Name: Paperpal Plagiarism Checker
Rating: 4.8 (24400 reviews)
Author: Paperpal

Question 1

What does the free plagiarism checker include?

Accepted Answer

Paperpal’s free plagiarism report gives you an overall similarity score and lists the top 3 sources of similarity. You can scan up to 7,000 words each month with the free version.

For the full report with a complete similarity score, side-by-side comparisons, and downloadable results, upgrade to Paperpal Prime or Pro

Question 2

How many pages or words can I check for plagiarism per month?

Accepted Answer

With Paperpal's free plagiarism checker, you can check up to 7,000 words per month (roughly 25 pages at 275 words per page) and get a standard report. This limit resets every calendar month. With Prime, you can check up to 10,000 words per month (roughly 36 pages) with a full report. With Pro, you get up to 30,000 words per month with a full report. Both reset monthly. To check larger files in any month, you can upgrade or buy a one-time add-on.

Question 3

What database is my writing checked against?

Accepted Answer

Paperpal's plagiarism checker uses the same software as leading universities and publishers and matches your writing against an extensive database of 99 billion webpages including 200 million Open Access research articles.

Question 4

What types of documents can I upload?

Accepted Answer

We support doc, docx, and PDF files at the moment and expect to support additional file types soon.

Question 5

How do I interpret the similarity score?

Accepted Answer

Please consult your university or journal for the acceptable similarity threshold; this tool presents similarity as a percentage from 0% to 100%. Zero similarity means no matching text was found. Some similarity is normal, since most academic work cites other sources as evidence. As a general benchmark, many journals treat overall similarity above 20% as a red flag, particularly if similarity to any single source exceeds 5%. A high score means a large portion of your text matches other sources and warrants review before submission.

Question 6

Will my unused quota transfer to next month?

Accepted Answer

No. Unused words from your monthly plagiarism check limit on the Free, Prime, or Pro plans do not roll over to the next month. Additional words purchased as an add-on are valid for one month from the date of purchase and are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Question 7

If I check the same document twice, will it deduct from my monthly free 7,000 words the second time?

Accepted Answer

Every time you upload your work for a plagiarism check, it is treated as a new document. This holds true even if it is a newer version of the same document.

Question 8

Why did I get a high similarity score after polishing language with AI-generated text on Paperpal?

Accepted Answer

There are a few reasons why this might happen: 1. Training data: AI models are trained on vast amounts of text, including published works. This means the generated text may inadvertently draw on or closely resemble existing publications. 2. Common linguistic patterns: Paperpal's AI language check strives to achieve clarity and coherence, which may lead to the use of common expressions and sentence structures found in academic writing. 3. Input from existing sources: If you provide Paperpal with text lifted from other sources as input for our generative AI tools, the outputs will retain similar phrasing and the similarity with get flagged accordingly.

Question 9

Can Paperpal ensure that my content is not flagged by plagiarism or AI detection tools?

Accepted Answer

Paperpal's Generative AI features are not designed to avoid detection by plagiarism and AI detection software. Using them doesn't guarantee your content will be plagiarism-free. In fact, if you incorporate text from published sources without proper citation, those sections will likely be flagged regardless of the writing tool. If any of your input text to the Paperpal Generative AI tools was pasted from a published source, there will be a higher likelihood of the generated result being flagged as similar. Always cite the sources you've quoted in your work and incorporate a thoughtful analysis on how those works relate to your own article. In fact, AI-generated outputs may have high similarity to published works because the outputs may be based on published sources in the model's training dataset.

Question 10

My paper is completely original. Why is my similarity score so high?

Accepted Answer

Paperpal's industry-leading plagiarism checker matches your text an extensive database and flags portions with high similarity to existing sources similarity. If it finds instances where a piece of writing has a high match with an original source, this will be highlighted for you to review and take the necessary measures. Given the nature of language and the way the tool is designed, some similarity is not unusual. You could rephrase the flagged portions to reduce the similarity score. If you find the linked source relevant to your work, you could even add a citation.

Question 11

Can I delete my uploaded manuscript and plagiarism check reports?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Paperpal's free plagiarism checker offers a delete option alongside each report. Using this will permanently delete your uploaded file as well as the report from our records.

Question 12

How long does it take to generate a plagiarism report?

Accepted Answer

Paperpal's plagiarism checker usually takes under a minute to generate a detailed report. For longer documents, it may take slightly more time, but in most cases, your results will be ready quickly.

Question 13

Can I use Paperpal’s plagiarism checker offline?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, no. You need an internet connection to use Paperpal’s free online plagiarism checker, which scans your documents against a vast database of over 99 billion webpages. Rest assured our plagiarism checker processes your work securely on our servers to ensure accurate and up-to-date results.

Question 14

How does Paperpal’s plagiarism checker integrate with its other AI writing tools?

Accepted Answer

Paperpal’s plagiarism checker is built into its full suite of AI research and writing tools, so you can check for originality, rewrite, find and cite sources, and polish language—all in within one streamlined workspace. This makes it easier for students and researchers to produce high-quality, well-cited content. Whether you’re using the free plagiarism checker, editing drafts, or submitting research papers, Paperpal helps you maintain academic integrity while improving overall writing quality.

Question 15

Is Paperpal’s plagiarism checker suitable for non-English academic writing?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Paperpal’s plagiarism checker for research papers can support multiple world languages, making it suitable for both English and non-English academic writing. However, note that the detection accuracy of our plagiarism checker may be highest for English content.

Question 16

Does Paperpal's plagiarism checker also detect AI-generated content?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Paperpal offers a 360-degree checker suite that checks your grammar, plagiarism, AI content, and references. Upload your document once and run plagiarism, AI content detection, grammar, and reference checks together, or pick just the one you need, instead of switching between separate tools. Paperpal's AI Review feature adds a further layer of mentor-style feedback on your draft, so you get a complete pre-submission picture in one place. Sign up free to run your first check.

Question 17

Will Paperpal flag common academic phrases as plagiarism?

Accepted Answer

Some similarity is normal, especially in methods sections where standard terminology is common. Paperpal's report helps you tell the difference between a genuine similarity risk and ordinary academic phrasing, and its Rewrite tool helps you add variety where needed.

Question 18

How do I fix or remove plagiarism flagged in my report?

Accepted Answer

Review each flagged passage in your report, then cite any overlooked sources and use Paperpal's Rewrite and Language tools to revise flagged phrasing in your own words. Re-run the check afterward to confirm your similarity score has improved.

Question 19

Can I check for plagiarism using the Chrome extension or MS Word add-in?

Accepted Answer

Not yet. Plagiarism detection is currently available only through Paperpal's web editor, even though the rest of Paperpal works across MS Word, Google Docs, Chrome, and Overleaf. Sign in to the web editor to run your check.

Features	Paperpal	Grammarly	QuillBot
Free plagiarism check	Yes, up to 7,000 words/month	No, Premium/Business/Education only	No, Premium only
Source database	99B+ webpages and 300M+ Open Access research articles	16B+ webpages and ProQuest academic database	Not publicly disclosed
Built for academic/research writing	Yes	No, general-purpose writing tool	No, general-purpose writing tool
Similarity detection accuracy*	90% (18/20 passages correctly flagged)	55% (11/20)	70% (14/20)
Plagiarism check limit on paid plan	10,000 words/mo (Prime), 30,000 words/mo (Pro), plus add-ons	Unlimited scans, ~$30/month (~$12/month billed annually)	25,000 words/month, ~$20/month
Works where you write	MS Word, Google Docs, Chrome, Web, Overleaf	Browser, Google Docs, MS Word desktop app	Chrome, Edge, MS Word, mobile apps

Free Plagiarism Checker For Students and Researchers

Catch Missed Citations and Accidental Plagiarism
with 90% Detection Accuracy

Put Your Plagiarism Report to Work

Paperpal vs Other Plagiarism Checkers

Who Does Paperpal's Plagiarism Checker Help?

Paperpal Works Where You Write

Go Beyond Plagiarism Checker Before You Submit

AI Detector

Grammar Checker

Reference Checker

Pre-Submission Checker

Identify AI writing signals

Fix grammar issues without losing formatting

Ensure every reference supports your paper

Clear the checks journals look for

Students ❤️ Paperpal’s Plagiarism Checker

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