If you have ever wished for a writing companion who could point out your mistakes, offer suggestions, or even help you rephrase some of your sentences more clearly, you will love QuillBot.
QuillBot is an AI-powered writing assistant that caters to all your writing needs: idea generation, grammar correction, paragraph completion, paraphrasing and rephrasing, plagiarism checks, and even citations for your academic papers.
Paraphrasing
When you open QuillBot, you are greeted by an intuitive UI that immediately conveys its primary function: paraphrasing. The interface is straightforward, you have an input box on the left, a selection of modes and languages at the top, and a green “Paraphrase” button at the bottom.
The process is straightforward: you enter your text into the input box, choose your desired mode, and then click the “Paraphrase” button (or simply press Ctrl+Enter). You receive the paraphrased output almost instantly.
If you want to make some changes to the output, you can easily edit it directly within the output box. QuillBot makes the user experience even better by color-coding changes in your inputs: changed words are colored orange, structural changes in phrasing are underscored in yellow, and the longest unchanged words are shown in blue text.
If you find a word in the output that doesn’t fit, you can simply click it with your mouse which will prompt QuillBot to offer numerous alternatives in a drop-down menu.
Once you’re satisfied with the output, you can hit Ctrl+C to copy it and then paste it wherever you wish.
If you’re still not content with the output, a quick shortcut, Ctrl+Enter, will give you a fresh paraphrased version. You can hit Ctrl+Enter any number of times but I’ve found that these versions start repeating themselves after the fourth round.
Out of the box, QuillBot comes with eight distinct modes with self-explanatory names: Standard, Fluency, Formal, Academic, Simple, Creative, Expand, and Shorten. Also, there’s a synonyms slider ranging from level 0 to 3.
When the slider level is 0, minimal changes occur to your text or more specifically, to the words in your text which preserves the core meaning of your text. But, as you move the slider up, more words will be replaced with their synonyms, which sometimes alters the text’s meaning.
Also read: How to Make ChatGPT Act Like Quillbot
The level 3 setting on the slider is particularly useful if you’re trying too hard to evade plagiarism or AI detection. Indeed, when ChatGPT was launched, many users relied heavily on QuillBot’s paraphrasing tool to mask the AI traces of ChatGPT-generated text.
Nevertheless, the real gem of QuillBot’s paraphrasing capability shines through its Custom Mode, which is like the versatile Swiss army knife among paraphrasing modes. Here, you have the freedom to set it to any style you want, whether it’s Tik-Toker, filled with idioms, or reminiscent of Jane Austen– and QuillBot performs admirably.
As an example, I entered the first paragraph of this article, and got it paraphrased into the style of the Old Testament, and the results were interesting:
And lo, if thou hast ever yearned for a companion in thy writing endeavors, one who could discern thine errors, offer counsel, and even aid thee in the art of rephrasing thy sentences with greater clarity, then surely thou shalt find great favor in QuillBot.
Also, QuillBot’s paraphraser supports 23 languages, including Chinese, French, German, Russian, Spanish, and Hindi.
To top it all off, QuillBot’s paraphraser is fully compatible with keyboard shortcuts. You can use Alt+C to copy the currently focused sentence, Alt+Right arrow to rephrase a sentence, Ctrl+Enter to paraphrase all text, and Ctrl+C to copy all paraphrased text (no need to select text manually).
QuillBot’s AI co-writer
While QuillBot is chiefly known for its paraphrasing capabilities, its strengths extend beyond this domain. QuillBot includes an AI-powered co-writing feature complete with a comprehensive document editor and a range of styling options commonly found in more expensive AI writing tools like Jasper.ai or Copy.ai.
Also read: AI Writing Tool Buying Guide (+ How to Choose the Perfect One)
In QuillBot’s co-writer, you have the flexibility to either upload your existing document, choose from QuillBot’s built-in templates, or start completely from scratch. You get all the usual array of tools for text formatting and styling, along with markdown support.
QuillBot’s co-writing functionality incorporates an AI assistant that not only excels at paraphrasing and summarizing your content but can also provide context-based suggestions. A convenient menu bar hovers at the bottom of the page, granting quick access to these handy tools.
Moreover, an intriguing feature known as ‘flare’ resides to the right of any active paragraph, following your cursor’s placement. With a simple click, you can issue commands to this AI assistant, to generate fresh ideas, offer examples to drive your points home, present counterarguments, or fulfill a number of other tasks.
Research and Citations
If you’re a researcher or academic, you’ll love the next two features I’m about to introduce.
On the right side of your screen in QuillBot’s co-writer, you’ll notice two handy buttons: Research and Citation.
Let’s start with the Research button, a tool that allows you to delve into any topic without ever leaving your browser tab. Think of it as a streamlined version of Google.
When you click the Research button, a straightforward text box appears where you can enter your query. QuillBot will swiftly retrieve results from Google but in a user-friendly interface. You can easily click on any link to read its content and copy whatever you like, all without the distraction of ads, right within the QuillBot tab. Talk about seamless!
The second feature, which you’ll find invaluable, is the citation generator. Whether you’re working on non-fiction books or research papers, citing your sources accurately is crucial. These citations must adhere to the standard formats specified by academic institutions.
Creating citations within QuillBot’s co-writer couldn’t be easier. Just place your cursor at the word’s end where you intend to insert your citation link and utilize the citation search box to find your source, be it a website, book, or journal. Once you’ve identified your source within the search results, simply select it, and your citation is ready to go.
Grammar Corrections
QuillBot’s AI co-writer includes an integrated grammar checker that will feel instantly familiar if you’ve ever used Grammarly.
Errors in your text are highlighted with a red underline. When you hover your mouse over these errors, QuillBot provides both an identification of the mistake and a suggestion for improving that section of your text. This can range from a simple comma insertion to a complete word replacement.
It’s safe to say that with QuillBot, you can confidently forgo your Grammarly subscription. QuillBot offers all the features of Grammarly and more, all at less than half the price.
Additionally, QuillBot’s Grammar Checker and Citation Generator are available separately from its AI-assisted co-writer. This means you can use these tools with external documents that were not created within QuillBot.
Plagiarism Checker
QuillBot includes an integrated plagiarism checker that allows you to scan up to 20 pages per day. If you require additional scans, there is an option to purchase extra credits.
The plagiarism checker is pretty effective too. In a personal test, I used it on one of my articles, which was a mere six months old and had not been attracting any traffic. I copied three paragraphs from this article and pasted them into the plagiarism checker. Remarkably, it swiftly detected the plagiarised content and even provided a direct link to my article from which the text had been lifted.
Summarizer & Translator
QuillBot also includes a specialized summarization tool and a translator.
To use the summarizer, you merely input your text into the left-side input box, select a mode, or even issue a custom command (like highlighting key sentences), and it will generate a summary of your text for you.
Similarly, to use the translator, you either paste or type your text into the left textbox, select the target language for translation, and then click the translate button. Your text will be promptly translated.
Currently, QuillBot supports translation between 23 different languages including French, German, Russian, Spanish, and Chinese.
Extensions and Add-ons
To utilize QuillBot’s vast feature set, you don’t have to be boxed in the QuillBot’s website. Thanks to its seamless integration with external programs, QuillBot effortlessly adapts to your work environment, whether you’re online or offline.
QuillBot offers browser extensions compatible with Google Chrome and other Chrome-based browsers like Opera and MS Edge. Also, it provides add-ons for Microsoft Word and even has a dedicated desktop app for MacOS.
These integrations ensure that QuillBot is readily accessible wherever you work, be it on the internet or offline. If your work involves substantial writing tasks, QuillBot will swiftly become an indispensable part of your writing toolkit.
Pricing and value
The free version of QuillBot provides a limited glimpse of its capabilities, sufficient only for a basic understanding of its features. However, if you write frequently, you’ll quickly find its limitations to be a hurdle.
For those seeking the full taste of its capabilities, QuillBot offers a premium plan at $49.99 for an annual subscription, $39.95 for a semi-annual plan, and $9.95 for a monthly plan. Opting for the annual plan provides a substantial 50% discount compared to monthly payments.
In contrast, Grammarly Premium costs $120 per year, while AI writing tools like Jasper.ai and Copy.ai come with even higher price tags, at $49 per month and $39 per month, respectively. QuillBot’s competitive pricing makes it an appealing choice for those seeking advanced writing assistance without breaking the bank.
Comparison with ChatGPT/Free AI chatbots
All this leaves us with a poignant question: is there a place for paid tools like QuillBot in a world where AI chatbots like ChatGPT and countless others are available for free?
It’s true that ChatGPT can handle about 70% of the tasks that QuillBot can. It can paraphrase and summarise text, generate ideas, provide examples, and even complete your paragraphs. So, is QuillBot worth the investment?
In my opinion, yes. I chose to subscribe to QuillBot even though I had access to free options like ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and Perplexity.ai. The key distinction between QuillBot and ChatGPT-like tools lies in their ease of use.
To make ChatGPT replicate QuillBot’s functionality, you’d need to give it precise commands and fine-tune them repeatedly, as the desired response isn’t guaranteed on the first try. Then, you’d have to manually copy and paste the output into your work. It can never be as straightforward as making edits right there and simply pressing Ctrl+Enter followed by Ctrl+C to copy.
And it’s not just about keyboard shortcuts. With AI chatbots, you can’t easily make real-time changes within the output box or tab a word for its replacements. Moreover, essential features like an AI-powered co-writer, citation generator, and plagiarism checker are notably absent in ChatGPT-like tools.
This is why there are so many paid AI writers sprouting up like mushrooms these days, even when they all use the same GPT-based engines as ChatGPT.
Replacing QuillBot with AI chatbots does not offer the same frictionless experience that QuillBot provides, which sets QuillBot apart with its ease of use and comprehensive feature set.
Final words
QuillBot emerges as a versatile and indispensable writing assistant in a world teeming with AI-powered tools. While AI chatbots like ChatGPT have made waves with their free accessibility, QuillBot manages to carve out its own niche through its user-friendly interface and an extensive set of features.
From grammar checking and paraphrasing to citation generation and plagiarism checks, QuillBot offers a comprehensive toolkit for writers, researchers, and academics. Its seamless integration with various platforms further enhances its appeal, making it a valuable asset for those seeking convenience and efficiency in their writing processes.
In an era of ever-evolving AI writing assistants, QuillBot stands out as a reliable, accessible, and feature-rich option that simplifies the process of effective and polished writing. 🍻