QuillBot alternatives: 4 free & open-source picks
Curated, verified, and actually free. No trials, no crippled tiers. Star counts and last-activity dates checked by hand, not scraped and forgotten.
A browser sidebar that reads the page, rewrites the selection, and saves custom actions; your local model does the thinking.
licenseMIT
runson your machine
installInstall the extension from the Chrome, Edge or Firefox add-on store
enginesOllama, Chrome AI (Gemini Nano) and OpenAI-compatible local endpoints such as LM Studio or llamafile
dataChats, settings and other extension data are stored in the browser's local storage; only the optional share feature contacts the project's server
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.
setupThe extension installs cleanly, but it still needs a running local model endpoint and browser-to-localhost connectivity
facts verified 2026-08-14
Select text anywhere, hit a hotkey, and fix, rewrite, summarize, or obey a custom instruction without opening another tab.
licenseGPL-3.0
runson your machine
installUse the portable Windows ZIP or macOS DMG; Linux currently runs from source
enginesGemini, 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
dataAPI 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
the catch vs QuillBotIt handles selected-text rewrites well, but lacks QuillBot's structured paraphrasing modes, synonym controls, citation generator, and integrated editor.
setupYou must supply an API key or install a local model; macOS needs Accessibility permissions, while Linux installation and Wayland support remain rough
facts verified 2026-08-14
System-wide selected-text commands, reusable experts, a scratchpad, and document context; bring the model and skip the subscription.
licenseAGPL-3.0
runson your machine
installDownload a desktop binary from GitHub Releases; macOS also supports `brew install --cask witsy`
enginesOpenAI, 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
dataConversation 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
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.
setupIt is BYOK unless you install Ollama and a local model; system-wide commands also need OS accessibility permissions
facts verified 2026-08-14
Proofread, rewrite, shorten, or change tone almost anywhere, assuming your Apple hardware made the guest list.
licenseproprietary, free
runsyour machine or their cloud
installBuilt into current macOS, iOS and iPadOS; enable Apple Intelligence and let the required models download
enginesApple on-device foundation models and, for harder requests, Apple Private Cloud Compute; optional ChatGPT is used for Compose
dataEdits 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
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.
setupRequires Apple Intelligence-compatible Apple hardware, a supported language/region and several gigabytes of downloaded models
facts verified 2026-08-14
last updated 2026-08-14 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Page Assist | MIT | one-click install | android, browser-extension | 8,100 | 2026-08 |
| Writing Tools | GPL-3.0 | one-click install | macos, windows | 2,400 | 2026-05 |
| Witsy | AGPL-3.0 | one-click install | macos, windows, linux | 2,000 | 2026-04 |
| Apple Writing Tools | proprietary, free | one-click install | macos, ios | — | — |
They pay because it is available where they write and has purpose-built controls. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $239.4 a year.
Is there a free alternative to QuillBot?
Yes: Page Assist, Writing Tools, Witsy and 1 more. Every tool on this page is either open source or genuinely free to use long-term: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Should I just build my own QuillBot?
Our verdict is SÍ. 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. If you'd rather build, the exact one-shot prompt is free at puedovibecodearlo.app/quillbot.
