In a world where originality matters more than ever, having the best plagiarism checkers at your fingertips can make all the difference. I’ve tested and compared seven top plagiarism tools, focusing on features, pricing, accuracy, and real-world student use cases. Here’s your go-to guide what to use and when, with main features, pricing, pros, cons, and my favorite JustDone AI’s plagiarism checker coming out on top.
1. JustDone AI – Student-Friendly Powerhouse
Overview: JustDone offers a full suite of 25+ AI tools, including plagiarism checker, AI detector, grammar assistant, all under one dashboard.
Features
- AI-driven similarity detection – spots both copy-paste and paraphrased content
- Deep-dive reports with source links and percentage scores
- Integrated AI Detector & Humanizer to polish tone
- Essay feedback tools and grammar fixes
Pricing
- 7-day trial: $1, then $39.99/mo
- Monthly unlimited: $29.99
- Annual plan: ~$24.99/mo (billed annually)
Accuracy & Pros
- NLP-powered, highly accurate for paraphrase detection
- Great UX, fast scans, versatile toolset
- Affordable for serious students
Cons
- Might be overkill if you only need plagiarism scans
- Renewal pricing can catch you off guard
Test Result: I copied two paragraphs from a 2021 academic paper and ran it through JustDone. It highlighted exact phrases and also flagged sentences I had paraphrased too closely, showing me links to the original sources. That blew me away.
When I pasted in my own essay (with citations), the checker only flagged direct quotes and correctly noted they were cited. The AI Detector also let me test if my revisions still sounded too "robotic," which was a huge plus.
Conclusion: A perfect balance of strict but fair. It felt like a mentor more than a snitch.
2. Turnitin – The Institutional Standard
Overview: Turnitin is the gold standard in academia, but mostly accessed through universities.
Features
- Compares against institutional, web, and student databases
- AI detection, peer review, feedback tools included
- LMS integration (Canvas, Moodle, Blackboard)
Pricing
- No individual plans—must go through institutions
- Estimates vary; around $3/student/year at some schools
Accuracy & Pros
- Extremely thorough with huge database
- Trusted in academia; produces detailed originality reports
Cons
- Not accessible to individual students
- Institutions pay a premium; setup only through schools
Test Result: I uploaded the same paraphrased section through my university’s LMS (which uses Turnitin). It flagged most of the copied phrases, but also highlighted a few generic academic expressions that weren’t really plagiarism.
Turnitin also doesn’t show you everything unless your instructor enables full report viewing. That’s frustrating when you’re just trying to learn.
Conclusion: Super accurate, but not accessible or transparent for solo students.
3. Grammarly – Grammar + Plagiarism Combo
Overview: Grammarly’s checker is a solid choice for casual needs—plagiarism detection plus writing polish
Features
- Checks your text against 16 billion web pages and academic databases through ProQuest
- Real-time grammar, tone, clarity suggestions
Pricing
- Free: grammar only
- Pro (individual): $30/mo, or $12/mo billed yearly ($144/yr)
- Business: starts ~$25/user/mo
Accuracy & Pros
- Great for combined grammar and plagiarism needs
- Seamless across platforms (browser, Docs, desktop)
- Award-winning UI
Cons
- Database smaller than Turnitin & JustDone
- Plagiarism check included only in paid plans
- Pricey for budget-conscious students
Test Result: Grammarly caught exact matches but didn’t flag paraphrased sentences unless they were nearly identical. For example, I changed “Global warming affects sea levels” to “Rising temperatures are impacting ocean height”—and Grammarly let it slide.
It’s perfect for catching copy-paste, but weaker on paraphrasing unless you also use its wording suggestions to help.
Conclusion: Good if you’re already using Grammarly, but it’s not the most thorough plagiarism checker.
4. Copyscape – Web Content Specialist
Overview: Copyscape aims at online content creators, great at sniffing duplicate text on the web.
Features
- Paste text, upload files, or run batch scans
- API access for automated checks
Pricing
- Free trial available
- Premium: $0.03 per 200 words + $0.01 per 100 words
- Copysentry: $4.95/mo (weekly site scans) or $19.95/mo (daily)
Accuracy & Pros
- Fast and precise for web duplication
- No subscription, pay-as-you-go
- Ideal for bloggers & web devs
Cons
- No academic database scans
- Costs add up for long documents
- Lacks grammar/tone tools
Test Result: I pasted a blog-style paragraph from Medium and checked it via Copyscape. It gave me exact URL matches and showed partial sentence overlaps. Great for detecting duplicates online.
But when I tested a journal-style paraphrase, Copyscape didn’t catch it, since it’s not built to check academic material.
Conclusion: Awesome for web content, but not for essays or papers.
5. Unicheck – LMS-Integrated Academic Tool
Overview: Acquired by Turnitin, Unicheck yet operates independently in K-12 and higher ed.
Features
- Integrates with Google Docs, Office 365, Canvas
- Checks academic papers and web content
Pricing
- Tiered personal and institutional plans (pricing available on request)
Accuracy & Pros
- Blends web and academic scanning
- Familiar interface for students in integrated environments
Cons
- No public pricing
- Less popular than main Turnitin
Test Result: Used within a friend’s Canvas course, Unicheck did well catching partially reworded content, though its interface was clunkier than JustDone or Grammarly. I liked the side-by-side comparison, but reports took longer to load.
Conclusion: Good results, but slower and mostly school-locked.
6. PlagScan – Transparent Academic Choice
Overview: European-based tool PlagScan that merged into Ouriginal offers clear results and scalable plans.
Features
- Color-coded reports; supports multiple languages
- API and uploader support
Pricing
- Pay per word; volume-based (e.g., ~€5 for 20K words)
- Institutional access also available
Accuracy & Pros
- Easy to read with good multilingual support
- Real transparency in reports
Cons
- Costs vary by document length
- Sometimes flags false positives
Test Result: I uploaded a multilingual paper (English + French) to PlagScan. It caught source matches in both languages, which impressed me. But its UI is dated, and the pricing is weirdly word-based, so I had to trim my essay down to test it affordably.
Conclusion: Works well for multi-language content, but confusing pricing model.
7. PlagiarismCheck.org – LMS-Ready with AI Option
Overview: Education-focused tool PlagiarismCheck.org, includes AI content detection with LMS integration.
Features
- Highlights AI-generated text in addition to plagiarism
- Bulk assignment review for classrooms
- Integration with Canvas, Schoology, Google Classroom
Pricing
- Individual & institutional tiers; custom quotes
Accuracy & Pros
- Good for instructors handling classes
- Detects increasingly common AI-written segments
Cons
- Interface less polished than competitors
- Pricing requires contact
Test Result: I used their AI-text checker on an AI-generated essay. It correctly flagged the tone as machine-written and gave similarity matches for the copied portions.
However, the interface is a bit clunky, and results take longer to generate than JustDone.
Conclusion: A decent option, but needs UX improvements.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Tool | Academic DB | Web DB | AI Detection | Grammar Tools | Pricing | Pros | Cons |
| JustDone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $1 trial | $29.99/mo | ~$24.99/mo annually | Full toolset, great UX, affordable | Might be too many features if only checking plagiarism |
| Turnitin | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Institutional only | Huge database, trusted by schools | Not for individuals, pricey setup |
| Grammarly | Limited via ProQuest | Yes | No | Yes | $12–30/mo individual; business tiers | Grammar + plagiarism combo; polished interface | Smaller database; paid only |
| Copyscape | No | Yes | No | No | $0.03/200w + API plans | Precise web-based scanning; pay-as-you-go | No academic context; costs add up |
| Unicheck | Yes | Yes | Limited | No | Contract sales | LMS integration, academic & web checks | No public pricing; less known |
| PlagScan | Yes | Yes | No | No | Word-based | Multilingual, clear reports | Varying costs; occasional false positives |
| PlagiarismCheck.org | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Custom quotes | AI detection + LMS sync | Interface is less refined; unclear pricing |
Final Takeaways
After testing all these tools for a while, I can go with this checklist that makes using plagiarism checker much easier in different contexts.
- Want a versatile, easy-to-use tool? Go with JustDone AI. It’s feature-rich, student-focused, and budget-friendly.
- Institution affiliated? You’ll probably encounter Turnitin, and for good reasons
- Looking for combo tools? Grammarly offers solid grammar help alongside plagiarism scans.
- Content creators & bloggers? Copyscape helps catch copycats online.
- In LMS settings? Check out Unicheck, PlagScan, or PlagiarismCheck.org.
Conclusion
When students ask, “What are the top plagiarism tools?” you now have a clear snapshot. In most cases, JustDone AI is the best choice for students as it contains everything you may need. Turnitin is a classic academic heavyweight, while Grammarly is good for its grammar plus plagiarism checkers. It is a good choice to use Copyscape if you’re a web specialist. Besides, you can use Unicheck, PlagScan, or PlagiarismCheck.org as extension tools for academic ecosystems. Choosing the right plagiarism checker depends on your needs, so ask yourself: Do you want grammar support? Academic depth? Affordable flexibility? And choose accordingly. JustDone’s blend of accuracy, ease-of-use, and pricing makes it a standout, but if you’re in a classroom setting, check if your school already offers one of the institution-backed tools.
