Copying another person’s work is not only morally wrong but can ruin your reputation. There are many tools on the internet that can be used to catch plagiarism before it is published. If you are a web designer who would like to make sure you are not overstepping your boundaries or a publisher that would like to check in on your clients’ work, these tools can be extremely helpful in detecting plagiarism. Many professors and students from high schools and college use these online plagiarism tools in order to check their work. There are so many articles out there these days, and it is important to make sure your work or the work of your students is original.

Professors, editors, students, and people from many other professions rely on these tools in order to make sure they are producing original work that will not violate plagiarism. Plagiarism may not always be committed on purpose. It is possible that it happens accidentally due to the fact that there is so much text on the internet with social media and blogging.

The tools are not only helpful—they are easy to use, and the best part is they are free. It is worth it to take the time before submitting your work. While they don’t take a lot of time to use, it is an extra step to remember before completing an assignment. It is a step that might save you hassle in the long run.

Top Plagiarism Tools

1. Grammarly

While its name might make you think it is only useful for grammar, Grammarly can also be used to check to make sure written work is original and free of plagiarism. The benefits of using this online tool is that it can help you with grammar as well, and it is supported by most internet browsers. You can either copy and paste the text right into the box or can submit your work on Word.

Grammarly is free for a basic membership that will allow you to check grammar, but you can also upgrade to get premium features that include the reliable plagiarism checker. Millions of people have used and found success with using Grammarly for checking on plagiarism. It has a positive reputation and has helped many people ensure their work is original.  Many students and professors have found success, and it is also popular among journalists as well.

2. Copyscape

Copyscape is another great tool that has been used by many people for many years. It is actually one of the oldest online plagiarism tools and has been around longer than many others. This one is a great for checking website content. If you would like to check on your own writing on Word, you will have to purchase a subscription for a small fee. When checking web content for plagiarism, you will have to type the website URL into the box instead of copying and pasting the content.

This is a great tool for any web-related content that needs to be checked to see if it is original.  Using your premium account to check for plagiarism on your offline content is also an easy process. Don’t let Copyscape’s website fool you. It may look outdated, but it is still one of the top sites you can use for anti-plagiarism.

3. WhiteSmoke

Another great online plagiarism checker tool is WhiteSmoke. What makes this one diverse compared to the others is that it can come as an app. It can also help with content and grammar, as well as plagiarism. This mobile app allows users to check their work across all their portable devices and can also work with Word and Outlook. This is great for the journalist or student that works or studies away from home.

It is compatible with all browsers, carries templates for different letters and other types of writing you might have to do, and even has video tutorials to help you with your writing. It is an all-in-one tool for any level writer. It is more than just a plagiarism checker and can really help you learn more about writing, punctuation, and the English language. It doesn’t just do the work for you, but it gives you explanations.

4. Dustball

The Plagiarism Checker by Dustball has been around for 15 years. All you have to do is copy and paste the content that you wish to be checked. The free part of the website will check 1,000 pieces of content a day, but if it has already reached its limit will ask you to pay. That’s the not-so-great news. The really good news is that it only costs $8 a month and can be canceled at your convenience.  

You can either upload your whole document or just copy and paste whatever text you need to be checked. While the free version can certainly help you, especially if you use it at the right time, the premium version is three times more accurate. This is a perfect one for the student who might need it for a semester or two since you can pay month by month and cancel when you need to.

5. TurnItIn

The interesting story behind this online anti-plagiarism tool is that it was developed by 4 UC Berkley students in 1998 and started as a peer review tool. The plagiarism piece was added in 2000, and since then, TurnItIn has helped millions of students and teachers. It is not only helpful for detecting plagiarism but can be a means to improve one’s writing overall. There is a few for educators to use it, but based on the reviews, if you are going to spend your money, this might be a good place to spend it because of all the perks of being a member of this community.

This can also be used as an effective tool for professors and teachers to use in their classroom as technology plays a huge role in the lives of many students. It is a plagiarism tool that can be helpful to students and teachers alike.

6. QueText

This tool is one that is completely free to use. All you need to do is go to the website and copy and paste your text into the box and click the button that says, “Check Plagiarism”. Then you just wait for it to check many databases online to see if it detects any plagiarism. QueText does take a few minutes, but that is because it is checking so much text all over the web. It will let you know whether or not your work or your students’ work is original.

This is a great self-check tool as well as a great way for professors to check in on their students if they are suspecting plagiarism. This online checker does not offer other perks such as checking your grammar and punctuation, but if all you need to check is plagiarism, it is a bonus that it is free to use.

7. Plagiarisma

This online anti-plagiarism tool is similar to QueText, but it can also support over 190 languages. If you are taking a foreign language class or a fluent writer in multiple languages, this might be a tool you would want to use. It is also entirely free to use. The website, called Plagiarisma also does not store uploaded content as other sites may. This is a huge bonus because you don’t want your writing to be stored in different databases for others to see.

It not only works on the web but can work on mobile devices as well. It also does not take too much of your time to check as all you will have to do is copy and paste your content that you would like it to check, click the button, and wait a bit. It does offer grammar checks and a few other perks for writers.

8. WriteCheck

This tool is one that you would need to pay for, but it is very helpful and reliable for checking plagiarism and so much more. WriteCheck starts at less than $8 per 5,000 words and not only checks for unoriginal work. It can also help a writer with grammar, and even has a tutoring option where it can teach you the reasoning behind grammar, spelling, and punctuation so that you can learn something to apply in your future papers.

After submitting your papers, you can get feedback within 12 hours of sending it to one of the many tutors working for Pearson, a reliable educational company. While the prices for the many different services vary, it can be a very helpful writing tool no matter kind of help you are looking for when it comes to improving your writing for school, blogging, or any other kind of writing you do.

9. PlagScan

This is also a tool that you would need to pay for, but it offers a flat rate, whereas some online tools might charge based on the amount of words or submissions. PlagScan would be a great one to use if you know you will be making a lot of checks. A blogger, professor or journalist would most likely benefit the most from using a tool such as PlagScan because you will get your money’s worth if you use it often. It also offers a free trial and can even compare your work to many scientific journals.

Someone who is looking to have a journal article published or someone who publishes journal articles may find this one extremely helpful. Over a million people use PlagScan, and they not only use it as an anti-plagiarism tool, but it can also help you with citations. Citations can be difficult to get right.

10. iThenticate

iThenticate is another online plagiarism checker that is geared more towards scholarly writing and professionals who are attempting to publish or get published in journals.  This is a great tool that is helpful when writing for or publishing journal articles. Any plagiarism is bad, but this can really damage someone’s career. The website actually states that “1 out of 3 editors encounters plagiarism regularly”. This seems like a scary statistic. Plagiarism isn’t always intentional, either. Sometimes two people just have the same idea. Plagiarism can also be found in citations, which can be very difficult to get right even when using other online tools to help you.

iThenticate also helps government organizations, scientific writers, and professionals in the legal or human resource fields. This may not be a tool for students and teachers as it is more beneficial to professionals. The prices will vary depending on the length of your submission.  

11. Viper

This one is known as a “free alternative to TurnItIn”. Viper offers plagiarism checks by using your web browser to submit your work. It allows you to have as many submissions as you would like, and it will scan billions of resources online to verify original work. This would be a great tool to use for the college student or professor just looking to check their work. It is a quick checker, so you don’t have to wait too long for your results and is accurate. It is a great idea to submit your work to an anti-plagiarism tool like Viper before turning your assignments in so that you can be sure you have everything you need to in your report. The site claims that they have support on hand to assist you if you have any questions with the site, which is always good to know you have someone to call on if you get stuck.

12. Checkforplagiarism.net

This is a great site to use for teachers, students, or professionals. You create an account on checkforplagiarism.net and submit your work to be checked. There is a fee for Checkforplagiarism.net, but for students, it is only $20. There is a free aspect to the site, but for the most accurate results, you might want to upgrade from the free account to ensure you are fully protected from plagiarism. The fee for researchers and educators is a little bit more, but it also offers more for what you are paying.

The service offered to professionals checks online journals and other publications that would be relevant to scientists, legal personnel, and other professionals who have to write often. The site has been around since 2004 and has helped many users successfully detect and fix plagiarism. It also is able to check millions of books, magazine articles, and other publications.

13. Plagiarism Checker by SEO Tool Station

This online tool is helpful for those looking to put their work online on blogs, online magazines, and other web-based resources. Search Engine Optimization has become a popular marketing technique in the last decade or so, and it is very difficult to ensure you are not copying other people’s work because there is so much out there on the internet.

Those that are writing blogs and others types of online content may not purposefully commit plagiarism, but because there is so much out there, it can be very difficult to know whether or not you are actually submitting original work. The Plagiarism Checker by SEO Tool Station can help with that. It can check text by either copying and pasting your work, or you are able to also type in your web address so it can check the content of your writing that way. It is a free tool that checks thousands of websites online.

14. UniCheck

UniCheck, formerly known as UnPlag is another great tool to use for checking to make sure your article or writing is, in fact, original and there is not plagiarism. It takes about 4 seconds to complete the check, which is significantly faster than some of the other sites out there. It is one in which you can either copy and paste your content or upload your document.

Another great feature is that it does not save the content you submit, so your work and information are not stored. You are much better protected than you are when submitting work on some of the other sites that do save your content. It is not free, but the pricing is pretty decent, especially if it is a tool that is going to help you get your degree or continue working in your career. There are different packages depending on what services you need.

15. Pro Writing Aid

Finally, Pro Writing Aid is an effective online tool that can help you whether you are a student, teacher or professional.  It not only offers plagiarism checks but helps with proofreading your papers as well. The packages are based on the amount of checks that you perform. For 100 checks, you would pay about $20, and for 500 checks, you would pay about $60..

What you decide to pay depends on how much you will use it. It works for different styles of English, helps you with making sure you are not repeating the same words too much, and also has a 7-day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the job it has done for you. This may be great for a student who might need to use this for a semester or academic year. There is also a lifetime membership option as well if you will need to use this for many years to come.

Author: Garenne BigbyWebsite: http://garennebigby.com

Founder of DYNO Mapper and Former Advisory Committee Representative at the W3C.