It is the end of 2024, and your homework is piling up. From simple essays to more complex group assignments, you do your best to avoid using artificial intelligence.
Your individual work is free of AI; however, can the same be said for your group members, who submitted their contributions on Sunday evening within ten minutes of you asking them?
You suddenly realize that you need a reliable AI detector to check your groupmates’ work.
However, the internet is filled with various tools, and you’re feeling overwhelmed because you don’t know which one to trust.
Don’t stress! Over the past year, we’ve tested nearly 100 different AI content detectors, and as a result, we can highlight the best options for students like you.
Let’s dive right in.
As with everything in life, you get what you pay for.
However, more often than not, you want only a few things but have to pay for a lot of nonsense you don’t actually need. The same goes for AI detectors.
So let’s set some ground rules for what the tool we are looking for needs to be:
This means we will be more lenient with features intended for professional users, such as bulletproof data privacy technologies or API integrations.
Also, we didn’t see any point in including the exact prices for the tools listed, as they are always changing due to seasonal sales and whatnot.
Before we begin with the list, it’s important to note that there is no definitive first place.
Each tool on this list excels in a particular area, and we will highlight those strengths to help you make the most optimal choice for your needs.
Now that’s cleared up, let’s get started.
If you’re only interested in detecting AI-generated content with high accuracy, look no further. Winston AI has you covered, having scored almost maximum points in our testing.
This AI detector offers a useful free trial and supports multiple languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Dutch, and Chinese.
However, there are some things to consider before giving it a try:
If you’re looking for a reliable and accurate tool, along with a capable plagiarism checker, Quetext offers you the best package.
Just keep in mind that the free version is very limited. However, the cost of the full 2-in-1 version is reasonable, especially considering its (very accurate) plagiarism-checking capabilities.
The good news is that you don’t need to pay for the plagiarism checker if you don’t plan to use it—you can get the AI detector separately.
It also supports file uploads and can detect AI and plagiarism in various (mostly European) languages.
If you use your phone more than your laptop, Merlin’s AI detector might be the right option for you.
Their website is well-optimized and the tool works great on mobile. Even better, they have dedicated apps for both iOS and Android.
The detector itself is accurate and performed well in our testing. It also supports file uploads.
The freemium option is sufficient for quick checks; however, the paid version is the most expensive among all the tools listed above.
Merlin claims that the detector works in 128 languages; however, we remain skeptical about how well it functions for every language.
So you’re here for the best free option? Well, here it is—Scribbr.
Let’s say right off the bat that we’re not the biggest fans of this tool, as some people have had questionable experiences with it. However, Scribbr’s corporate backing ensures ongoing development.
What’s even more important is that it’s FREE and accurate enough to scan smaller chunks of text (up to 1,200 words at a time).
It doesn’t support file uploads; you can only copy-paste text for analysis. However, it supports multiple languages like English, French, Spanish, and German.
In our view, the tools listed here are the best fit for most students in their daily schoolwork.
Of course, there are more capable tools (such as Pangram Labs, for example), but such detectors are intended for different use cases and come at a higher cost.
Furthermore, as generative AI continues to evolve rapidly and companies update their tools or change pricing, we will keep this post continuously updated.
So be sure to subscribe to our newsletter and don’t forget to spread the word!
This article reflects our experiences testing various AI content detectors. We don’t receive payment from these companies, allowing us to express our honest opinions.