Read this article if...
you’ve heard about the Turnitin Plagiarism Checker and just can’t decide if it’s worth your time. Trust me, I’ve put it through its paces and have plenty to spill in this Turnitin Plagiarism Checker review.
 
I’ll walk you through the 3 things Turnitin Plagiarism Checker does really well and, honestly, the 5 big mistakes it still makes.
 
Thinking about the price? I’ll break down exactly what Turnitin Plagiarism Checker costs and whether it’s worth the bucks.
 
There are definitely some alternatives out there, and I’ll compare them so you know your best options.
 
Wondering if Turnitin Plagiarism Checker is actually legit or just more hype? I’m here to give you the truth—no sugarcoating.
 
Seriously, if you’re skipping this blog, you’re missing out on everything I learned after hours of testing and reading real user stories.
 
This isn't a boring review—I’ve made it personal and packed it with everything you need to know in plain, simple words.
 
Coffee in hand? Ready to get the lowdown? Let’s go!
 
Here’s a sneak peek at what’s inside this Turnitin Plagiarism Checker review:
 
Boyle welcoming everyone

Turnitin Plagiarism Checker Review Summary

 
Infographic showing the pros and cons of turnitin plagiarism checker at a glance.
 
If you're in a rush, here's a quick 2-minute summary of this blog:
 

3 Things Turnitin Plagiarism Checker Does Well

 
  • High Accuracy Checking: You get a tool that checks your work against tons of sources, even other students’ papers, so you can catch stuff that might seem sneaky at first.
  •  
  • Private Feedback: You can get feedback privately on your writing, so it feels a little less scary to get tips and improve, especially if you’re still learning.
  •  
  • Fits Into School Platforms: You don’t have to switch to something totally new; this tool fits right into a lot of online school systems, so it just shows up where you already do your work.
  •  
  • More on the strengths of Turnitin below.
 

5 Big Mistakes Turnitin Plagiarism Checker Makes

 
  • Customer Service Nightmare: If you ever try to get a refund or cancel, good luck! Their support is super slow and barely responds. You'll probably feel like you're talking to a wall, and getting your money back is almost impossible.
  •  
  • Expensive Subscriptions Lock You In: They push you into pricey subscriptions, and if you don’t use all your credits, they just disappear at the end of the month. So, you keep paying for stuff you never even got to use.
  •  
  • False Plagiarism Reports: Turnitin often flags super common phrases and single words as plagiarism, even ones everyone uses. Even proper citations or assignment titles get marked, making you freak out for no reason.
  •  
  • Tons of Glitches and Lost Work: People have seen whole classes wiped out, students' work deleted, and technical bugs everywhere. Imagine losing hours of work because their site randomly breaks down – it’s super frustrating!
  •  
  • No Real Human Judgment: The system only cares about matching words, not actual context or teaching. It can punish honest mistakes and replaces real teachers' feedback with just numbers – not cool if you're still learning to write.
  •  
 

What Does Turnitin Plagiarism Checker Cost?

 
Turnitin pricing plans illustration.
 
  • Institutional Plan – So, Turnitin doesn’t show you any prices on their website, which I find a bit annoying. They say the cost totally depends on your school, college, or company, and you have to talk to their sales team to even get a quote. If you ask me, it feels a bit secretive.
  •  
  • No Personal Plan – There’s actually no way for you or me to get a Turnitin account by ourselves. You gotta be linked to a school or some big organization. That means if you just want to check your own paper, you’re out of luck here.
  •  
  • iThenticate for Individuals – If you’re someone working by yourself, Turnitin tells you to use iThenticate instead. But, to be honest, even iThenticate doesn’t show prices. You pay by credits for every check, and you still need to contact them for details, which is kinda inconvenient if you’re in a hurry or just want a price upfront.
  •  
  • So, should you buy Turnitin Plagiarism Checker? No, not really—since you can’t buy it as an individual, prices are hidden, and credits for iThenticate aren’t clear either. There are just too many hoops to jump through.
That pretty much sums it up fast. If you want more details about Turnitin, stick around for the next section where I’ll break things down even more.
 

Turnitin Plagiarism Checker Review - What Does it Get Right?

 
Infographic showing the best 3 Turnitin Plagiarism Checker pros.
 
Here are the top 3 things people usually notice when they use it:
 
  1. High accuracy checking:
    • Turnitin checks your writing against loads of sources, like books, websites, and even other student essays.
    •  
    • If someone copies something or tries to be sneaky, it usually catches it. So, you can feel sure your work is truly your own.
    •  
    • People like that it’s not just searching the internet—it even checks stuff others may have handed in before.
  2.  
  3. Private feedback:
    • If you mess up or miss something, you get advice just for you, not blasted in front of the whole class.
    •  
    • Your teacher or instructor can drop tips and corrections right in the tool so you can learn and fix stuff quietly.
    •  
    • This feels way less stressful if you’re still learning or feeling a bit nervous about your writing.
  4.  
  5. Fits into school platforms:
    • You don’t have to sign up on some weird, new site—the checker just shows up in the same spot you’re already using for class.
    •  
    • It slips right into whatever learning system your school uses, so there’s no extra step or confusion.
    •  
    • People like that they don’t waste time switching between different tools or figuring out new software.
 
Here's a user talking about how Turnitin works with existing learning management systems:
 
“Works with existing learning management systems – Turnitin works with a number of popular LMS programs, making it easy to add a plagiarism checker to your existing workflow.” ― originality.ai

5 Big Mistakes Turnitin Makes

  • Customer Service Nightmare
    • If you ever need help, get ready to wait forever. Their support barely answers emails or chat requests, and when they do, it’s often just some useless copy-paste response. I’ve tried reaching out and literally felt ignored every time.
    •  
    • When you actually have a serious issue, like losing your students’ work or your whole class being deleted, there’s usually no clear way to talk to an actual human or higher-up. You just get stuck in endless chatbot loops and canned replies.
    •  
    • Refunds or cancellations? Forget it. Most folks share that getting money back or canceling a subscription is like pulling teeth. It’s crazy slow, super confusing, and you might not even get your refund in the end.
  •  
  • Expensive Subscriptions Lock You In
    • Turnitin charges schools and users a ton of money, and once you’re in, your options to get out are super limited. My school paid over $10,000 and barely got what it needed. That’s not a good deal for anyone.
    •  
    • Even worse, if you don’t use all your monthly credits, poof—they’re gone. You can’t save unused credits for later, and so you end up paying again every month for stuff you never used. Honestly, it’s just wasteful.
    •  
    • If you need to cancel or switch services because of all the problems, you’re basically trapped. Turnitin bought up lots of other checkers, so finding a different option isn’t easy. You’re just stuck paying until your contract ends.
  •  
    Here's a review by Jules Shelkoff talking about their experience with technical issues:
     
    “If I could give zero stars, I would. My school district pays over $10,000 for this product, yet the number of technical issues we've encountered is unacceptable. Twice in the past month, Turnitin has deleted all of our students and teachers (1,900 students) along with their submitted papers—an inexcusable failure. From an administrative perspective, Turnitin is riddled with glitches, significantly overpriced, and provides poor customer support. The "Chat Now" help feature is unreliable, and there is no clear way to escalate issues to a manager. Our Turnitin representative is nearly unresponsive, making it incredibly frustrating to get assistance when we need it. Additionally, Turnitin has acquired most plagiarism checkers on the market, making it difficult to find a viable alternative. Given our experience, we will be moving to a different platform next year. I strongly advise others to consider alternative solutions before committing to this service.” ― Jules Shelkoff (US)
     
  • False Plagiarism Reports
    • Turnitin often says stuff you write is plagiarized even when it’s just common knowledge or even your assignment’s title. I’ve gotten flagged for super simple phrases and even single words like “May.” It totally freaks people out for no real reason.
    •  
    • Even when you properly cite something or follow all the rules, Turnitin flags it anyway. Actual proper citations and references shouldn’t be marked, but Turnitin does it anyway, which makes you doubt your own work or overthink every sentence.
    •  
    • The system doesn’t understand context at all—it just matches words. Honest students and even handwritten essays get hit with crazy high plagiarism scores just because they used facts or words found online in lots of places. That’s just unfair.
  •  
  • Tons of Glitches and Lost Work
    • If you’re a teacher or student, you never know when Turnitin might totally glitch out. I’ve seen whole classes disappear, students’ assignments get deleted, and random errors make it so you can’t even use the system when you need it.
    •  
    • People complain that the website is full of bugs that haven’t been fixed for years. It’s stressful to work for hours on something only to have Turnitin lose all your progress just because of a random crash or issue on their end.
    •  
    • When technical problems actually happen, good luck getting support to help. You’re left scrambling to recover missing work or redo assignments, and the company just shrugs its shoulders. That’s really not fair to anyone using the platform.
  •  
  • No Real Human Judgment
    • Turnitin just looks at numbers and word matches, so it doesn’t care about context or what you’re actually trying to say. It can punish students for stuff that isn’t even plagiarism, which is really tough if you’re still learning how to write.
    •  
    • Because Turnitin replaces real feedback from teachers, you get a bunch of percentages and automated reports instead of help on how to get better. It feels like there’s no person teaching you—it's just a robot giving grades.
    •  
    • If teachers just go with whatever Turnitin says, they end up missing chances to actually read your work and guide you. A computer can’t help you grow as a writer, but with Turnitin, that’s all you get—a match score and nothing about your ideas or style.
  •  
    Here's a review by Robertcarry about their experience with Turnitin.com:
     
    “Turnitin.com has failed my child as well as other students (learning either from other parents I spoke with or from other students). My child does not have the software to use when doing papers. But the turnitin system is used at Texas Lutheran University where professors are using the system to grade papers. If students use honest attempts to make statements in their papers, turnitin can still find fault in the statements because of the same statement that might be anywhere on the Internet. Hypothetical example: "Bill Clinton defeated George H.W. Bush in the 1992 presidential election." That is a very general statement that has been written in numerous articles and even books. Very likely it has been stated word-for-word. But just because it's stated exactly the same in different sources does not mean the first to write the statement is owner of the statement. Some of Texas Lutheran University professors have been using Turnitin.com as a way of penalizing students with disciplinary actions for using broad statements that the students do not believe to be plagiarism. Here are a few other statements that can be made on a school paper but also be found on several different websites, written by several different writers, just by Google searching with quotations: "Christopher Columbus did not discover America." "Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 15, 1865." "Sarah was 90 when she gave birth to Isaac." Who could possibly so own these statements that they dare not be re-written without quotations, citations, and references? On a research paper, every other sentence would have to be in quotations in order to provide facts. If this is not the case, then what diamond-in-the-rough with a PHD or certification behind their name would know how to roll up his or her sleeves and TEACH students to conquer the challenge of composition with a plethora of statements that have already been written (and re-written) throughout the ages? Imagine having to TEACH students to do this! Has turnitin changed the trend of education? Professors and teachers who solely rely on turnitin.com to score papers, as seemingly have some TLU professors, are not offering students the insightful eyes of a professional who can correct students to take them to the next level. They instead rely on the tiniest data that this system offers. Humans are relying primarily on numbers that scrutinize the smallest or most insignificant details instead of focusing on other qualities such as context, style, and structure. If a student's paper risks plagiarism or even crosses that line, then points SHOULD be taken off. But to rely on this entire system to heavily penalize students who are still IN THE LEARNING PROCESS is another form of cheating. And for turnitin.com to promote themselves as an authority in education to the point where they determine pass or fail is IRRESPONSIBLE. Turnitin.com takes the place of a quality review from an educator, whether professor or grade school teacher. Good trust-worthy educators literally READ students' works and provide corrective comments in order that the students better their writing skills. Also, good educators know how to thoroughly explain the boundaries of do's and don'ts (such as what could be considered plagiarism) to their students without the interference of a software that takes the place of good instruction. Turnitin.com has served as nothing more than a patrol system that takes the place of teaching. And this is coming from the parent of a serious student well on the way to graduating but have been in several discussions about students failing as a result of this robotic, charlatan-type of system.” ― Robertcarry (US)
By the way, if you’re searching for a solution with no required subscriptions and lifelong credits, you might want to check out AIDetectPlus. You can also test it out at no cost for up to 1000 words here.
 
That wraps up this in-depth overview. Interested in exploring some alternative options to Turnitin Plagiarism Checker? Before diving into that, let’s go over the pricing details!

What Does Turnitin Plagiarism Checker Cost?

 
Comparison of Turnitin Plagiarism Checker pricing models.
 
Alright, let's talk about Turnitin Plagiarism Checker and its prices. Honestly, it's not as straightforward as you might want. Here's the lowdown—you can't just get a simple price tag or sign up as an individual. Let me break down exactly how Turnitin works when it comes to their pricing:
 
School / University (Institutional) Plans
 
  • First off, you can't even buy Turnitin as one person. You gotta be part of a school, college, or company. This means, if you're just a regular person wanting to check a few papers, you're out of luck.
  •  
  • Even if you do fit the bill, Turnitin won't tell you the price online. You have to fill out a sales form and wait for someone to email you a quote—which is usually based on how big your school is and how many folks are gonna use it.
  •  
  • From my experience, schools end up paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year, and there's zero way to pay monthly as a one-off user.
  •  
  • And here's another thing: Every year, your institution has to keep renewing and paying, or you lose access. You're basically forced to keep paying for the same features and credits again and again every year—even if not all your users use it each month. That just feels wasteful!
  •  
  • It’s a pain if you just want to check your own paper or one assignment, because the whole thing is set up for groups—never individuals.
 
iThenticate (for Individuals and Researchers)
 
  • If you're not part of a school or a company, Turnitin tells you to go use iThenticate instead. But don't get your hopes up—iThenticate doesn't show pricing, either. You need to contact their team for a quote as well.
  •  
  • iThenticate charges you per document or per "credit", but again, you only find out the actual cost after talking to sales. Based on what I've seen, even small batches of credits can get really expensive, and you might be paying a lot just to check a couple papers.
  •  
  • The worst part? Those credits only last for a certain time or expire—they don't stick around forever. So if you don't use them all in a month (or whatever their window is), say goodbye to your money.
  •  
  • There are cheaper tools out there that let you buy credits just once and use them forever, but with Turnitin/iThenticate, you're stuck in this endless pay-contact-pay loop. It's super annoying and wastes your money.
 
So here's what I'm really saying…
 
  • Turnitin charges you the same credits or subscription fees every year or month, and you don't get any value out of unused credits—so it's like buying a pack of gum and throwing half of it away each time. Trust me, that stings if you're not using it up constantly.
  •  
  • You only get access if you're connected to a big group, and for the average student or freelancer, that's a total headache. Prices are always hidden and tend to be a LOT higher than you expected once they finally send you the quote.
  •  
  • If you just want to check a few docs as a regular person, Turnitin isn't even an option, and even with iThenticate, the pay-per-check system just keeps you shelling out more cash each time.
 
Instead, you can use AIDetectPlus:
 
  • One-time payment, not endless subscriptions. You buy exactly as many credits as you want, starting as low as $5. That's it, no strings attached.
  •  
  • Your credits never expire. Use your credits whenever you want—next week or next year, doesn't matter. I love this because I only pay for what I actually use.
  •  
  • No sales calls, no runaround. Just sign up, buy, and start checking for plagiarism and AI in one go. Done.
  •  
  • You'll save a ton compared to something like Turnitin or iThenticate—plus you get bonus features like AI detection and humanization too! Check out the details on AIDetectPlus.com.
  •  
  • If you want to see a direct comparison, look for the section below.

What are Some Turnitin Plagiarism Checker Alternatives?

#1 - Turnitin Plagiarism Checker vs AIDetectPlus

  • Both Turnitin and AIDetectPlus can help you spot copied content, but they work super differently.
    • Turnitin Plagiarism Checker is mainly used in schools and colleges. Teachers use it to make sure students aren’t sneaking in someone else’s words or turning in the same paper twice.
    • AIDetectPlus is for regular folks—like students, bloggers, writers, or anyone who just needs to double-check their writing before posting or submitting it somewhere.
  •  
  • Where is AIDetectPlus Better?
    • AIDetectPlus is a one-stop shop—it’s got an AI detector, plagiarism checker, and a humanizer/remover. So, you don’t have to jump between different tools just to fix your text.
    •  
    • You can try it out for free (no credit card needed!) and when you buy credits, they never expire. No weird subscriptions or hidden charges.
    •  
    • It’s flexible—there are special pages just for students, marketers, and teachers. So, whatever you’re doing, there’s a tool for you.
    •  
    • The “humanized” text comes out super clean, with no grammar errors and there’s no word count limit, so big documents aren’t a problem at all.
    •  
    • And honestly, I actually reply when you have a question or a problem. I won’t leave you hanging like a lot of companies do.
  •  
  • Where is Turnitin Plagiarism Checker Better? It’s useful if your school uses it and you need super deep checks across a giant database of research papers. But if you’re on your own, or need fast, flexible, and friendly help? Honestly, AIDetectPlus just makes life simpler.
 

#2 - Turnitin Plagiarism Checker vs Turnitin

  • Both Turnitin Plagiarism Checker and Turnitin are designed to catch plagiarism, but let me be real—they're set up pretty differently.
    • Turnitin Plagiarism Checker is like the “quick check” option for folks who want to scan a paper fast, maybe before turning it in. It slips right into your school’s system, so you don’t have to open a whole new website or learn fancy stuff.
    • Turnitin (the big full version) is more for teachers and colleges. It's loaded with features, manages tons of assignments at once, and checks every paper against a massive database—including work from other students all over the world.
  •  
  • Where is Turnitin Better?
    • Turnitin is the go-to for big schools and teachers—it gives super detailed reports, tracks all your assignments, and can even spot AI-written stuff. It’s made to keep everyone honest in big classrooms.
    •  
    • If your school or college needs to catch even the sneakiest cheaters, Turnitin’s full version is tough to beat.
  •  
  • Where is Turnitin Plagiarism Checker Better? Honestly, if you want something simple that shows up right inside your school’s site and doesn’t take much effort to use, Turnitin Plagiarism Checker is the easier pick. It’s quick, blends in with your regular homework space, and doesn’t make things complicated.
  •  
  • Check out Turnitin’s pricing and more details here.
 

#3 - Turnitin Plagiarism Checker vs Duplichecker

  • Both Turnitin Plagiarism Checker and DupliChecker can spot copied stuff in your writing, but they’re actually meant for different kinds of people.
    • DupliChecker is best if you just want a quick, free check—like if you’re a blogger or just need to double-check your homework for fun. Seriously, you can use it without even signing up or paying anything.
    • Turnitin Plagiarism Checker, though, is much more for students and schools. It checks your work against a giant database, including old papers, which makes it more serious but also a lot harder to get into if you’re on your own.
  •  
  • Where is DupliChecker Better?
    • DupliChecker is totally free and super easy to use. No logins, no hassle. You just paste your text and go. That’s awesome if you’re in a hurry or don’t want to jump through hoops just to check something simple.
    •  
    • It’s also speedy. There aren’t any extra steps or confusing menus. Great if you don’t need anything fancy.
  •  
  • Where is Turnitin Plagiarism Checker Better? If you’re in school and your teacher is using Turnitin, it’s super good at finding tricky plagiarism and giving feedback right in your classes. But honestly, you can’t use it yourself unless your school gives you access, so it’s not something regular people can just buy and use.

Is Turnitin Plagiarism Checker Legit?

Jim Carry saying No
 
Short answer - Honestly, NOT REALLY!
 
Let me break it down for you:
  • Reason #1: Customer Service is a Mess: If you need help or want to cancel, you'll spend forever waiting for a reply. I’ve tried it myself, and dealing with support is like yelling into a void. Good luck ever seeing a refund!
  •  
  • Reason #2: Sneaky, Pricey Subscriptions: Turnitin sucks you into these expensive plans, and if you don’t use all your checks, those credits just disappear every month. So yeah, you’re pretty much paying for nothing sometimes.
  •  
  • Reason #3: False Flags Everywhere: It marks even super basic phrases or your assignment title as plagiarism. I’ve seen it flag my own work for using regular words that everyone uses. Makes you scared for no reason!
Here's a review by kenwasd talking about their experience:
 
“DO NOT USE THIS SITE! This website "checks" for plagiarism. However, it is actually just a python code running web searches and finding anything on the internet to call your work plagiarized. Do not use this website, put in any paper you want, it will never have <10% because it compares to all students and online. If you write a source name, it will count it as plagiarism, if you put quotes in your writing, it is plagiarized, if it thought of, it is plagiarized. I do not recommend this website for a true originality or plagiarism checker.” ― kenwasd (US)
 
So what should you use instead?
 
If you ask me, AIDetectPlus fixes all the headaches you get with Turnitin Plagiarism Checker. Let me tell you how.
 
AIDetectPlus dashboard.
 
First, there’s a real free trial—1000 words totally on the house. But even better:
 
  • #1 Super-Smart and Trustworthy Scans: AIDetectPlus checks billions of sources, highlights exact matches in your text, and actually gives helpful suggestions on fixing things. It just works way better and way faster.
  •  
  • #2 Credits NEVER EXPIRE: Buy credits once, and they stick around until you use them. You only buy more when YOU need them. No rip-offs.
  •  
  • #3 Real Human Support: It’s a small, friendly team that actually talks to you. Any time I’ve had questions, they’ve replied super fast—in less than half a day.
  •  
  • #4 Plagiarism Tools for Everyone: Whether you’re a student, teacher, or blogger, there’s a special checker just for you. Just take your pick from the menu above.
 
That’s it! Hope my review cleared up what’s wrong with Turnitin Plagiarism Checker and gave you a better option too. Wanna see why AIDetectPlus is so different? Pop over to the website or kick off your 1000-word free trial. No card or phone required—just your email, and you’re good to go!