RankingRight
Home / Software & Apps / AI Writing Tools / Best Free AI Writing Tools

Best Free AI Writing Tools

Only the tools that fit "best free ai writing tools", given the same six briefs and scored blind.

Last Updated: Sep 2026
Suggested ai writing tools for you
OpenAIChatGPT Very Good 8.7
Scored level with Claude on editing needed acros...Learn More
We Recommend
AnthropicClaude Very Good 8.8
Both editors ranked its technical explainer and...Learn More
GrammarlyGrammarly Good 8.4
Works in Gmail, Docs, Word, Slack and the browse...Learn More
1

Claude (Pro) - The best long-form and technical writing in our test, with Projects that hold your style guide and source material across a whole body of work Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight

  • Both editors ranked its technical explainer and long-form draft first
  • Held the brief and the tone across 1,500 words without drifting
  • Projects keep a style guide and source documents attached to everything you write
Very Good 8.8 Visit Site
$0 · checked Sep 11 20 USD/mo Yes, limited daily usage
2

ChatGPT (Plus) - The most versatile of the lot: writing, images, data analysis, browsing and custom GPTs in one subscription, with the largest ecosystem around it Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight

  • Scored level with Claude on editing needed across the six briefs
  • Images, charts, data analysis and browsing in the same subscription
  • Custom GPTs let a team share a configured writer
Very Good 8.7 Visit Site
$0 · checked Sep 11 20 USD/mo Yes, limited
3

Grammarly (Pro) - The editor rather than the writer: it works inside every app you already type in and makes your own writing clearer Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight

  • Works in Gmail, Docs, Word, Slack and the browser — no copying between tools
  • Caught every real grammar issue our editors flagged in the rewrite brief
  • $12 a month, and the free tier is genuinely useful
Good 8.4 Visit Site
$0 · checked Sep 11 12 USD/mo Yes, grammar and spelling
4

Writesonic (Individual) - SEO-first drafting: it pulls the live search results for a keyword and builds an article brief around them before it writes Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight

  • Builds an outline from the current top-ranking pages for a keyword
  • Cites the sources it browsed, which made fact-checking faster
  • Bulk article generation and a WordPress publisher
Fair 7.8 Visit Site
$0 · checked Sep 11 39 USD/mo Yes, limited credits
5

Copy.ai (Starter) - A workflow engine more than a writer: it chains research, drafting and enrichment into repeatable go-to-market automations Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight

  • Workflows repeat a whole process — research a company, draft an email, enrich a list
  • Infobase stores product facts so output stays consistent
  • Free tier of 2,000 words a month
Fair 7.7 Visit Site
$0 · checked Sep 11 49 USD/mo Yes, 2,000 words/mo

Frequently asked questions about ai writing tools

Will Google penalise AI-written content?
Google has said it rewards helpful, reliable content however it is produced, and penalises content made primarily to game rankings. In practice that means an AI draft a human has verified and improved is fine, and bulk unedited output is not. Every tool here produced at least one confident factual error in our six briefs, so the checking is not optional.
Which tool needed the least editing?
Claude and ChatGPT tied at 3 out of 10 on our editing scale, with Claude preferred by both editors for long-form and technical explanations and ChatGPT for range and speed. Jasper was close behind on marketing copy specifically, which is what it is tuned for.
Does the tool train on what I write?
It depends on the plan. Consumer tiers of several tools use conversations to improve models unless you opt out; business and team tiers generally do not. We recorded each vendor's stated position in the specs, but it changes often — read the current terms before putting client or confidential material into any of them.
How do you test AI writing tools?
Six briefs go to every tool with identical wording and no follow-up prompting. Two editors score each output blind for accuracy, usefulness and tone, and rate how much editing it would need before publishing, from 0 to 10. We fact-check every checkable claim, then test brand voice controls, integrations and export, and price one writer producing about 20 pieces a month.

*Scores: Output quality 30 · Control & brand voice 20 · Workflow & integrations 20 · Accuracy & disclosure 15 · Value 15; score = Σ ÷ 10, ties break on the earlier test date. Prices shown were checked on the date beside each and may change. Affiliate links are added only after a score is locked and can never change it. How we rank.

#1 Claude8.8 · $0
Visit Site