QuillBot costs $19.95/mo.
These cost $0.
4 free alternatives to QuillBot, checked for license, recent activity and real adoption. Each one tells you the catch, so you can switch with your eyes open.
QuillBot vs Free Alternatives Matrix
Quick side-by-side comparison · $0/mo vs $19.95/mo
| Alternative | Type | License | Where It Runs | Stars | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Page Assist | open source | MIT | Local | ★ 8.1k | QuillBot vs Page Assist → |
| Writing Tools | open source | GPL-3.0 | Local | ★ 2.4k | QuillBot vs Writing Tools → |
| Witsy | open source | AGPL-3.0 | Local | ★ 2.0k | QuillBot vs Witsy → |
| Apple Writing Tools | free | proprietary, free | Local or hosted | ★ $0 forever | QuillBot vs Apple Writing Tools → |
The picks
3 open source · 1 free to use · ranked by fit
- 01
Page Assist
open sourceMITLocal8.1kaug 2026A browser sidebar that reads the page, rewrites the selection, and saves custom actions; your local model does the thinking.
The catch vs QuillBotIt can paraphrase with a local model, but it lacks QuillBot's predictable modes, sentence-level controls, grammar suite, and citation workflow.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- mobileextensionone-click install
- install
- Install the extension from the Chrome, Edge or Firefox add-on store
- setup
- The extension installs cleanly, but it still needs a running local model endpoint and browser-to-localhost connectivity
- engines
- Ollama, Chrome AI (Gemini Nano) and OpenAI-compatible local endpoints such as LM Studio or llamafile
- your data
- Chats, settings and other extension data are stored in the browser's local storage; only the optional share feature contacts the project's server
- checked
- 2026-08-14
- 02
Writing Tools
open sourceGPL-3.0Local2.4kmay 2026Select text anywhere, hit a hotkey, and fix, rewrite, summarize, or obey a custom instruction without opening another tab.
The catch vs QuillBotIt handles selected-text rewrites well, but lacks QuillBot's structured paraphrasing modes, synonym controls, citation generator, and integrated editor.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- desktopone-click install
- install
- Use the portable Windows ZIP or macOS DMG; Linux currently runs from source
- setup
- You must supply an API key or install a local model; macOS needs Accessibility permissions, while Linux installation and Wayland support remain rough
- engines
- Gemini, native Ollama and any OpenAI-compatible cloud or local endpoint on Windows/Linux; the macOS port also supports OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, OpenRouter, Gemini, MLX and Ollama
- your data
- API keys and configuration stay on the device; the app does not retain writing or logs, and selected text goes only to the chosen cloud provider unless a local model is used
- checked
- 2026-08-14
- 03
Witsy
open sourceAGPL-3.0Local2.0kapr 2026System-wide selected-text commands, reusable experts, a scratchpad, and document context; bring the model and skip the subscription.
The catch vs QuillBotIt can run rewrite commands anywhere, but results depend on prompts and models rather than QuillBot's purpose-built paraphrase controls and writing-tool suite.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- desktopone-click install
- install
- Download a desktop binary from GitHub Releases; macOS also supports `brew install --cask witsy`
- setup
- It is BYOK unless you install Ollama and a local model; system-wide commands also need OS accessibility permissions
- engines
- OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, xAI, Meta, Ollama, LM Studio, Mistral, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, Groq, Cerebras, Azure and OpenAI-compatible endpoints, plus optional image, video, speech, search and MCP providers
- your data
- Conversation history, experts, settings and document repositories live in the local application profile; local files are indexed locally, while prompts and retrieved context sent to a cloud model leave the machine
- checked
- 2026-08-14
- 04
Apple Writing Tools
freeproprietary, freeLocal or hostedProofread, rewrite, shorten, or change tone almost anywhere, assuming your Apple hardware made the guest list.
The catch vs QuillBotIt covers basic proofreading and rewriting, but lacks QuillBot's dedicated paraphrase modes, synonym controls, citation tools, and broad cross-platform availability.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- desktopmobileone-click install
- install
- Built into current macOS, iOS and iPadOS; enable Apple Intelligence and let the required models download
- setup
- Requires Apple Intelligence-compatible Apple hardware, a supported language/region and several gigabytes of downloaded models
- engines
- Apple on-device foundation models and, for harder requests, Apple Private Cloud Compute; optional ChatGPT is used for Compose
- your data
- Edits are applied to text in the host app rather than kept in a separate Writing Tools library; on-device requests stay local, Private Cloud Compute says request data is not stored, and optional ChatGPT receives the selected content
- checked
- 2026-08-14
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers · QuillBot open-source replacements
What is the best free alternative to QuillBot?+
The top free alternative to QuillBot is Page Assist (open source, MIT). A browser sidebar that reads the page, rewrites the selection, and saves custom actions; your local model does the thinking. Other popular QuillBot replacements include Writing Tools, Witsy, Apple Writing Tools.
Can I self-host a free replacement for QuillBot?+
Yes. Of the 4 free alternatives to QuillBot, 1 can be self-hosted on your own server or local machine: Apple Writing Tools (proprietary, free).
How much does switching from QuillBot to a free alternative save?+
QuillBot starts at $19.95/month per seat ($239/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like Page Assist saves $1,197 per year in software subscription fees.
Should I vibe-code or build my own QuillBot clone from scratch?+
Our build verdict for QuillBot is YES (the core loop fits in a weekend). A paraphraser/summarizer/grammar wrapper over an LLM and LanguageTool is easy to build; the paid app wins on UX, extensions, plagiarism workflows, and bundled tools.
What is the catch when switching from QuillBot to Page Assist?+
It can paraphrase with a local model, but it lacks QuillBot's predictable modes, sentence-level controls, grammar suite, and citation workflow.
