The best free AI writing tools in 2026 are the free versions of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini for drafting, Grammarly for catching mistakes as you type, QuillBot and Wordtune for rewording, and Hemingway Editor for making your own writing easier to read. Every free version has limits, on how much you can do or on which features you get. Hemmingway, which is ours, has free tools that each write one message, email or story for you, and a free trial with no card needed.
The short list
- For drafting almost anything: ChatGPT. Its free version is open to everyone, with limits on uploads, images, voice and memory.
- For a helper that remembers past chats: Claude. Its free plan covers chat on the web, desktop and mobile, with memory across conversations.
- For looking things up before you write: Gemini. It is free with a Google Account, and the free plan includes its Deep Research tool.
- For catching mistakes as you type: Grammarly. Its free plan checks spelling and grammar and shows you how your tone comes across.
- For rewording a short passage: QuillBot. Its free version paraphrases short passages and fixes basic grammar.
- For rewriting one sentence at a time: Wordtune. Its free plan gives a few rewrites a day and unlimited spelling and grammar checks.
- For making your own writing clearer: Hemingway Editor. Its free version marks hard sentences and leaves the fixing to you.
- Ours, for one message or email written for you: Hemmingway. Each free tool takes a short form, such as who an apology is for and what happened, and writes it.
The tools side by side
| Tool | What it is | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | OpenAI's general assistant | Drafting, rewording and questions | Its plans page says content is used to train its models, with an opt-out |
| Claude | Anthropic's general assistant | Drafting with memory of past chats | Every plan has usage limits, the free one included |
| Gemini | Google's general assistant | Research and drafts, with a Google Account | Gemini inside Gmail and Docs is on paid plans |
| Grammarly | A checker that works where you type | Spelling, grammar and tone as you write | Only a limited number of AI prompts on the free plan |
| QuillBot | A set of writing tools led by a paraphraser | Rewording short passages | The free version takes short passages only |
| Wordtune | A rewriting assistant in your browser | Rewording a sentence as you write | A few rewrites a day; Humanize AI is paid |
| Hemingway Editor | A readability editor (one m, not us) | Seeing which sentences are hard to read | The free version marks problems; AI fixes are in the paid Plus |
| Hemmingway (ours) | A writing app on our own model, Hemmingway-1 | Emails, messages and short pieces in your voice | A free trial, not a free plan; English-first |
Two kinds of free tool
Most of the list does one of two jobs. Writers start from what you want to say and write the text: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Hemmingway. Checkers and rewriters start from text you already have: Grammarly, QuillBot, Wordtune and Hemingway Editor. A free writer will not underline your typos in Gmail, and a free checker will not write the email you have been putting off. Many people use one of each.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT is OpenAI's general assistant. Its site says the free version is open to everyone, with text chats and limits on uploads, image creation, voice, deep research and memory. Put who it is for, what to say and the tone in your first message, and ask for only the text. The free plan does not use the model we tested, so our scores may not carry over.
Claude
Claude is Anthropic's assistant. Its pricing page lists a free plan with chat on the web, desktop and mobile, web search, file creation and memory across conversations, and says every plan has usage limits. With memory on, you can explain your situation once rather than in every chat.
Gemini
Gemini is Google's assistant, free with a Google Account. Google's site lists Deep Research, Canvas and image creation on the free plan, within limits. Gemini inside Gmail and Docs is listed under paid plans, so on the free plan you work in the Gemini app and copy the result out. We have not tested Gemini.
Grammarly
Grammarly is a checker. Its free plan is about writing without spelling and grammar mistakes, with a view of your tone and a limited number of AI prompts for generating text. It runs in browsers, desktop apps, Word and Google Docs, so the checking happens where you already write.
QuillBot
QuillBot is a set of writing tools led by a paraphraser. Its free version paraphrases short passages in a couple of modes, fixes basic grammar, makes basic summaries and humanizes short texts; longer texts and more modes are on Premium. It suits rewording a paragraph you already have, not writing one from nothing.
Wordtune
Wordtune rewrites the sentence you are working on, in your browser and apps, and can change its tone. Its free plan gives a few rewrites and suggestions a day, a few summaries a month, and unlimited spelling and grammar checks. Its Humanize AI feature is on a paid plan.
Hemingway Editor
Hemingway Editor, with one m, is a readability editor and is not connected to us. Its site says the free version scores the readability of your writing and marks wordy sentences, passive voice and words with simpler alternatives. It does not rewrite anything: AI fixes, grammar checking and tone changes are in the paid Hemingway Editor Plus. So the free version is not an AI tool at all: it shows you what to fix, and you fix it. Which is which.
Hemmingway
Hemmingway, with two m's, is our writing app, built on our own model, Hemmingway-1. Each free tool on this site does one job. In the apology message generator you say who it is for and what happened; others write a cover letter, a reply or a speech. Some rewrite your text, such as the grammar checker and the AI humanizer. Each opens Hemmingway with your answers filled in. There is a free trial with no card needed; see pricing.
How we chose
We make Hemmingway, so read our part with that in mind. For every other tool we read its own website on the day we wrote this and describe only what it says about the free version, in general terms. Free versions change often, so check the site before you rely on one. Our own tests are the ones on the model card, and they compare models that write. We have not tested Gemini, Grammarly, QuillBot, Wordtune or Hemingway Editor, so we do not rank them. We tested ChatGPT and Claude models, but their free plans may give you different models from the ones we tested.
Where Hemmingway fits, and where it does not
It fits everyday writing to people: emails, texts, replies, letters and short stories. You get one version with nothing around it to cut, and you can tell it who people are. In our own blind tests, CommunicationBench and Human-Likeness, Hemmingway-1 came first of the models we tested on everyday writing, level with Fable 5.1, and first on sounding like a person. Both are our own benchmarks, and the scores are on the model card.
It does not fit when:
- you want mistakes underlined as you type in another app. Use a checker.
- you want research, code or answers to general questions. It is built for writing.
- you are writing a novel. Larger story models scored higher in our StoryBench.
- you write mostly in another language. It is English-first.
- a wrong answer would cost you, as in medical, legal or money decisions. It can be wrong and still sound sure.
Try HemmingwayDownload the app
Common questions
What are the best free AI writing tools?
For drafting, the free versions of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. For catching mistakes as you type, Grammarly's free plan. For rewording, QuillBot or Wordtune, and for making your own writing clearer, Hemingway Editor's free version. Hemmingway, which is ours, has free tools that each write one message or email from a short form, and a free trial with no card needed.
Is ChatGPT free for writing?
Yes. OpenAI's site says the free version of ChatGPT is open to everyone, with text chats and limits on uploads, image creation, voice, deep research and memory. Its plans page also says content is used to train its models, with an opt-out.
Is Grammarly free?
Grammarly has a free plan. Its site says it checks spelling and grammar, shows your tone, and includes a limited number of AI prompts for generating text.
Is Hemingway Editor free?
Its free version scores the readability of your writing and marks wordy sentences, passive voice and words with simpler alternatives. AI fixes, grammar checking and tone changes are in the paid Hemingway Editor Plus. It is a different product from Hemmingway, with two m's, which is ours.
Is Hemmingway free?
There is a free trial with no card needed, and every free tool on this site opens it with your answers filled in. For the plans, see pricing.
Which free AI writing tool sounds the most human?
In our own blind test, Human-Likeness, Hemmingway-1 came first of the models we tested, ahead of the Claude and ChatGPT models in the test. It is our own benchmark, other assistants' free plans may use different models, and we have not tested checkers such as Grammarly or QuillBot.