Are you 100% confident the content you’re posting on your website is original?
When it comes to checking for plagiarism, Copyscape has long been a leader and a popular option for students, teachers, writers, bloggers, and other content creators.
But is it still the best when it comes to detecting and preventing plagiarism?
In 2018, Copyscape shifted from a flat 5c fee per search to a variable pricing model that charges 3c for the first 200 words and 1c for each additional 100 words.
Users have to buy premium credits, which can sometimes be confusing. If you’re using Copyscape frequently, the cost can add up quicker than you might expect.
As AI technologies have advanced over the last few years, several alternatives to Copyscape have carved out a place in the market. Some of these tools are free, while others have paid plans that are comparable or lower than Copyscape.
In this article, we’ll break down the top contenders. But first…
What is Plagiarism?
Plagiarism is the act of stealing the words or ideas of another and passing them off as your own.
While websites like Google and Amazon try to buckle down on plagiarism, it’s hard to get a handle on the widespread issue. Google has even inadvertently ranked plagiarized content above original content on occasion.
This is why it’s so important to stay vigilant and be proactive in protecting the originality of your content.
Sometimes plagiarism is malicious, and the thief knowingly stole someone else’s work but presented it as their own original idea.
But other times, plagiarism is an innocent mistake. Perhaps someone quoted a source but failed to add a citation, or they paraphrased an idea a little too closely to the original content.
It happens.
Before you can deal with plagiarism, you first have to detect it. The tools in this list will help you do that.
Top 10 Plagiarism-Checking Alternative Tools to Copyscape
1. Grammarly
Screenshot from Grammarly.com, July 2021
Grammarly is best known as a proofreading tool that checks grammar and analyzes text for readability and improvement opportunities.
But it also offers a free plagiarism checker that compares your text or file against 16 billion webpages and academic papers.
The free version generates an instant report that lets you know how many issues your document has and whether or not plagiarism was detected, but it doesn’t show you exactly where those errors are.
For that, Grammarly offers a paid premium plagiarism checker that goes much deeper by flagging sentences, providing source references, offering advanced feedback, and assigning your document an originality score.
2. Plagiarisma
Screenshot from Plagiarisma.net, July 2021
Like Grammarly and many other options on this list, Plagiarisma comes in both a free and paid version.
To use this plagiarism checker, you can upload directly onto their website or rely on their Windows, Android, BlackBerry, or Moodle plugins.
One of the perks of Plagiarisma is that it can support more than 190 different languages.
You can paste your text directly into Plagiarisma, upload a file, or enter a live URL to check for duplicate content.
3. ProWritingAid
Screenshot from ProWritingAid.com, July 2021
ProWritingAid is a strong contender to Copyscape, and while it doesn’t offer a free version, it is an affordable alternative in comparison.
You can pay for a monthly, yearly, or lifetime subscription, or purchase plagiarism checks in batches if that’s the only feature you’re interested in.
Because the software is based on the number of checks rather than the word count, the ProWritingAid plagiarism checker is ideal for writers who have long content like novels and scripts.
ProWritingAid works with both Windows and Mac, and it’s able to integrate with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Gmail, Open Office, and Scrivener, among others.
All of its desktop features are also available directly in the web editor if you don’t want to install the software.
If you go premium, you’ll have access to other tools such as a contextual thesaurus, grammar checking, readability reports, and more.
4. Plagiarism Checker
Screenshot from Plagiarism-checker.me, July 2021
The main draw of Plagiarism Checker is that it’s completely free and has a simple interface to use. It’s compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Blackberry, and it also allows you to upload directly from Dropbox.
On this platform, you have the option of inserting text directly into the plagiarism checker, uploading a file, or pasting a webpage URL.
An extra feature is the ability to exclude a URL if you want to check your website but don’t want a specific page to be included.
The downside – the most Plagiarism Checker can handle in a single search is 1,000 words, so if you have long-form content, you’ll need to split it up for checks.
5. CopyGator
Screenshot from CopyGator.com, July 2021
CopyGator is the ultimate free blogging tool that analyzes the RSS feed of your website and alerts you if your content has been republished elsewhere. This program is a free alternative to the premium Copysentry feature from Copyscape.
To use CopyGator, you have two options.
- The first is to add their image badge to your blog. If the badge turns red, CopyGator has detected your content duplicated on another site.
- The second option is to paste your RRS feed directly into CopyGator and then click “Watch this feed.” All subsequent posts will then be monitored.
6. PlagScan
Screenshot from PlagScan.com, July 2021
While PlagScan is available for individual users, it’s heavily favored by academic institutions. PlagScan supports just about any common file type, and its index includes academic and scientific journals.
Like other tools on this list, PlagScan allows you to directly copy and paste text, upload a file, or type in a URL to check.
You also have the extra versatility of setting different filters and rules for plagiarism checks so the program knows how sensitively it should be scanning for duplicate information.
You can sign up for a free trial to give it a try. PlagScan is a great Copyscape alternative for educational uses, but if you were looking for a free or cheap alternative, be advised that their paid options can be pricey if you’re on a tight budget.
7. Plagiarism Detector
Screenshot from Plagiarismdetector.net, July 2021
This alternative is great for beginners who need a simple, free tool to get started. Plagiarism Detector is similar to Plagiarism Checker with a basic, easy-to-use dashboard.
You can paste your text directly into the analyzer, upload a file, check a URL, and exclude a URL. The tool allows you to check grammar as well as plagiarism.
Plagiarism Detector is free up to 25,000 words, and then they offer monthly subscription tiers. You’re also limited to a max of 1,000 words per check at a time.
8. CopyLeaks
Screenshot from Copyleaks.com, July 2021
The AI-based algorithms in CopyLeaks are capable of analyzing text in more than 100 languages.
Their site offers a ton of helpful tools, including text comparisons, a programming code checker, a duplicate file finder tool, and site comparisons.
CopyLeaks even offers an automated grading tool for teachers and their new Copyshield program to protect your website from being plagiarized.
The free version allows you a maximum of 20 scans every month, but the features are limited.
If you’re willing to pay a monthly subscription, you can get a lot of useful bells and whistles. But if you were looking for a free alternative to Copyscape, there are others on this list that might suit you better.
9. Plagium
Screenshot from Plagium.com, July 2021
Like many of its competitors on this list, Plagium offers both a free and paid version. The free checker will allow you to perform a quick search, but the deep search is a paid feature.
Plagium will let you analyze text, URLs, and files. Their paid plans are affordable if you need more than just the basics. You can either subscribe to a monthly plan or buy credits based on the number of characters you need.
The free version can analyze a maximum of 1,000 words at a time.
10. Unicheck
Screenshot from Unicheck.com, July 2021
Unicheck is an all-in-one plagiarism prevention tool that can be tailored for personal, academic, or business use, depending on your needs. One of the key advantages of Unicheck is its ability to handle bulk uploads.
Generated reports never expire, so you can go back to them as often as you like. Unicheck also scans links to matching sources and gives you a warning if the URL seems to lead to a malicious site.
Unicheck’s add-ons and browser extensions make it easy to scan content quickly.
However, their plans are a bit pricey compared to some of the other options on this list, and their free plagiarism checker will allow a max of only 200 words at a time.
The Best Plagiarism Detection Tools on the Market
Copyscape has rightfully earned its place as one of the most popular plagiarism detection tools available.
But while it used to run mostly uncontested, there are new players on the field worth checking out.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one plagiarism checker and proofreading analysis tool, then Grammarly and ProWritingAid might be at the top of your list.
If you’re on a tight budget and want a free way to quickly run a plagiarism scan, then maybe Plagiarism Checker is a better option to consider.
If you want to scan your RSS feed regularly, CopyGator is probably your ideal choice.
The best tool is going to be the one that checks off the most boxes on your checklist and suits your personal and professional needs.
Stay on top of your content and protect your brand’s content with an investment in plagiarism tools and some time allotted in your schedule to use these tools, and consistently monitor for original content.
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