QuillBot vs Grammarly vs ChatGPT for Rewriting Content — I Tested All Three (Honest 2026 Review)








If you write blog posts, technical documentation, LinkedIn content, YouTube scripts, or course material — you've probably wondered which AI tool actually makes rewriting faster and better.

I had the same question. So I spent two weeks testing QuillBot, Grammarly, and ChatGPT on the same pieces of content — a blog introduction, a technical paragraph, a formal email, and a casual social media post.

Here's everything I found — including the clear winner I didn't expect.


Why This Comparison Matters

Whether you're a developer writing documentation, a blogger repurposing content, or a consultant drafting client reports — rewriting the same information in different tones and formats is one of the most time-consuming tasks in content creation.

The promise of AI rewriting tools is simple: take your rough draft and make it cleaner, clearer, or more suitable for a different audience — in seconds. But not all tools deliver equally.


What I Tested

I ran four content pieces through all three tools:

  1. A blog post introduction (casual, conversational tone)
  2. A technical paragraph (explaining cloud computing to a non-technical audience)
  3. A formal business email (requesting a meeting with a CFO)
  4. A LinkedIn post draft (thought leadership style)

I evaluated each tool on five criteria: Speed, Paraphrasing Quality, Tone Control, Plagiarism Safety, and Price.


The Full Comparison Table

CriteriaQuillBotGrammarlyChatGPT
Paraphrasing Quality⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best-in-class⭐⭐⭐ Good but conservative⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent but slow
Speed⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Instant⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Instant⭐⭐⭐ Needs prompt crafting
Tone Control⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 8 modes⭐⭐⭐ Limited⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good with right prompts
Plagiarism Safety⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Built-in checker (Premium)⭐⭐⭐⭐ Built-in checker⭐⭐ No built-in checker
Ease of Use⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Paste and go⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Paste and go⭐⭐⭐ Needs prompt skill
Free Plan✅ Generous✅ Very limited✅ GPT-3.5 free
Premium Price💰 ~$4.17/mo (annual)💰💰💰 ~$12–30/mo💰💰 $20/mo
Best ForParaphrasing, rewriting, blogsGrammar checking onlyCreative rewrites
Verdict🏆 Winner for rewritingBest for proofreadingBest for creative, not efficient

QuillBot — Deep Dive

QuillBot is purpose-built for one thing: paraphrasing and rewriting. And it does it better than anything else I tested.

The standout feature is its 8 writing modes: Standard, Fluency, Formal, Academic, Simple, Creative, Expand, and Shorten. This means I can take the same paragraph and instantly generate a formal version for a client report, a simple version for a general audience, and a creative version for a blog — without rewriting manually.

What impressed me most: the output reads like a human rewrote it — not like a robot swapped synonyms. Sentence structure actually changes, not just the words.

What I didn't like: the free plan limits you to Standard and Fluency modes only. To unlock all 8 modes, you need Premium. But at just $4.17/month on annual billing, it's the most affordable premium writing tool available by a wide margin.

Best for: Bloggers, developers writing documentation, consultants drafting reports, students, content creators — anyone who rewrites content regularly.

👉 Try QuillBot Free — No Credit Card Neededhttps://try.quillbot.com/sjb6rf7vyblf


Grammarly — Deep Dive

Grammarly is the most well-known writing tool in the world — but it is not primarily a paraphrasing tool. It's a grammar and clarity checker.

When I tested it for rewriting, it suggested edits to existing sentences but rarely restructured them. It's excellent at catching errors and improving readability — but it doesn't rewrite the way QuillBot does.

What I didn't like: the premium plan costs up to $30/month — more than three times QuillBot's price — for a tool that does significantly less rewriting. For a paraphrasing use case, this is very hard to justify.

Best for: Writers who need proofreading and grammar correction. Not ideal if your primary need is rewriting or paraphrasing.


ChatGPT — Deep Dive

ChatGPT is the most powerful and flexible tool of the three — but it requires skill to use effectively for rewriting.

When I gave it a paragraph and said "rewrite this," the output was decent. But when I needed a specific tone or format, I had to craft a detailed prompt: "Rewrite this in a formal tone, under 100 words, for a CFO audience." That prompt crafting takes time. For someone who just wants to paste and get a clean rewrite in 2 seconds — it's overkill.

Best for: Power users comfortable with prompting who need long-form creative rewrites. Not ideal for quick everyday rewriting tasks.


Head-to-Head: The Same Paragraph Through All Three

Original rough draft: "Cloud computing is when you store and access data over the internet instead of your computer's hard drive. It's used by businesses to save money and improve efficiency."

QuillBot (Formal mode): "Cloud computing refers to the practice of storing and accessing data via the internet rather than on a local hard drive. Organizations increasingly adopt this model to reduce operational costs and enhance overall efficiency."

Grammarly: "Cloud computing involves storing and accessing data over the internet instead of on your computer's hard drive. Businesses use it to save money and improve efficiency." (minimal change — just cleaned up grammar)

ChatGPT (with formal rewrite prompt): "Cloud computing enables organizations to store and retrieve data through internet-based infrastructure, eliminating reliance on local hardware. This model has become a strategic priority for enterprises seeking cost reduction and scalability."

Winner: QuillBot for speed and quality balance. ChatGPT for depth when you have time to prompt properly. Grammarly for grammar only.


Pricing Breakdown

ToolFree PlanMonthly (Monthly billing)Monthly (Annual billing)
QuillBot✅ Generous~$9.99/mo~$4.17/mo
Grammarly✅ Very limited~$30/mo~$12/mo
ChatGPT✅ GPT-3.5 free$20/mo (Plus)$20/mo

QuillBot wins on price — by a significant margin. For the specific use case of rewriting and paraphrasing, you get more value at the lowest cost.


Who Should Use Which Tool

Use QuillBot if you rewrite content regularly — blogs, reports, social posts, documentation — and want different tones for different audiences at an affordable price.

Use Grammarly if your primary need is grammar checking and proofreading and you write in English as a second language.

Use ChatGPT if you need long-form creative rewrites and are comfortable crafting detailed prompts.

The honest answer for most people: start with QuillBot's free plan today. It takes 30 seconds to set up and you'll know within one session whether it fits your workflow.


Final Verdict

For rewriting and paraphrasing specifically — QuillBot is the clear winner in 2026. It's faster than ChatGPT for everyday rewriting, three times more affordable than Grammarly, purpose-built for paraphrasing, and the tone control is genuinely excellent.

If you write any kind of content regularly — blog posts, LinkedIn articles, client reports, YouTube scripts — QuillBot will save you hours every week.

👉 Try QuillBot Free Today — No Credit Card Requiredhttps://try.quillbot.com/sjb6rf7vyblf

(Premium starts at just $4.17/month on annual billing — less than a cup of coffee per week)


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