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Best free AI writing tools (with a real free plan)

Updated 19 Oct 2026 · Prices from vendor pages only · How we rank →

The short answer

These AI writing tools have a free plan or are free to use, and we confirmed it on each vendor's own pricing page. Grammarly comes first: works across apps with a solid free tier and a modest Pro plan. The cheapest verified paid plan here is Wordtune Advanced ($4.89/month annual ($6.99 list)). 7 of the 7 have a free plan we could confirm. Every price below is from the vendor’s own page, checked 16–19 Oct 2026.

Ranked shortlist

  1. Grammarly: Works across apps with a solid free tier and a modest Pro plan. Plan: Free: $0
  2. QuillBot: Cheap Premium plan and a useful free paraphraser for students. Plan: Free: $0
  3. Wordtune: Low-cost rewriting with a free daily allowance. Plan: Basic: $0
  4. ProWritingAid: Grammar and style checker aimed at fiction writers. Plan: Free: $0
  5. DeepL Write: DeepL's AI writing and rephrasing assistant. Plan: Not yet verified
  6. Rytr: Low-cost AI writer for short-form copy. Plan: Free: $0
    10K characters/month
  7. Sepia: De-AI writing skill for 77+ Agent Skills-compatible agents. New open-source launch on GitHub. Plan: Open source (MIT)

Order follows ToolRank’s editorial ranking in Writing & Content, filtered to tools that fit this page. Anything we couldn’t confirm on a vendor page says “Not yet verified”.

Side by side

RankToolRelevant planStarting priceFree planBest forMain limitationLast checked
#1GrammarlyFree: $0$12/month (Pro)Spelling and grammar correctionsAnyone writing emails and docs who wants clean, correct textFree tier is spelling/grammar; full-sentence rewrites and tone need Pro.18 Oct 2026
#2QuillBotFree: $0$8.33/month (billed annually)Basic grammar fixes and limited paraphrasingStudents and non-native writers rewording textFree plan limits paraphrasing modes; full access needs Premium.16 Oct 2026
#3WordtuneBasic: $0$4.89/month (Advanced, billed annually)10 rewrites/day, 3 per month for some featuresPolishing emails and short-form textFree: 10 rewrites/day; Advanced is still daily-limited.18 Oct 2026
#4ProWritingAidFree: $0$10/month (Premium, billed yearly $120; $30 monthly)Free plan with core editing toolsFiction and long-form writers who want manuscript-level editing reportsMonthly billing costs roughly three times the yearly rate18 Oct 2026
#5DeepL WriteNot yet verified€7.49/month (DeepL Pro Individual, billed annually)DeepL Write has a free version; Pro has a 30-day free trialPolishing and translating text in several languagesPrices are listed in euros; Write Pro comes bundled with DeepL Pro16 Oct 2026
#6RytrFree: $0
10K characters/month		$7.50/month (Unlimited, billed yearly)Free forever, 10K characters/month, no cardCheap short-form copy draftingYearly prices shown; monthly prices are higher16 Oct 2026
#7SepiaOpen source (MIT)Not yet verifiedOpen source (MIT)Writers who want an agent skill that repairs AI-sounding prose and fiction structureNeeds an agent that supports Agent Skills19 Oct 2026

Prices as listed by each vendor on the last-checked date, USD, before tax. Plans and limits change, so follow the sources below.

Who should pick which

Pick Grammarly for anyone writing emails and docs who wants clean, correct text (Free: $0); think twice if you need long-form creative generation. Pick QuillBot for students and non-native writers rewording text (Free: $0); think twice if you need original long-form writing. Pick Wordtune for polishing emails and short-form text (Basic: $0); think twice if you need unlimited rewrites for free. Pick ProWritingAid for fiction and long-form writers who want manuscript-level editing reports (Free: $0). Watch out: monthly billing costs roughly three times the yearly rate. Pick DeepL Write for polishing and translating text in several languages (€7.49/month (DeepL Pro Individual, billed annually)). Watch out: prices are listed in euros; Write Pro comes bundled with DeepL Pro. Pick Rytr for cheap short-form copy drafting (Free: $0). Watch out: yearly prices shown; monthly prices are higher. Pick Sepia for writers who want an agent skill that repairs AI-sounding prose and fiction structure (free plan: Open source (MIT)). Watch out: needs an agent that supports Agent Skills.

FAQ

Which of these is cheapest?

Wordtune Advanced ($4.89/month annual ($6.99 list)) is the lowest paid price we verified on this list (https://www.wordtune.com/plans, checked 18 Oct 2026). Check the vendor page for tax, billing period and usage limits.

Which of these have a free plan?

Grammarly: Spelling and grammar corrections; QuillBot: Basic grammar fixes and limited paraphrasing; Wordtune: 10 rewrites/day, 3 per month for some features; ProWritingAid: Free plan with core editing tools; DeepL Write: DeepL Write has a free version; Pro has a 30-day free trial; Rytr: Free forever, 10K characters/month, no card; Sepia: Open source (MIT).

How were these tools chosen?

They are the tools in ToolRank's rankings with a free plan or free use (not just a trial), confirmed on the vendor's own website on 16–19 Oct 2026. Tools we could not verify are left out rather than guessed, and anything unconfirmed is marked Not yet verified.

Sources

Related comparisons

Profiles: Grammarly · QuillBot · Wordtune · ProWritingAid · DeepL Write · Rytr · Sepia

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