Turnitin is the gold standard when it comes to plagiarism detection—most universities use it, and students know it’s the tool their professors trust.
But what happens when you don’t have access to Turnitin? Maybe you want to check your paper before submitting it, or you’re working outside a university setting.
Either way, knowing if your work would pass Turnitin’s checks is important. Fortunately, there are some great alternatives out there.
While no plagiarism checker can exactly replicate Turnitin’s database or algorithms (especially because Turnitin doesn’t make its tool available to individuals), some tools come impressively close in terms of accuracy and features.
Here are 10 Turnitin alternatives that students can rely on to check their writing for originality:
1. Scribbr
Best for: Academic writing, theses, and dissertations
Why it’s a strong alternative: Scribbr actually uses a licensed version of Turnitin through partnerships, which makes it one of the closest things you can get to the real deal as a student. Its detailed reports are especially good for academic texts.
Pros:
- Access to Turnitin’s database (in some cases)
- Checks against journal articles, student papers, and web sources
- Clean, detailed feedback
Cons:
- Paid service (no free checks)
2. Grammarly Premium
Best for: General essays, emails, and casual academic work
Why it’s worth using: While Grammarly is more well-known for grammar corrections, its plagiarism checker is quite robust—scanning against billions of web pages.
Pros:
- Fast and easy to use
- Integrated grammar and style help
- Wide database of online content
Cons:
- Doesn’t compare against academic paper repositories
3. Quetext
Best for: Students looking for a user-friendly tool
Why it’s a solid option: Quetext combines simplicity with effective checking, offering a “DeepSearch” feature that highlights similarities with matched sources.
Pros:
- Color-coded feedback
- Easy to understand
- Free plan available
Cons:
- Limited checks on the free version
- Doesn’t scan academic databases
4. Unicheck
Best for: Institutions and students working on academic documents
Why it’s comparable to Turnitin: Unicheck is used by some schools as an alternative to Turnitin, offering high-level accuracy and detailed reports.
Pros:
- Designed for academia
- Integrates with platforms like Moodle and Google Classroom
- Real-time checking
Cons:
- Not free (requires school or institutional license)
5. Plagscan
Best for: Research papers and institutional use
Why it’s reliable: Plagscan is trusted by universities and publishers. It checks against internal databases, journals, and web content.
Pros:
- Customizable settings
- Clear reports with source links
- Good for large documents
Cons:
- Paid service
- Interface feels a bit outdated
6. Copyscape Premium
Best for: Checking web content and blog posts
Why it’s helpful: While not focused on academic writing, Copyscape is excellent for detecting web-based plagiarism.
Pros:
- Highly accurate for online text
- Great for spotting duplicate content on the internet
Cons:
- Not suitable for checking against academic databases
- Charges per word count
7. PlagiarismCheck.org
Best for: Students who want a Turnitin-style interface
Why it’s on this list: It has features specifically tailored for students and educators and performs well for checking originality in academic writing.
Pros:
- Clear breakdown of sources
- Works well for citations and references
- Affordable plans
Cons:
- Limited access on free trial
8. Small SEO Tools Plagiarism Checker
Best for: Quick checks on short papers or drafts
Why it’s useful: It’s a free, no-frills tool you can run in a pinch.
Pros:
- Completely free
- No sign-up needed
Cons:
- Not suitable for deep academic checks
- Can be inconsistent with results
9. DupliChecker
Best for: Casual or early-stage plagiarism screening
Why it might help: DupliChecker is simple and works well for identifying obvious copied content.
Pros:
- Free to use
- Fast results
Cons:
- Limited in scope and depth
- Better suited for basic checks
10. Check-Plagiarism.com
Best for: Students on a budget who need more thorough scans
Why it’s notable: Offers deep scanning and is more effective than some free tools, while still being affordable.
Pros:
- Multiple file formats supported
- Provides percentage match and source links
Cons:
- Ads can be intrusive
- Free usage is limited daily
Final Thoughts
No tool is a perfect Turnitin clone, especially since Turnitin keeps its full database private. But these tools come close, especially if you’re using them to make sure your work is clean and well-cited.
If you’re working on something important—like a thesis, final paper, or published article—it’s worth investing in a premium plagiarism checker to get peace of mind before submission.
And remember: even the best checker can’t fix improper citations or accidental paraphrasing errors—so always double-check your references and make sure your work is truly your own.