Read this article if...
you've ever wondered which is the best ai detector out there. Trust me, I’ve tried them all so you don’t have to stress over it.
I'm covering top tools like AIDetectPlus, GPTZero, Zerogpt, and more. If you skip this, you might miss the exact one that fits your needs.
I’ll also talk about some cool ones, like Quillbot's AI Detector, Smodin, and Copyleaks. They each work a bit differently, and that’s where it gets interesting.
Let me break down how Winston AI and Originality.AI stack up against the rest. There are real differences that could matter a lot to you.
I've made it super easy—quick pros, cons, and tips on which AI detector actually does the job in real life, not just in theory.
If you don’t read this, you’ll end up guessing and might pick the wrong tool. No one likes wasting time or risking mistakes!
This is not just another boring list. I actually tried these tools, read their fine print, and even checked how they hold up in tricky spots.
So if you’re serious about choosing the right AI detector, let’s dive into this together. I want you to get the most out of your choice.
Before we get into the details, here’s a quick table of contents for you:
- 8 Best AI Detectors 2025 (Table)
- #1 - AIDetectPlus
- #2 - GPTZero
- #3 - Zerogpt
- #4 - Quillbot AI Detector
- #5 - Smodin AI Content Detector
- #6 - Copyleaks
- #7 - Winston AI
- #8 - Originality AI
- Which AI Detector Really Delivers What You Need?
Top 8 AI Detector Picks for 2025: Quick Overview Table
| Tool Name | Pros | Cons | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIDetectPlus |
|
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One-time: $9/5k, $14/20k, $24/40k credits. $19/month unlimited. |
| GPTZero |
|
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Plans from $14.99/mo, credits reset monthly |
| ZeroGPT |
|
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Free plan, paid from $7.99/month, credits expire monthly. |
| QuillBot AI Detector |
|
|
Free up to 1,200 words; $9.95/month unlimited |
| Smodin AI Content Detector |
|
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Free limited plan, paid tiers available |
| Copyleaks |
|
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Starts at $9.99/month; bundles from $16.99/month. |
| Winston AI |
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Starts at $12/month, trial limited |
| Originality.AI |
|
|
Pay as you go ($30/3,000), Pro ($12.95/mo), Enterprise ($136.58/mo) |
#1 - AIDetectPlus
What does AIDetectPlus Do?
Okay, so AIDetectPlus basically lets you find out if something was written by AI, make your writing appear totally human, and even helps you create essays that slip right past AI detectors. All this happens in one tool, and there’s only a one-time fee – no sneaky subscriptions or surprises.
Does it Have a Free Trial?
You bet! You can instantly try AIDetectPlus with a 1000 word trial. No need to mess around with credit cards, just jump in and see if it’s what you need.
What Does AIDetectPlus Do Well?
- It’s packed with AI detectors and humanizers for different groups. There are options made just for students, marketers, and teachers, so you’re not stuck with a one-size-fits-all thing.
- The pricing is actually way cheaper than most others out there. Buy credits once, they never expire. You only pay again if you use them all. Super simple.
- All-in-one platform: It’s not just for detection. You’ve got an essay writer, a plagiarism checker, a paraphraser, PDF chat tools, and even a free LLM chatbot to mess around with.
- No grammar mess-ups here. Your humanized text comes out clean—no edits needed. There’s even no word limit for what you paste in, which makes bigger jobs way easier.
- And for real, the site’s easy to use, and the support team actually has your back if you ever get stuck.
Check out what Natasha had to say in her Trustpilot review:
“Really appreciated the straight forward pricing with no surprises! AI Detect Plus is an AWESOME tool to help polish up academic and professional writing.”
Where Does AIDetectPlus Fall Short?
- No Mobile App Yet: So, you need to use your browser on your phone. It works fine, just not as slick as a proper app would feel. For most people who work on desktop, though, that’s not a big deal.
- Proprietary Algorithm: They don’t reveal what’s under the hood so you have to trust them a bit. But honestly, every major AI detector does the same thing to stop people from gaming the system, so this isn’t unusual.
What Does AIDetectPlus Cost?
- $9 (One-Time Payment) - You get 5k credits (1 credit = 1 word). Use them for detection, humanizing, plagiarism checks, or writing undetectable essays. Good if you just want to try it out.
- $14 (One-Time Payment) - 20k credits, same deal, they never expire. More room to experiment.
- $24 (One-Time Payment) - 40k credits, and you get a big discount on the price per word.
- Unlimited Plan - $19/month for unlimited words. This is the most popular option. Cancel whenever you don’t need it anymore.
#3 - GPTZero
What does GPTZero Do?
GPTZero is basically your go-to tool for figuring out if text was written by a human or pumped out by an AI, like ChatGPT. It checks stuff for AI-ness using smart math (they call it perplexity and burstiness scores), then spits out a percent so you know if it thinks the text is AI or not.
Does it Have a Free Trial?
Yep, you can try GPTZero for free—but just for a small word count. After that, you’ll need to grab a paid plan if you want to scan more stuff.
What Does GPTZero Do Well?
- Fast Checks: It’s super quick, so you can spot AI-written bits in seconds, which is a lifesaver for teachers and writers in a hurry.
- Clear Percentages: GPTZero gives you an easy-to-understand percentage for how much of your text is probably AI-generated. No need for a PhD to read the results.
- Handy Integrations: You can use it as a Chrome extension, pop it into Word, or hook up the API for automated checks.
Where Does GPTZero Fall Short?
- Inconsistent Accuracy: Sometimes it calls your human-written work “AI” and misses real AI-generated stuff, so you can’t always trust the results.
- Poor Customer Support: If you get stuck, don’t expect quick help—users say the support team is slow and rarely useful.
- Clunky Subscription Model: You have to pay every month, and if you don’t use your credits, they just disappear—no rollovers, which feels like a ripoff.
- Not User-Friendly: The interface can be confusing and honestly kind of a headache if you just want fast answers.
- Falls Behind on Newer AI: It doesn’t always keep pace with the latest AI models, so it feels outdated sometimes.
What Does GPTZero Cost?
- Essential Plan - $14.99/month for 150,000 words. Basic detection, Chrome extension included, but credits reset monthly and don’t roll over.
- Premium Plan - $23.99/month for 300,000 words. Adds plagiarism checker and writing feedback, but again, use it or lose it on word credits.
- Professional Plan - $45.99/month for 500,000 words. Geared for teams, offers collaboration and LMS integrations, but still monthly credits only.
- API Access - Starts at $45/month for 300k words, and prices skyrocket for bigger needs.
If you want to know more about GPTZero, you can read the in-depth GPTZero Review blog I wrote recently.
#4 - ZeroGPT
What does ZeroGPT Do?
ZeroGPT is an AI content detector that checks if your text comes from an AI or a real person. It spits out a score showing how “AI-ish” your writing is and offers handy extras like a grammar checker, paraphraser, translator, and word counter in the same place.
Does it Have a Free Trial?
Yup, it’s got a free version where you can run up to 15,000 characters per detection to test the waters. But if you want to kick up the limits, you’ve gotta go pro and pay up.
What Does ZeroGPT Do Well?
- All-in-One Toolbox: You get more than just AI detection—there’s grammar, paraphrasing, summarizing, and even translation, all bundled together.
- User-Friendly: The interface is super easy to figure out, so you’ll be scanning text in seconds with zero confusion.
- Free Plan: Let’s be real, getting a free taste (15,000 characters!) before spending money is always a win.
Where Does ZeroGPT Fall Short?
- Shaky Accuracy: The results bounce all over the place—it sometimes calls obvious AI “human” and does the opposite too.
- Tons of Ads: Using it without a paid plan means you’re slammed with annoying ads that slow you down big time.
- Terrible Customer Service: If you run into issues, getting help feels like shouting into the void—slow, unhelpful, and robotic replies.
- Credits Expire Every Month: Unused credits don’t roll over, so if you don’t use them, you lose them. That stings!
- Word Limit Headaches: Word caps on each check mean you’ll go crazy trying to split up long docs just to get through.
What Does ZeroGPT Cost?
- PRO Plan – $7.99/month (billed annually): 100,000 characters per AI detection and extras like PDF reports, but unused credits vanish every month.
- PLUS Plan – $14.99/month (billed annually): More batch checks and plagiarism detection, but still on the “use it or lose it” credit system.
- MAX Plan – $18.99/month (billed annually): Bigger limits and access on WhatsApp & Telegram, but same disappearing credits problem.
- The big catch? Every plan’s credits evaporate each month if you don’t use them up.
If you want to know more about ZeroGPT, you can read the in-depth ZeroGPT Review blog I wrote recently.
#5 - QuillBot AI Detector
What does QuillBot AI Detector Do?
QuillBot AI Detector tells you how much of your text might be written by AI, all in just a few seconds. Just paste your stuff or upload a file and boom, you get a percent score telling you what’s likely AI.
Does it Have a Free Trial?
Yep, you can use QuillBot AI Detector totally free — no sign-up or email needed! The catch? You’re capped at 1,200 words per check, so it’s cool for short projects but not huge ones.
What Does QuillBot AI Detector Do Well?
- So Easy to Use: Seriously, you don’t need to be techy at all. Paste, click, done.
- No Annoying Accounts: Just use it right away — no new passwords or logins to remember.
- Fast Results: It spits out your AI detection score instantly, no waiting around.
Where Does QuillBot AI Detector Fall Short?
- Sketchy Accuracy: Sometimes it says your human-written stuff is AI. Makes you doubt the result big time.
- Inconsistent Scores: Run the same text twice and get two different results. That’s frustrating, right?
- Zero Highlighting: It only gives an overall percentage, but never tells you which parts are AI — you’re left guessing what to fix.
- Lousy Customer Support: If you’ve got an issue, good luck. Responses take forever and rarely help.
- No Pay-As-You-Go Option: Only subscriptions, so you're stuck paying monthly even if you barely use it.
What Does QuillBot AI Detector Cost?
- Free Plan: Detects up to 1,200 words at a time, but you’ll quickly hit limits if you’re working on anything big.
- Premium Subscription: $9.95/month — unlocks unlimited usage, but you have to pay every month whether you use it or not.
- Heads up: there’s no one-time payment option or credits that last forever.
#6 - Smodin AI Content Detector
What does Smodin AI Content Detector Do?
Smodin AI Content Detector checks if your content is actually written by a person or cranked out by an AI. Seriously, you just drop your text in and it scans it using smart tech like GPT and BERT models. It tells you straight up if your words look human or sound like a robot tried too hard.
Does it Have a Free Trial?
Yep, Smodin lets you try out the AI Content Detector for free, so you can see for yourself if it spots those sneaky AI patterns in your stuff before you bother signing up for anything.
What Does Smodin AI Content Detector Do Well?
- Super Fast Checks: It gives you results in seconds, so you don’t have to wait forever to find out if your text will get flagged somewhere.
- Pretty Accurate for Everyday Use: It’s trained on big-name models like GPT-3 and GPT-4, and it even picks out mixed content that’s part human, part AI.
- Works in Multiple Languages: You’re not stuck with just English—drop in whatever language and it will still run the checks.
Where Does Smodin AI Content Detector Fall Short?
- Not the Most Accurate on the Market: Tools like Originality.ai are stricter, so if you need super deep analysis, this might not cut it.
- Can Be Inconsistent: Sometimes it’ll call a text human-like that other detectors flag as pure AI. The results can vary a lot.
- No Foolproof Guarantee: It can’t promise you’ll dodge every AI detector, especially with tougher systems or academic checks.
- Not Ideal for Academic Heavyweights: If you’re writing research papers, some professors might prefer something stricter for AI detection.
What Does Smodin AI Content Detector Cost?
- Free Plan: Try the AI Detector with a limited word count to see if it works for you.
- Paid Plans: Upgrade for more checks and higher word limits — details are on their site, so you can pick what works best for your needs.
#7 - Copyleaks
What does Copyleaks Do?
Copyleaks is a combo tool for catching both plagiarism and AI-generated content. You can also check code for AI use, compare texts side by side, and even scan in over 30 languages. Plus, it plugs right into platforms like Moodle and Canvas or your own system with an API.
Does it Have a Free Trial?
Nah, no completely free trial on Copyleaks. You’ll need to pay to unlock real detection, though you might be able to do a tiny demo with limited credits when you sign up.
What Does Copyleaks Do Well?
- Awesome Plagiarism Detection: It nails plagiarism, even grabbing stuff across languages and giving super clear scores.
- Handy Extra Tools: Love that you get source code checks, report sharing, and text comparison all in one place.
- Easy Setup & Integrations: You can log in with Google, set up in a snap, and connect it to popular learning platforms or your own site.
Where Does Copyleaks Fall Short?
- AI Detection is Kinda Basic: Honestly, it’s super easy to trick Copyleaks’ AI detector with a few text tweaks or by running stuff through Quillbot.
- Way Slower than the Competition: The scans take noticeably longer compared to tools like Winston AI.
- Misses on Humanized AI: Stuff written by AI but “humanized” usually slips right past.
- Not Really Free: You basically have to pay to get anything useful, which isn’t great if you just want a quick check.
- Accuracy Drops with Paraphrased Content: Change up the wording a bit and the detection rates drop fast.
What Does Copyleaks Cost?
- AI Detector: $9.99/month for 100 credits, or $8.33/month (billed yearly) for 1,200 credits.
- Plagiarism Checker: $10.99/month for 100 credits, or $9.17/month yearly for 1,200 credits.
- AI + Plagiarism: $16.99/month or $14.17/month yearly for 1,200 credits.
If you want to know more about Copyleaks, you can read the in-depth Copyleaks Review blog I wrote recently.
#8 - Winston AI
What does Winston AI Do?
Winston AI is your go-to detective for sniffing out AI-generated content, plagiarism, and even fake images. Just drop in your text or upload a doc, and it’ll break down exactly what’s human and what’s written by a bot—super quick, super simple. Educators, publishers, SEO folks, and content creators all swear by it for keeping their work real and original.
Does it Have a Free Trial?
Kinda—but don’t get too excited. Winston AI lets you try out its basic features for two weeks, but serious stuff (like detailed reports) is paywalled right after the trial. Most goodies are behind a subscription.
What Does Winston AI Do Well?
- Crazy Accurate Detection: Spots AI-written content and plagiarism with impressive precision—like, 99.98% accuracy (or so they say).
- Lightning-Fast & Easy: Upload, scan, and boom—your results are there in seconds; even bulk docs don’t slow it down.
- Multi-Tasker: Besides AI detection, it checks for plagiarism, fake images, and gives feedback on your writing too.
Where Does Winston AI Fall Short?
- No Real Free Plan: That free trial’s basically just a teaser—almost everything useful needs a paid account.
- False Positives Happen: Sometimes it flags your honest work as “AI”—especially if your writing’s polished.
- Not Budget Friendly: Plans start at $12/month, and the credit system can eat up your balance fast.
- Limited Customization: You can’t really tweak detection settings or exclude stuff like citations—feels a bit rigid.
- Only Some Languages: It does a handful of major languages, but if you’re working with anything niche, you’re out of luck.
#8 - Originality.AI
What does Originality.AI Do?
If you ever wonder if your content is actually written by a human or some AI robot, Originality.AI is the detective you need. It checks your text for AI fingerprints and plagiarism, and even tells you if your writing flows naturally or not.
Does it Have a Free Trial?
Nope, there’s no free trial here. You gotta buy credits before you can check your content.
What Does Originality.AI Do Well?
- Solid AI & Plagiarism Detection: It finds out if your text has been lifted from somewhere or written by AI, so you don’t get fooled.
- Clear Readability Scoring: It tells you if your writing actually sounds like a human or just another bot.
- Flexible Pricing: You can either grab credits as you go or go for a monthly plan—whatever works best for your wallet.
Where Does Originality.AI Fall Short?
- No Free Trial: You have to pay up front, so you can’t really kick the tires before buying.
- Not Great Against Advanced AI: It struggles to catch super-sneaky content made by advanced humanizers or the newest AI tricks.
- Competitors Have Better Features: Other tools, like Walter Writes AI, have more powerful options and can dodge detection better.
- API Only for Expensive Plans: You need to pay big bucks (Enterprise plan) for API access and fancy features.
- False Positives Happen: Sometimes, it marks genuine human writing as AI, which can be a pain.
What Does Originality.AI Cost?
- Pay As You Go – $30 for 3,000 credits (valid for 2 years, no API).
- Pro Plan – $12.95/month for 2,000 credits, with uploads and scan history.
- Enterprise – $136.58/month for 15,000 credits, API, and priority support.
Which Is The Best AI Detector For Students And Researchers?
Short answer? Most AI detectors out there just don’t cut it.
Here’s why I wouldn’t waste time or money on them:
- Reason #1: Terrible Customer Service: The support with most of these tools is, honestly, pretty awful. I’ve had emails ignored for days, refund requests that go nowhere, and you’re usually stuck talking to a bot that just repeats itself. If you’ve ever needed help fast, you know how annoying this is.
- Reason #2: Overcharging For Credits: A lot of these guys are super stingy with credits. You’ll pay for a plan, but if you don’t use every single credit that month—they just disappear. Even if you go for an expensive yearly plan, unused credits? Poof. Gone. And that’s just unfair.
- Reason #3: False Positives And Missed Detections: Some detectors flag regular human writing as AI (which gets you in trouble for no reason), and then totally miss stuff that actually is from ChatGPT. I’ve tried it myself—typed my own essays and got called out as “AI.” That’s just embarrassing, and it defeats the whole purpose!
So what should you do?
Honestly, AIDetectPlus is the one tool that actually solves all these problems. Let me break it down for you:
First, you can jump in totally risk-free — you get a real free trial for up to 1000 words, no credit card required. But that’s just the start:
- #1 Super Accurate Detection: AIDetectPlus uses this special algorithm that flags AI text with about 97% accuracy. It doesn’t just say “yes” or “no”—it highlights every AI sentence and actually explains why. That helped me understand what needs fixing in my own essays.
- #2 Credits Never Expire: This is the best part for me—once you buy credits, they’re yours forever. Use them whenever. No pressure, no surprise charges, no “use-it-or-lose-it” games.
- #3 Real, Helpful Support: Every time I reached out, a real person answered (and usually super quick, like under 12 hours). No bots, no endless waiting. They actually care, and it makes a huge difference when you have a question or need help sorting something out.
- #4 All-In-One Platform—Not Just A Detector: AIDetectPlus does a ton more than just catch AI text. There’s AI humanization, plagiarism removal, PDF chat, paraphrasing, even a totally undetectable essay writer. Plus, if you’re a student, professor, or marketer, there are special tools made just for you. Just hit the menu above and take your pick.
And that’s it! I hope this helped you figure out which AI detector actually works and saves you the headache. If you want to see for yourself, check out AIDetectPlus’s website or jump right into the 1000-word free trial. No card, no phone, just your email. Super easy!