Scribbr
Scribbr offers academic proofreading, plagiarism checking, AI detection, and citation tools. See 2026 per-word rates and plagiarism check pricing tiers.
About Scribbr
What is Scribbr (2026 update)
Scribbr is an academic services platform offering human proofreading and editing, an AI plagiarism checker, an AI content detector, and free citation generation tools. It sits in the AI detection and academic writing support category, aimed mainly at students working on theses, dissertations, and papers.
What is new in 2026
Scribbr’s AI Detector now runs on the detection engine of Quillbot, since Scribbr’s parent company Learneo acquired Quillbot in 2024, and the tool has continued to develop paragraph-level analysis that highlights specific sections of a document as likely AI-written rather than only giving one overall score. The detector also distinguishes between text that appears fully AI-written and text that appears AI-refined from a human draft. A premium detection tier, bundled with paid Scribbr plans, adds coverage for GPT-4, GPT-4o, Claude, and Gemini outputs specifically, and Scribbr’s own internal testing reports 84% accuracy for the premium tier compared to 78% for the free version, figures that come from the company itself and have not been independently verified.
Key features
- Human proofreading and editing for theses, dissertations, and papers
- AI plagiarism checker scanning against a large database of web pages and publications
- Self-plagiarism check that lets you upload your own past unpublished work as a comparison source
- AI Detector with paragraph-level highlighting and an AI likelihood score
- Free APA and MLA citation generators
- Structure Check and Clarity Check as optional add-on editing services
Pricing in 2026
Scribbr’s citation generators are free to use. The plagiarism checker is priced per document based on word count, and proofreading/editing is priced per word with an added setup fee, where price depends on word count, service selection, and how fast you need it back.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Citation Generator | Free | APA and MLA citation generation |
| Plagiarism Checker, small document | around $19.95 (up to 7,499 words) | Single plagiarism scan and report for a document up to that word count |
| Plagiarism Checker, medium document | around $29.95 (7,500-49,999 words) | Plagiarism scan and report for a mid-sized document |
| Proofreading and Editing | roughly $0.017-$0.053 per word, plus a $25 setup fee | Human proofreading and editing, rate depends on word count and turnaround speed |
| AI Detector Premium | bundled with paid Scribbr plans, check the official site | Coverage for GPT-4, GPT-4o, Claude, and Gemini text plus higher reported accuracy |
Who should use it
Scribbr fits students and researchers who need a one-time professional proofread of a thesis or paper, want to check a document for plagiarism before submission, or need to verify whether a piece of writing looks AI-generated. It also suits anyone who just needs a fast, free citation in APA or MLA format without paying for anything. It is a weaker fit for people who need ongoing, unlimited plagiarism or AI checks, since both the plagiarism checker and proofreading service are priced per document or per word rather than as a flat subscription.
Limitations and alternatives
Because Scribbr prices proofreading and plagiarism checks per document or per word, costs can add up quickly for longer documents or repeated use, and faster turnaround times cost noticeably more per word. For AI detection alone, GPTZero and Originality.ai are commonly compared alternatives with their own accuracy claims. For plagiarism checking, Turnitin is the standard tool used directly by many universities, and Grammarly’s premium plans bundle grammar checking with some plagiarism detection at a flat monthly rate rather than per document. Check the official Scribbr site for current per-word and per-document rates, since these depend on your specific word count and turnaround choice.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Scribbr's plagiarism checker cost?
It is priced per document by word count, roughly $19.95 for documents up to 7,499 words and around $29.95 for 7,500 to 49,999 words, with higher tiers for larger documents.
Is Scribbr's citation generator free?
Yes, the APA and MLA citation generators are free to use.
How accurate is Scribbr's AI detector?
Scribbr reports 84% accuracy for its premium detection tier and 78% for the free version, based on the company's own internal testing, so treat these as self-reported figures.
What are alternatives to Scribbr?
GPTZero and Originality.ai are common alternatives for AI detection, Turnitin is widely used for institutional plagiarism checking, and Grammarly bundles grammar and some plagiarism checking into a flat monthly subscription.
Information last verified: September 2026.
Related Tools
