[FREE] Free Ways to Check If Your Text is AI-Generated?

As we all know it, AI-generated text (like ChatGPT essays or other automated stuff) has exploded in popularity. And now the big question is: how can you tell if some piece of text was written by an actual human or an AI? The short answer is that it can be quite tricky, but the longer answer is there's a bunch of free methods you could use to detect it. Keep reading to know more about it! I have also added references below for you to check out.

Before we say anything further, I’d like to mention that detecting AI-generated text is not an exact science. You might get false-positives if the tool you’re using is too sensitive, and you might get false-negatives if the AI is sophisticated or you made modifications to the text. Plus, many of these AI detectors only provide probabilities of how “AI-ish” the text is [1][2]. There’s no perfect solution right now, which is why it’s important to combine multiple techniques and keep some manual checks in your back pocket [3][2].

In this guide, we’ll explore free ways to check if text was produced by AI. We’ll mention some truly free detectors where you just visit a website/paste text with no signup required. We’ll also cover partially free services that might offer limited trials or free usage with constraints. And if that’s not enough, we’ll show you how to spot AI writing style on your own. By the end, you’ll have a good sense of how to figure out if something was possibly penned by a human or conjured up by a machine.

Why Detecting AI-Generated Text Matters

So, why go through the trouble? Because you want to maintain authenticity and honesty in what you read or share. If you are a teacher, you might want to see if your students are overusing AI tools. If you are a content manager, you want to avoid spammy content. And if you’re just a curious random person (which is cool, by the way), you might want to know whether the piece of content you found on the internet was generated by an AI or not. But keep in mind that even the best detectors are never 100% accurate [1][2]. They can help you form an opinion but don’t rely on them blindly.

Completely Free AI Text Detection Tools

First, let’s dive into the “truly free” detectors that let you paste text without charging you or forcing you to create an account (in most cases). They might still have some limitations on word count, but it’s a good starting point for quick checks.

• QuillBot AI Detector (Free): Everybody knows QuillBot from its rewriting tools, but it also offers a free AI Content Detector. It shows you a percentage indicating how much of your text might be human vs AI-made. A big plus is it has no signup requirement, unlimited checks, and can handle ~1200 words per scan [7]. Independent tests say it nails about 78% accuracy in spotting AI [1][4]. Interestingly, in one test it caught 100% of the AI texts and didn’t create false flags for human text [5][6]. The downside is that it just gives you an overall score, no fancy highlighting of which sentences are suspicious.
• Scribbr Originality Checker (Free version): Scribbr is known for academic services. It also has a free AI text detector. Like QuillBot, it’s about 78% accurate [1][6], which is quite good. It flagged all GPT-3.5/GPT-4 text in some tests [6]. The free version handles up to 500 words and no login is required. If you want even more accurate or bigger text scanning, you can pay for their premium plan [9][10]. But if you don’t want to pay, you can just use their free tool. It doesn’t pinpoint suspect sentences, though—it only gives a probability score that your text is AI.
• GPTZero: GPTZero gained some fame for being an early AI text detector. It’s free as a web app or a Chrome extension. You can paste text, and it basically proclaims a verdict: “entirely AI” or “entirely human” [11]. However, some folks say it’s not super-accurate (about 52% in one benchmark) [12]. It also doesn’t give you partial breakdown or highlight suspicious passages. If you do use it, maybe confirm the results with another tool because it might oversimplify things [13].
• ZeroGPT: This one’s name is often confused with GPTZero, but they are different. ZeroGPT also has a big text box where you can paste text, and it gives “AI percentage,” including highlighted text. It doesn’t ask for a login, so that’s nice. Some people find it hit-or-miss in accuracy [14]. But being free makes it a decent quick check.
• Content at Scale’s AI Detector: This free tool was originally called “AI Detector by Content at Scale” or “AIMEE.” It’s popular among marketing folks who want content to pass as human. It’ll give a “human percentage” like “85% human-generated.” It’s unlimited and doesn’t cost a dime. If it says you have a high human percentage, your text is likely not AI, though it’s not foolproof. If you fall in the grey area, it could go either way.
• Sapling AI Detector (Free mode): Sapling.ai has a pretty powerful free detector that highlights suspicious sentences, which is super helpful [15]. You can only paste about 2,000 characters at a time (roughly 300-500 words) [17]. The good news is it even supports multiple languages. Watch out for short texts because it might get easily confused if you only feed it a sentence or two [18].
• OpenAI GPT-2 Output Detector (RoBERTa): This was an early open-source approach to catch GPT-2 text with around 95% accuracy [20]. But it’s not so reliable for detecting GPT-3 or GPT-4 content [21]. OpenAI even cautioned people not to rely on it for ChatGPT detection. That being said, it’s free on Hugging Face and you can run it yourself to see how it does. It’s interesting from a research or curiosity standpoint, but probably not your best bet for modern AI text.
• GLTR (Giant Language Model Test Room): Another free analysis tool from MIT-IBM and Harvard. It doesn’t provide a yes/no; it color-codes words to show how predictable they are, based on GPT-2’s model [19]. If most words are super predictable, it might be AI. But yes, it’s older tech and more of an experimental approach. Still free, though, so you might want to try it if you like analyzing things deeply.
• Hugging Face Spaces (Community Detectors): Hugging Face hosts a bunch of open-source detectors you can test in your browser [23][24]. For example, Hello-SimpleAI’s ChatGPT Detector uses a RoBERTa model trained to differentiate human vs ChatGPT text [22]. These are typically free and open-source. Some are more up to date than others, so check when it was last maintained [25][26]. But it’s a nice broad set of resources that you can use at zero cost.

Also Read: Does Text Length Affect AI Detector Accuracy?

Partially Free or Trial-Based AI Detectors

Now, we jump into “partially free” land – basically those that give you a tiny free trial or a limited number of free scans. They might be more enterprise-level or have some fancier features. Sometimes, you just want to test them out, see if they’re accurate, and decide if it’s worth paying for more usage.

• Originality.ai: This is a popular paid AI/plagiarism checker. You buy credits per 100 words. They don’t have a public free tool, but you might get some free credits initially [27]. Accuracy is usually high in spotting AI, though they can have false positives too. They highlight suspicious sentences, which is helpful if you want to see exactly what the detector flagged.
• Copyleaks AI Detector: Copyleaks is known for plagiarism checks, but they also do AI detection. They advertise 99%+ accuracy, though we should be cautious with marketing claims [28]. They have a free browser extension for Chrome or Edge that can detect AI on any webpage (like Google Docs, PDFs, etc.). For big scans, you might need to pay, but small checks can be done with a free account. Good if you want something integrated into your workflow.
• Turnitin’s AI Writing Detector: Turnitin is the big name in the academic world. They claim ~98% confidence in detecting GPT-3 and GPT-4 writing for sufficiently long texts. However, it’s only available to institutions who subscribe [27]. There’s no public free trial for individuals. If you’re a student, you might see an “AI percentage” in your Turnitin submission portal. But you can’t just go to a website and use it personally for free. It’s still worth mentioning because many universities rely on it.
• CrossPlag AI Content Detector: CrossPlag has a free trial for about 1,000 words if you sign up [29][30]. After that, you need a paid plan. Its accuracy can be hit-or-miss [31], so maybe test it with some known AI text if you do decide to try the free trial. It’s not considered to be clearly superior to the free tools, but it’s something you can experiment with if you want more variety.
• Winston AI: This one is geared towards professionals (marketing agencies, publishers, etc.). It doesn’t have a direct free mode, though you can request a free trial that might ask for your card info [32]. They claim very high accuracy, but again, let’s not blindly trust marketing. If you only want something free, probably skip Winston AI for now.
• Writer.com AI Content Detector: Writer is an AI writing assistant platform with a free detector on their website. No login required. Sadly, the detector had around 38% accuracy in tests, which is quite poor [12]. Still, you can try it if you want more opinions because it highlights sentences. Maybe they’ll improve it later, but for now it’s not the best performer.
• Sapling AI Detector (Pro features): We mentioned the free version above. If you want to scan entire big reports (up to 100k characters) or you need an API, you’ll have to pay [17]. The free tier is usually enough for smaller tasks, though. They also promise faster speeds for Pro users.
• Other Tools with Free Trials: A lot of other AI detectors pop up with limited free credits. For example, Katfish had a free beta; PlagiarismCheck.org has partial free scans. Like always, read the fine print. Some might demand you add your credit card to continue. Tread carefully if you just want a free tool!

Also Read: Can AI Detectors Flag Neurodivergent Writing Styles?

So, the major takeaway here is that you can probably get the job done with the fully free tools. But if you want advanced features, or if you need to scan huge volumes of text or entire documents in one go, the partial-free or paid detectors might be worth checking. Just remember that marketing claims like 97%–99% accuracy aren’t always in line with independent tests [28][33]. Use caution.

Spotting AI-Generated Text by Writing Style and Phrasing

Now, let’s talk about your own eyes and brain! Because sometimes old-school reading is your best friend. Many people have developed a ‘sense’ for AI text, often called an “uncanny valley” feel [39]. Here are some of the telltale signs that an AI system might have generated the text, especially if it’s from large language models like ChatGPT:

• Overly Formal or Intellectual Tone: AI text can sound like it’s always writing a mini-essay. It might use big words (like “nuanced,” “intricate,” “crucial”) even when the topic is casual [41][42]. Human writers usually slip in some contractions, slang, or a personal anecdote. AI sticks to a more neutral-professor voice—unless specifically prompted otherwise.
• Repetitive Structure and Lack of “Burstiness”: AI often recycles sentence structures or phrase patterns in a predictable way [43][44]. Every paragraph might start with a topic sentence, then supporting sentences, all about the same length. Humans are more chaotic, sometimes tossing in short or incomplete sentences or random digressions. If the text feels too symmetrical, it could be AI.
• Favorite Filler Phrases and Transitions: ChatGPT and others love phrases like “In conclusion,” “It’s important to note that…,” or “Let’s delve into X” [45][46]. Humans do use them, but usually not in every single paragraph. Lots of “moreover, furthermore, additionally” can be a giveaway [41][47]. AI also likes giving you three examples for everything—it’s a pattern from its training data [48].
• Stilted, Clichéd Descriptions: If you see the same cliches repeated (“a shiver ran down her spine,” “the fate of X hung in the balance,” etc.), it might be AI rehashing generic phrases [49][50][51][52]. Skilled human writers often avoid overly used cliches or at least give them a personal twist.
• Unnecessary Conclusions and Recaps: AI-generated articles love a neat conclusion paragraph, even if the piece is short [45]. They might start with “In conclusion” or “Ultimately,” summarizing everything you just read, which can feel redundant or forced. Humans (especially in blog posts or casual writing) often skip a formal conclusion or might just end abruptly.
• Consistent Lack of Personal Anecdotes or Experience: Unless told otherwise, AI remains at a generic viewpoint. You won’t see lines like “When I tried this myself...” or “I remember in 2017...,” because it doesn’t have real personal experiences [38]. Humans often toss in small personal references or real-life stories, which gives the text a unique flavor.
• Certain Vocabulary Quirks: AI often uses words like “delve,” “tapestry,” “emanate,” “intricate,” or “unprecedented” to spice up the text [53][54]. It’s also super consistent with hyphenated phrases. You’ll see “a well-crafted, thought-provoking narrative” with perfect punctuation. Real humans usually slip up or vary punctuation style. If the writing is suspiciously polished, it might be AI [38].
• The “Uncanny Valley” Feel: The text is on-topic, grammatically correct, no spelling mistakes, but it somehow feels “flat,” like it’s missing genuine personality or emotive expression [39][55]. There’s no real humor, sarcasm, or strong stance unless specifically prompted. It can be ironically “too perfect.”

One big note: these signs don’t definitively prove anything. A human can be formal, or an AI can be prompted to be casual. So if you suspect AI, always combine these style checks with the free AI detection tools we discussed above [56][57]. Over time, you’ll likely develop a good intuition for the “AI voice.”

Conclusion

So, there you have it! There are tons of free methods to figure out if text is AI-generated, including web-based detectors with no cost, partially free services with trial credits, open-source solutions you can run on your own PC, and basic writing-style observations that you can do manually. Honestly, my single biggest opinion on this is that you should never rely on just one tool or trick. Combine multiple detectors and your own reading skills to verify if something is AI or not—and even then, treat the final answer with caution. For high-stakes situations, you should also consider external evidence (like seeing earlier drafts or talking to the writer).

Remember, these detectors are basically pattern-matchers, so as AI gets smarter and tries new writing styles, you might see older detectors become less accurate. Researchers are constantly updating or making new detectors, but it’s always gonna be a game of cat and mouse. Use these resources, but keep your critical thinking engaged. If nothing else, you’ll get better at telling the difference between real, messy, human writing and the seemingly “too neat” text that AI loves to produce. Happy detecting, and good luck in your quest for legit, human-made writing!