 7.2 |
| 8 |  Hemingway Editor Plus | Yes | $8.33/month | — | — | ✓ | 7 | 9 | 6 | 7.5 | 5 | 7.1 |
| 9 |  Rytr | Yes | $7.50/month | — | — | ✓ | 6 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 8 | 5 | 7.1 |
| 10 |  Jasper | Trial | $59/month | — | — | ✓ | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 6.8 |
Head to head
12 comparisons
For developers
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How we rank AI writing assistants
Every tool was checked on 7 October 2026 against its own website, pricing and app-store listings, plus independent 2025–2026 reviews. Each gets five scores out of 10, weighted into an overall score.
Ties are broken by the writing quality score. To be listed, a tool has to use AI to check, rewrite or generate text as its main job, and be available to individuals; general-purpose chatbots are covered in our AI chatbots guide. The list is open: developers can submit an app, and we review it with the same rubric.
Features are scored half by our editors and half by this published checklist, ticked only where the app's own pages or app-store listing confirm it:
- Grammar and spelling checks
- Rewrites or paraphrases your sentences
- Adjusts tone, formality or length
- Drafts new text from a prompt or template
- Works inside other apps via extension, add-in or keyboard
- Supports languages other than English
- Plagiarism or AI-detection check
- Readability or in-depth style reports
- Custom style guide, brand voice or matches your own style
Rankings are editorial. Companies can't pay to change a score or a position, and any paid placement is labelled Featured.
Reviewed by Tech Arcade editors · Updated Oct 7, 2026
- Writing quality30%
- Ease of use20%
- Features20%
- Value for money20%
- Platforms10%
Quick answers
What is the best AI writing assistant?
In our October 2026 tests, Grammarly scored highest overall. It works almost everywhere you type, including a mobile keyboard, and gives the most dependable grammar and clarity fixes. QuillBot came second, with the best paraphrasing tools and a lower annual price.
What is the best free alternative to Grammarly?
QuillBot's free plan includes a grammar checker and basic paraphrasing, and LanguageTool's free plan checks text in more than 30 languages. Hemingway Editor's free web version is excellent for readability. Grammarly's own free plan is also still useful for spelling and grammar.
Which AI writing tool is best for novelists?
Sudowrite is built for fiction drafting, with a Story Bible and its own Muse fiction model. ProWritingAid is the stronger choice for editing a finished manuscript, with 25+ reports and AI chapter critiques.
Which writing assistant works in other languages?
LanguageTool supports more than 30 languages and dialects and is the best pick for multilingual writers. Grammarly's corrections are focused on English.
Do companies pay to be on this list?
No. Rankings come from the published rubric and can't be bought. Developers can pay for a Featured spot above the ranking; it's always marked Sponsored and never changes scores or positions.
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