General assistant or specialist?
General chatbots are now excellent writers, so a specialist tool has to give you something more, such as brand controls, editing everywhere you type, or a memory for your novel's characters. Consider starting with a general assistant and adding a specialist only when you hit a real limit.
Claude
Natural prose that follows your style.
Claude is widely praised for restrained, natural prose and for following style instructions well, which makes it a good fit for long articles and reports.
Free limits are tighter than some rivals. Disclosure: it is made by Anthropic, whose AI helped draft parts of this site.
- Natural tone
- Follows style instructions
- Tighter free limits
ChatGPT
The most versatile writing partner.
ChatGPT handles nearly any format and adds deep research and voice mode, so you can research and write in the same place.
Its house style can be recognizable, and it needs a little editing to sound like you.
- Huge range
- Research built in
- Recognizable house style
Grammarly
Corrections in every app you type in.
Grammarly works in your browser, email and documents, correcting grammar and tone as you go. It remains the easiest way to improve everything you write.
It is a stronger editor than a generator, so pair it with an assistant for first drafts.
- Works everywhere
- Real-time feedback
- Weak as a generative writer
Jasper
Brand voice and workflows for marketing teams.
Jasper keeps a team on-brand with brand voice, knowledge assets and agents. It makes sense when many people produce marketing content that has to sound the same.
It is expensive and more than a solo writer needs.
- Brand voice controls
- Built for teams
- Expensive
- Overkill for individuals
Sudowrite
Built for novelists.
Sudowrite is designed around fiction, and its Story Bible keeps characters and plot consistent across a long manuscript, which general assistants struggle to do.
Credit use can be unpredictable, and it is a poor fit for non-fiction.
- Story Bible for consistency
- Tailored to fiction
- Unpredictable credit burn
- Poor for non-fiction
Lex
A clean editor with an AI that gives feedback.
Lex offers a distraction-free editor where the AI critiques your draft rather than writing it for you, an approach that appeals to essayists who want to keep their own voice.
It is narrow by design, with no brand voice or app integrations.
- Clean editor
- Feedback that keeps your voice
- No brand voice
- No app integrations
Rytr
A low-cost option for everyday writing.
Rytr is a straightforward, inexpensive option with unlimited words on its paid plan, useful for short social posts and product descriptions.
Output quality trails ChatGPT and Claude, whose free plans may serve you just as well.
- Low price
- Unlimited words on paid plan
- Quality trails the leaders
How to choose
Start with Claude or ChatGPT, and add Grammarly for everyday polish. Marketing teams should look at Jasper, and novelists at Sudowrite.
Always fact-check AI drafts before you publish. These tools can state errors with complete confidence.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI writing tool?
Claude is our top pick for natural long-form writing, and ChatGPT for overall range. Grammarly is the best editor.
Can search engines detect AI writing?
Google says it focuses on content quality rather than how content is produced. What matters is that the content is accurate and useful.
Are there free AI writing tools?
Yes. Claude, ChatGPT, Grammarly, Lex and Rytr all have free plans with limits.