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QuillBot review: how well it reworded our passages and kept meaning

A paraphraser with many rewrite modes and handy extra tools that kept the meaning of 16 of our 20 test passages.

4 / 5 #2 of 6 in AI paraphrasing tools By Liam Foster · Updated November 4, 2026
ParaphraserGrammar checkerSummarizerFreemium
Our take in 30 seconds

We ran 20 passages through QuillBot over a week and had three judges, who didn't know which tool wrote what, check the results. It kept the original meaning in 16 of the 20 passages, made 1.1 errors per 1,000 words and scored 4.0 out of 5 for readability. That earned it 4 out of 5 overall and 2nd place of the 6 AI paraphrasing tools we tested the same way.

The main finding is that QuillBot is a solid, all-round rewriter. Its rewrites read well and usually say what the original said, and it comes with a grammar checker, summarizer, translator and plagiarism checker. Its weak spot is that 4 of our 20 passages drifted in meaning, so you still need to read what it gives you.

QuillBot suits students and writers who want one tool to reword and tidy their text. The free plan is fine for short pieces, and Premium costs $4.17 a month, billed yearly.

How we scored it

QuillBot scored 4 out of 5 overall. Ease of use was its best part at 4.5, and features and limits its weakest at 3. None stood out as a problem, and each fell short of top marks for its own reason.

Output quality
4.0
Accuracy
4.0
Ease of use
4.5
Features and limits
3.0
Value for money
4.0

Overall score: 4 / 5, the average of the five parts, rounded to the nearest half point.

  • Output quality (4/5): Our three blind judges gave its rewrites 4.0 out of 5 for readability.
  • Accuracy (4/5): It kept the meaning of 16 of our 20 passages and made 1.1 errors per 1,000 words.
  • Ease of use (4.5/5): You paste text, pick a mode and get a rewrite in one screen, with nothing to set up.
  • Features and limits (3/5): It bundles grammar, summary, translation and plagiarism tools, but most modes and the plagiarism checker need Premium, and the free plan stops at 125 words.
  • Value for money (4/5): Premium is cheap at $4.17 a month billed yearly, but the monthly price isn't shown on the default pricing view.
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Best of 2026

The best AI paraphrasing tools

Before you pick QuillBot, see how all 6 tools ranked in the same test.

QuillBot in plain terms

QuillBot is an AI paraphrasing tool. You paste in some text and it rewrites it in a different way, keeping the meaning but changing the words and sentence structure. You choose a mode, such as Standard or Fluency, to decide how much it changes and in what style.

It also bundles other writing tools in one place: a grammar checker, a summarizer, a translator, an AI detector, a humanizer and a plagiarism checker. That's what sets it apart from simpler AI writing tools that only swap words. QuillBot is owned by Learneo, formerly Course Hero, which bought it in August 2021 and also owns LanguageTool and Scribbr.

QuillBot rewrites whole passages in modes, while some rivals, such as Wordtune, suggest changes one sentence at a time inside your editor. It is aimed mainly at students and everyday writers who want to reword or tidy text.

What happens after you sign up

QuillBot works in your browser or through its Chrome extension, and a rewrite takes four steps.

1. Paste your text. Put your text into the paraphraser box or upload it. On the free plan, each rewrite is capped at 125 words.

2. Pick a mode. Choose Standard or Fluency for free, or one of the extra modes on Premium.

3. Rewrite and adjust. QuillBot rewrites the text, and you can click on words to swap in synonyms you prefer.

4. Polish it. Run the grammar checker, summarizer or plagiarism checker on the result, all from the same account.

What you get

QuillBot's main tool is the paraphraser, but the extra tools are a big part of its value. Free users get a taste of most of them, and Premium removes the limits.

Paraphraser

Rewrites text in selectable modes. Free gives you 2 modes and 125 words per use, while Premium opens 9 or more modes with no word limit.

Summarizer

Shortens long text into key points or a paragraph. Free handles 1,200 words at a time, and Premium 6,000.

Translator

Translates text, up to 5,000 characters on the free plan and without a limit on Premium.

Plagiarism checker

Checks your text against other sources, so you can spot passages that are too close to the original. It's on Premium, with 25,000 words a month.

Compare modes and history

On Premium, see several modes side by side and go back to past rewrites, which helps when you're choosing the best version.

Grammar, AI detector and humanizer

Basic grammar checks and a limited AI detector and humanizer are free. Premium adds advanced grammar and the full versions.

Who gets the most out of QuillBot

QuillBot is a good everyday rewriter for people who write a lot of short to medium text. It is less suited to anyone who needs long rewrites for free or wants guarantees about how their text is handled.

A good fit for

  • Students rewording and tidying essay drafts
  • Non-native writers who want clearer phrasing
  • Writers who want rewording, grammar and summaries in one tool
  • People on a budget happy to pay yearly

Not a good fit for

  • Anyone who needs long rewrites for free
  • People who want a refund after the first 3 days
  • Writers who can't afford any change in meaning
  • Anyone pasting confidential client text without checking the privacy policy

QuillBot vs Ahrefs Paraphrasing Tool, Wordtune and rewriting by hand

The Ahrefs Paraphrasing Tool beat QuillBot in our test with 5 out of 5. It's a free sentence-level tool, so for short rewrites it's hard to argue with. QuillBot pulls ahead when you want more modes, longer rewrites and the extra tools. Wordtune came 3rd with 3 out of 5 and starts at $6.99 a month.

Rewriting by hand is free and keeps you in full control of the meaning, but it is slow. QuillBot is much faster, and in our test it kept the meaning of 16 of 20 passages. That's good, but it means you still need to read every rewrite before you use it. Our best paraphrasing tools list compares all six.

OptionPriceHow it compares
QuillBotFree, or $4.17 a month billed yearlyRewrites whole passages in modes, with grammar, summary, translation and plagiarism tools.
Ahrefs Paraphrasing ToolFreeA free sentence-level rewording tool from an SEO software company.
WordtuneFree, or $6.99 a monthSuggests sentence rewrites inside your editor as you type.
Rewriting by handFreeYou reword the text yourself, which is slow but keeps you in full control.

Our 7-day QuillBot test

We tested QuillBot from October 21 to October 27, 2026, 7 days in all. Every paraphrasing tool in our group got the same 20 passages to rewrite. The full method is in how we test.

For each passage, we checked three things. Did the rewrite still mean the same thing as the original? How easy was it to read? And how many errors did it introduce? Three judges scored the rewrites blind, so they didn't know which tool had written which version.

QuillBot kept the meaning in 16 of the 20 passages. In the other 4, the rewrite drifted far enough from the original that a reader would come away with a different idea. That's the main thing to watch with any paraphraser, and QuillBot did better than most here.

It made 1.1 errors per 1,000 words, which is low. In practice, you'd expect to fix one or two small mistakes in a long essay, not rewrite sections.

Our judges gave its rewrites 4.0 out of 5 for readability. The text read naturally and didn't feel like it had been put through a word-swapping machine, which surprised us a little at the price.

Test scorecard · QuillBot
What we measuredResultWhat it means
Passages where the rewrite kept the original meaningMeanings preserved: 16/20Most rewrites say the same thing, but about one in five drifts, so always read the result.
Errors introduced per 1,000 words1.1 errors/1,000 wordsExpect only a small number of mistakes to fix in a long piece of writing.
Blind readability score from three judges4.0/5; three blind judgesThe rewrites read naturally enough to use with light editing.

QuillBot did well across the board. It kept the meaning of most passages, introduced few errors and produced text our judges found easy to read. It wasn't perfect: 4 of 20 rewrites drifted in meaning, which is why it scored 4 rather than 5. But for a low-cost tool with a free plan, it's a dependable everyday rewriter.

Tested October 21, 2026 to October 27, 2026.

The good and the bad from our test

Rewrites read naturally

Our three blind judges gave QuillBot 4.0 out of 5 for readability. The rewrites sounded like normal writing, so you can use them with light editing.

Few errors

It made just 1.1 errors per 1,000 words. That's a handful of small fixes in a long essay, not a full rewrite.

Lots of tools for a low price

Premium costs $4.17 a month, billed yearly, and adds 9 or more modes, advanced grammar, a plagiarism checker and longer summaries. That's a lot of writing help for the price.

Some rewrites changed the meaning

4 of our 20 passages drifted from the original meaning. For essays or work documents, that means reading every rewrite before you use it.

Tight free limits

The free plan caps each rewrite at 125 words and gives you only 2 modes, with no plagiarism checker. Longer text has to be split up.

Short refund window

There's no free trial, just a 3-day money-back guarantee on a first purchase made on QuillBot.com. Renewals aren't refundable unless the law requires it.

Pros

  • Kept the meaning in 16 of 20 passages
  • Only 1.1 errors per 1,000 words
  • 4.0 out of 5 readability from blind judges
  • Grammar, summary, translation and plagiarism tools included
  • Useful free plan for short text

Cons

  • 4 of 20 rewrites drifted in meaning
  • Free plan capped at 125 words per rewrite
  • Premium price shown only for yearly billing
  • Only a 3-day money-back window
  • Plagiarism checker needs Premium

How much QuillBot costs

QuillBot has a free plan and two paid plans. Premium costs $4.17 a month, billed yearly; the default pricing view we read doesn't show a monthly price. Team is priced by quote and adds usage metrics, user management and central billing.

Most people should start on the free plan to see if they like the rewrites. If you regularly rewrite longer text or want the plagiarism checker, Premium is the plan to pick, and it's cheap for what it includes. Prices were checked on November 3, 2026.

Free

$0
free
  • 125 words per rewrite and 2 modes
  • Summarizer up to 1,200 words
  • Basic grammar, limited AI detector and humanizer

Premium

$4.17
a month, billed yearly
  • Unlimited paraphrasing modes
  • Advanced grammar, full humanizer and AI detector
  • Plagiarism checker

Team

Custom quote
contact sales
  • Usage metrics
  • User management
  • Centralised billing

There is a free plan but no free trial of Premium. Instead, QuillBot offers a 3-day money-back guarantee on your first purchase made directly on QuillBot.com. It's one refund per user, renewals aren't refundable unless the law requires it, and app-store and Team purchases are excluded. Approved refunds take 5 to 10 business days.

To cancel, go to Account details and the Your Plan tab, or open a support ticket. Turning off auto-renewal stops future charges, but your plan stays active until the end of the period. Ending it immediately needs support.

Prices checked November 3, 2026. Prices can change, so check before you buy.

Is QuillBot safe to use for your writing?

QuillBot handles whatever text you paste into it. We couldn't read its terms or privacy policy, so we can't tell you whether your text is stored or used to train its AI. That doesn't mean there's a problem, but it's worth checking before you paste anything sensitive.

We found no reported security incidents. QuillBot is owned by Learneo, the company behind Course Hero, which also owns LanguageTool and Scribbr.

If you're a student, check your school's rules before using any paraphraser on graded work. Rewording someone else's text doesn't make it your own, and many schools treat it as a breach of their integrity rules.

Don't paste confidential or unpublished client text until you've read the privacy policy yourself.

What QuillBot users say

Users love QuillBot. On Trustpilot, checked November 2, 2026, it has 4.8 out of 5 from 14,628 reviews, rated Excellent. Of those, 87% give it 5 stars and only 3% give 1 star.

Users praise accurate paraphrasing, a grammar checker that catches subtle mistakes, and its usefulness for essays, academic writing, emails and daily work. Some say they wouldn't give up their subscription. The complaints are few: some people struggle to pay from their country, some want it to stay free, and one user found it hard to get a partial refund on a yearly plan.

What users praise

  • Accurate paraphrasing
  • Grammar checker catches subtle errors
  • Useful for essays and academic writing
  • Daily use for emails and work

What users complain about

  • Hard to get a prorated refund on annual plans (a Capterra reviewer, via search summary)
  • Users ask for the tool to stay free
  • Some cannot pay easily from their country

Recent user reviews, in short

Summarised in our own words, not quoted. Reviewer names are left out.

★★★★★Trustpilot · November 2026

Reviewer says paraphrasing is accurate and the grammar checker spots subtle errors; used daily for emails, essays and work.

★★★★★Trustpilot · November 2026

Reviewer likes the tool but hopes it stays free because payment methods are hard to get in Algeria.

★★★★★Trustpilot · November 2026

Student-focused reviewer recommends it for academic writing, paraphrasing and translation.

★★★★★Trustpilot · November 2026

Subscriber says they would not want to give up the subscription because it works well.

Our test broadly agrees with users. QuillBot's rewrites read well and kept the meaning most of the time. But where users describe it as accurate, our test found 4 of 20 passages drifted, so we'd still read every rewrite rather than trust it blindly.

Ratings checked November 2, 2026.

QuillBot alternatives worth a look

QuillBot came 2nd of the 6 paraphrasing tools we tested. Here's how the others compared in the same test.

Ahrefs Paraphrasing Tool logo

Ahrefs Paraphrasing Tool

The Ahrefs Paraphrasing Tool came first with 5 out of 5 and beat QuillBot on every part. It suits short, free rewrites, especially for people already using Ahrefs.

Our score 5/5 · Free plan; paid from $29/mo
Wordtune logo

Wordtune

Wordtune scored 3 out of 5, below QuillBot on four parts and level on features. It suits English writers who want sentence-level suggestions as they type, from $6.99 a month.

Our score 3/5 · Free plan; paid from $6.99/mo
ReWrite It.AI logo

ReWrite It.AI

ReWrite It.AI scored 3 out of 5, with weaker output quality and value than QuillBot. We couldn't find its prices, so check before you sign up.

Our score 3/5 · No public price
Paraphraser.io logo

Paraphraser.io

Paraphraser.io scored 2.5 out of 5, with much weaker output quality than QuillBot. It suits short free rewrites in many languages, with paid plans from $9.55 a month.

Our score 2.5/5 · Free plan; paid from $9.55/mo
Spinbot logo

Spinbot

Spinbot scored 2 out of 5 and trailed QuillBot on every part. It suits quick, free word-swapping where voice and polish don't matter.

Our score 2/5 · Free plan; paid from $9.95/mo
4/5

Should you use QuillBot?

QuillBot is a good choice for most people who need to reword text. In our test it kept the meaning of 16 of 20 passages, made only 1.1 errors per 1,000 words, and earned 4.0 out of 5 for readability from blind judges. That's why it scored 4 out of 5 and came 2nd of 6.

Start with the free plan. If you outgrow its 125-word limit or want the plagiarism checker, Premium is good value at $4.17 a month, billed yearly. Just keep reading what it gives you, since a few rewrites changed the meaning, and note the short 3-day refund window.

QuillBot suits students and writers who want an affordable all-in-one rewriter; anyone needing free long rewrites should look elsewhere.

Still deciding?

See how QuillBot compares

Every tool in our AI paraphrasing tools test got the same jobs. Our ranking puts the results side by side.

Disagree with our review?

Make your case

If you use QuillBot, or work there, and think we got something wrong, email us. Tell us what you saw and attach screenshots if you have them. We'll take another look and update the review if it changes our findings.

review.now.team@gmail.com or open your email app

Frequently asked questions

How much does QuillBot cost?

QuillBot has a free plan. Premium costs $4.17 a month, billed yearly, and the default pricing view doesn't show a monthly price. The Team plan is priced by quote and adds usage metrics, user management and central billing. We checked these prices on November 3, 2026.

How did you test QuillBot?

We gave QuillBot the same 20 passages as every other paraphrasing tool, over 7 days from October 21 to October 27, 2026. Three judges who didn't know which tool wrote what checked whether each rewrite kept the meaning, scored its readability, and counted the errors it introduced.

Is QuillBot free?

Yes, with limits. The free plan lets you paraphrase 125 words at a time in 2 modes, Standard and Fluency. You also get the summarizer for up to 1,200 words and the translator for up to 5,000 characters. The plagiarism checker isn't included on the free plan.

Can I get a QuillBot refund?

QuillBot offers a 3-day money-back guarantee on your first purchase made directly on QuillBot.com. Renewals aren't refundable unless the law requires it, it's one refund per user, and app-store and Team purchases are excluded. Approved refunds take 5 to 10 business days to arrive.

How do I cancel QuillBot?

Go to Account details and the Your Plan tab, or open a support ticket. Turning off auto-renewal stops future charges, but your plan stays active until the end of the period you've paid for. If you want it to end immediately, you need to contact support.

Does QuillBot keep the original meaning?

Mostly. In our test it kept the meaning in 16 of 20 passages, and our blind judges gave it 4.0 out of 5 for readability. In the other 4 passages the meaning drifted, so read every rewrite carefully before you use it, especially for essays or work documents.

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Written by

Liam Foster

AI tools and emerging online technology

If there's a strange new AI tool making its way around the internet, I've probably already bookmarked it. My favorite part is figuring out what these platforms can actually do.

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