Not to dunk too hard on what @mikeappsreviewer and @andarilhonoturno said (I mean, they nailed the circus-level unreliability of most AI detectors), but if you’re aiming for something that just WORKS for actual grammar and plagiarism, not the “is this Skynet” contest, you gotta branch out. Hemmingway Editor isn’t a checker in the traditional sense, but it hammers you about passive voice and readability, which honestly trips up AI and human writers alike. Super basic, super effective, zero fluff.
If you’re dying for something more technical: I still rate LanguageTool over Grammarly sometimes, especially with weird phrasing or non-U.S. English. Less chatty, more direct catches.
On the plagiarism front, try Plagscan if you can finagle access—it’s got a slightly better rep overseas, and my experience says it will nail obvious copy-pasta but (sometimes annoyingly) leaves “common knowledge” alone, unlike, say, Grammarly’s checker which pings everything that exists on Wikipedia. Turnitin’s untouchable if you ever get access, but it’s usually for schools.
And, unpopular opinion incoming: Most “AI humanizers” are more snake oil than solution. Sure, you can get your text to pass a random detector’s vibes-check, but it does NOT make your writing better. If your real concern is clarity, reader engagement, and dodging actual plagiarism flags, focus on revision tools, not humanizer scripts.
So here’s my take:
- Do your core editing with Hemmingway or LanguageTool
- Grammarly for quick drafts
- Plagscan or Scribbr if you’re really trying to dodge the plagiarism police
- Run ONE AI content detector if the submission demands it, but take the results with massive grains of salt
Honestly, the best “AI checker” is still your brain plus a trusted friend’s second look. All the tools in the world can’t compete with someone asking, “wait, did you mean to say THAT?”