QuillBot vs Grammarly 2026: Which Writing Tool Is Actually Better?

QuillBot and Grammarly are the two most popular AI writing assistants, but they serve different purposes. Choosing between them isn’t straightforward because they excel in different areas.

Here’s the short answer: Grammarly is better for grammar checking and real-time writing assistance. QuillBot is better for paraphrasing and rewriting text. Many serious writers use both.

This comparison breaks down exactly what each tool does best, what it costs, and which one you should choose based on your specific needs.

QuillBot vs Grammarly: Quick Comparison

Feature	QuillBot	Grammarly
Best For	Paraphrasing, rewriting	Grammar checking, real-time editing
Free Tier	125 words paraphrase, basic grammar	Full grammar check, limited suggestions
Premium Price	~£79/year	~£120/year
British English	Supported (settings)	Native support, excellent
Browser Extension	Yes	Yes (superior integration)
Plagiarism Checker	Premium only	Premium only
Paraphrasing Modes	7 modes	Basic rewriting only
Tone Detection	Limited	Excellent
Mobile App	Limited	Full-featured keyboard

Grammar Checking: Grammarly Wins

If your primary need is catching grammatical errors, Grammarly is the clear winner.

Grammarly’s Grammar Strengths

• Comprehensive error detection: Catches spelling, grammar, punctuation, and style issues
• Contextual suggestions: Understands sentence context to provide relevant fixes
• Tone detection: Identifies if your writing sounds confident, friendly, formal, etc.
• Clarity improvements: Suggests ways to make sentences clearer and more concise
• Genre-specific: Adjusts suggestions based on whether you’re writing academic, business, or creative content

QuillBot’s Grammar Capabilities

• Basic error detection: Catches common spelling and grammar mistakes
• Sentence structure suggestions: Premium feature for improving flow
• Less contextual awareness: Sometimes misses nuanced errors
• Improving rapidly: Recent updates have enhanced grammar features

Real-World Grammar Test

We tested both tools on a paragraph with intentional errors:

Original text (with errors): “Their going to the meeting tommorrow, but they haven’t recieved the agenda yet. The team are working hard on the project, which effects everyone.”

Grammarly caught:

• Their → They’re
• tommorrow → tomorrow
• recieved → received
• effects → affects
• Flagged “team are” as British English (correctly)

QuillBot caught:

• Their → They’re
• tommorrow → tomorrow
• recieved → received
• Missed “effects/affects” distinction

Winner: Grammarly - More comprehensive error detection, especially for nuanced mistakes.

Paraphrasing: QuillBot Wins Decisively

For rewriting and paraphrasing text, QuillBot is significantly superior.

QuillBot’s Paraphrasing Modes

1. Standard: Balanced rewrite maintaining original meaning
2. Fluency: Improves readability and natural flow
3. Formal: Elevates casual language to professional tone
4. Simple: Simplifies complex sentences
5. Creative: Most significant rewrites, fresh phrasing
6. Expand: Adds detail and elaboration
7. Shorten: Condenses text while keeping key points

Grammarly’s Rewriting Capabilities

Grammarly offers sentence rewriting suggestions, but they’re limited:

• Fewer alternative phrasings offered
• No dedicated paraphrasing modes
• Works sentence-by-sentence rather than full paragraphs
• Focused on clarity rather than comprehensive rewriting

Paraphrasing Test

Original sentence: “The implementation of the new software system has resulted in significant improvements to operational efficiency across all departments.”

QuillBot (Creative mode): “Rolling out the new software has dramatically boosted how efficiently every department operates.”

QuillBot (Formal mode): “The deployment of the updated software infrastructure has yielded substantial enhancements to operational productivity throughout the organisation.”

Grammarly suggestion: “The new software system has significantly improved operational efficiency across all departments.” (Minor simplification only)

Winner: QuillBot - Far more versatile rewriting options and better quality paraphrasing.

British English Support

Both tools support British English, but the quality differs.

Grammarly’s British English

• Native support: Excellent British English handling from the ground up
• Easy activation: Simple toggle in settings
• Consistent: Rarely suggests American alternatives
• Comprehensive: Covers spelling, punctuation (single quotes vs double), and date formats

QuillBot’s British English

• Supported but secondary: British English available in settings
• Paraphraser quirks: Sometimes outputs American phrasing despite UK settings
• Grammar checker: Works well with British spelling when enabled
• Workaround needed: May require running grammar check after paraphrasing to catch American spellings

Winner: Grammarly - More reliable, consistent British English throughout.

Pricing Comparison (UK)

QuillBot Pricing

Plan	Price (USD)	Approximate GBP
Free	$0	£0
Monthly	$19.95/mo	~£16/mo
Semi-Annual	$13.33/mo	~£63 total
Annual	$8.33/mo	~£79 total

Grammarly Pricing

Plan	Price (USD)	Approximate GBP
Free	$0	£0
Monthly	$30/mo	~£24/mo
Quarterly	$20/mo	~£48 total
Annual	$12/mo	~£115 total

Which Is Better Value?

QuillBot is cheaper, but the value depends on your needs:

• If you mainly need grammar checking: Grammarly Free is excellent and may be sufficient
• If you need paraphrasing: QuillBot Premium is essential and well-priced
• If you need both: QuillBot Premium + Grammarly Free covers most use cases

Budget option: QuillBot Premium (£79/year) + Grammarly Free = comprehensive coverage for under £80/year

Feature-by-Feature Breakdown

Plagiarism Checking

Both offer plagiarism detection, but with different approaches:

Grammarly:

• Checks against 16+ billion web pages
• Clear percentage score and highlighted matches
• Premium only
• More established database

QuillBot:

• Checks against web sources
• Provides percentage and source links
• Premium only
• Newer feature, smaller database

Winner: Grammarly - More mature plagiarism detection with larger database.

Browser Extension

Grammarly:

• Works in almost every text field online
• Gmail, Google Docs, social media, CMS platforms
• Unobtrusive suggestions appear as you type
• Excellent integration

QuillBot:

• Works in many online text fields
• Good Google Docs integration
• Paraphrasing available in-context
• Slightly less universal than Grammarly

Winner: Grammarly - Better integration across more platforms.

Summariser

QuillBot:

• Dedicated summariser tool
• Choose between key sentences or paragraph summary
• Adjust summary length with slider
• Free tier: 1,200 words, Premium: 6,000 words

Grammarly:

• No dedicated summariser
• Limited to sentence-level rewrites

Winner: QuillBot - Grammarly doesn’t compete here.

Citation Generator

QuillBot:

• Built-in citation generator
• APA, MLA, Chicago, and more formats
• Creates citations from URLs, DOIs, or manual entry
• Free to use

Grammarly:

• No citation generator

Winner: QuillBot - Useful feature Grammarly lacks entirely.

Mobile Experience

Grammarly:

• Full keyboard app for iOS and Android
• Works in any app where you type
• Seamless integration
• Excellent mobile experience

QuillBot:

• Web app works on mobile browsers
• No dedicated keyboard app
• Less convenient for mobile writing

Winner: Grammarly - Far superior mobile integration.

Who Should Choose QuillBot?

QuillBot is the better choice if you:

• Need to paraphrase frequently: Students rewriting notes, content writers creating variations
• Want to change writing tone: Converting casual to formal or vice versa
• Create citations regularly: The built-in citation generator is convenient
• Have a limited budget: Cheaper than Grammarly Premium
• Need to summarise long documents: QuillBot’s summariser is genuinely useful

Ideal QuillBot Users

• University students (within academic integrity guidelines)
• Content marketers creating multiple versions of copy
• Non-native English speakers learning to rephrase ideas
• Researchers needing to summarise sources
• Anyone on a budget who needs more than basic grammar checking

Who Should Choose Grammarly?

Grammarly is the better choice if you:

• Prioritise grammar accuracy: It catches more errors, more reliably
• Write across many platforms: The browser extension is superior
• Use mobile devices frequently: Grammarly Keyboard is excellent
• Need tone guidance: Understanding how your writing comes across
• Want British English consistency: More reliable UK English support

Ideal Grammarly Users

• Professional writers and journalists
• Business professionals writing emails and reports
• Anyone who writes in multiple applications daily
• Mobile-first users who compose on phones/tablets
• Writers who want real-time feedback as they type

Can You Use Both?

Yes, and many people do. The tools complement each other:

Recommended Workflow

1. Draft your content in your preferred application
2. Run Grammarly (free or premium) to catch grammar and spelling errors
3. Use QuillBot to paraphrase sections that need fresh phrasing
4. Final Grammarly pass to catch any errors introduced during paraphrasing

Cost-Effective Combination

• Grammarly Free + QuillBot Premium = ~£79/year
• Covers grammar checking, paraphrasing, summarising, and citations
• Best of both worlds without paying for two premium subscriptions

Common Questions

Is QuillBot better than Grammarly for students?

It depends on the task. For paraphrasing and summarising sources, QuillBot is better. For catching grammar errors in essays, Grammarly is better. Many students benefit from using both. Always check your university’s policy on AI writing tools.

Which is more accurate for grammar?

Grammarly is more accurate for grammar checking. It catches more errors, understands context better, and provides more helpful suggestions. QuillBot’s grammar checker is decent but not as comprehensive.

Can Turnitin detect QuillBot or Grammarly?

Turnitin has AI detection capabilities but primarily looks for AI-generated content patterns. Using Grammarly for grammar checking is unlikely to trigger AI detection. Heavily paraphrased text from QuillBot may or may not be flagged, depending on the extent of changes. Neither tool guarantees avoiding detection.

Is the free version of Grammarly enough?

For basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation checking, yes. Grammarly Free is genuinely useful and catches most common errors. You only need Premium for advanced suggestions, tone detection, plagiarism checking, and genre-specific writing guidance.

Does QuillBot work with Google Docs?

Yes, both QuillBot and Grammarly have Google Docs extensions. Grammarly’s integration is smoother and more comprehensive. QuillBot’s extension focuses on paraphrasing within the document.

Final Verdict

Choose QuillBot If:

• Paraphrasing is your primary need
• You’re on a tighter budget
• You need summarising and citation tools
• You want multiple rewriting styles

Choose Grammarly If:

• Grammar accuracy is your priority
• You write across many platforms
• You need reliable British English support
• Mobile writing is important to you

Best Overall Approach:

Use both. Grammarly Free handles grammar excellently at no cost. QuillBot Premium (~£79/year) adds powerful paraphrasing that Grammarly can’t match. Together, they cover all bases for less than Grammarly Premium alone.

Bottom line: These aren’t competing tools - they’re complementary. Most serious writers who use both report better results than committing exclusively to either one.

Related Resources

For a UK-focused deep dive into QuillBot, read our complete QuillBot UK review. To understand AI detection and academic integrity, see our QuillBot AI Detector guide.

---

About Indexify: We provide data-driven marketing intelligence for UK businesses. No fluff, no vanity metrics - just growth.