Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Samwell AI.
Want the closest match?
EduWriter.aiMost similar to Samwell AI in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens EduWriter.ai in a new tab)Need a free plan?
GradescopeHas a free plan, rated 4.5 out of 5.
Visit (opens Gradescope in a new tab)Want the best rated?
WriterBuddyRated 3.7 out of 5 in our review, against 3.0 for Samwell AI.
Visit (opens WriterBuddy in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Samwell AI, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Samwell AIBaseline | 3.0 | $8/mo | Yes | Guided paper creation with verified MLA/APA citations and a built-in plagiarism checker - not a remover - for students and academics writing structured essays. | |
| EduWriter.ai | 2.5−0.5 | $7/mo$1 less | Yes | Writes a formatted research paper in under 20 seconds, with a disclaimer attached. | vs Samwell AI |
 EssayPass | 2.3−0.7 | Not listed | No | Priced per word against the cost of tutoring, and sells low detection rates. | vs Samwell AI |
| WriterBuddy | 3.7+0.7 | Free | Yes | 40+ academic writing tools in one place - co-writer, plagiarism checker, citation generator (MLA/APA/Chicago), ChatPDF - across 25+ languages. | vs Samwell AI |
 Essay Builder AI | 3.0Same | Free | Yes | Free AI essay generator for students with essay types, tones, academic levels and citation formats, and paid plans from $5. | vs Samwell AI |
 Caktus AI | 3.7+0.7 | $19.99/mo$11.99 more | No | A subscription study platform that pairs an essay writer with citations against a math solver, code generator, and AI humanizer for students. | vs Samwell AI |
 EssayGrader | 3.6+0.6 | $19.99/mo$11.99 more | Yes | 94% of the time, EssayGrader's scores land within 1 point of a teacher's own - bulk-grade essays, catch AI-generated writing and plagiarism, synced to your LMS. | vs Samwell AI |
 Tutorly | 3.2+0.2 | Free | Yes | Chat with AI tutors for instant homework answers across Math, Science, History, Coding, and more - plus AI paraphrasing and step-by-step essay guidance. | vs Samwell AI |
| Gradescope | 4.5+1.5 | Free | Yes | AI-assisted grading at scale, owned by the plagiarism-detection company | vs Samwell AI |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Samwell AI.
EduWriter.ai
2.5$7/mo
vs Samwell AI$1 less−0.5
Writes a formatted research paper in under 20 seconds, with a disclaimer attached.
- Full academic papers generated in under 20 seconds
- APA citations and reference lists
- Four model tiers
Correctly formatted reference lists are a fast way to learn citation style
Produces complete submittable coursework and markets it to students
EssayPass
2.3Not listed
vs Samwell AI−0.7
Priced per word against the cost of tutoring, and sells low detection rates.
- Outlines and first drafts for academic assignments
- APA, MLA and Chicago citation formatting
- Bilingual review aimed at ESL writers
Bilingual review addresses a real disadvantage for ESL students
Sells on low AI detection rates, which describes evading a check
WriterBuddy
3.7Free
vs Samwell AI+0.7
40+ academic writing tools in one place - co-writer, plagiarism checker, citation generator (MLA/APA/Chicago), ChatPDF - across 25+ languages.
- Co-Writer: brainstorming, autocomplete, grammar checking
- Citation generator: MLA, APA, Chicago formats
- Plagiarism checker and AI content detector
Covers the full academic writing workflow, not just drafting
40+ tools means real exploration to find the right one for a task
Essay Builder AI
3.0Free
vs Samwell AISame
Free AI essay generator for students with essay types, tones, academic levels and citation formats, and paid plans from $5.
- Essay generation from a topic and word count
- Up to four essay types on the free plan
- Tones, academic levels and citation formats such as APA on paid plans
A free plan lets you test the output first
Plagiarism-free and original claims cannot be guaranteed for AI text
Caktus AI
3.7$19.99/mo
vs Samwell AI$11.99 more+0.7
A subscription study platform that pairs an essay writer with citations against a math solver, code generator, and AI humanizer for students.
- Essay writer that generates outlines with citations from source links
- Step-by-step math solver, not only final answers
- Code generator across multiple programming languages
Bundles 25+ study tools under one subscription instead of separate point tools
No lasting free tier, only a single free essay before the paywall
EssayGrader
3.6$19.99/mo
vs Samwell AI$11.99 more+0.6
94% of the time, EssayGrader's scores land within 1 point of a teacher's own - bulk-grade essays, catch AI-generated writing and plagiarism, synced to your LMS.
- AI grading benchmarked within 1 point of teacher scores 94% of the time
- Built-in AI writing detection with sentence-level highlights
- Plagiarism checking against web sources and other student work
Benchmarked accuracy claim (94% within 1 point of teacher scores), not just a marketing claim
Free tier capped at 100 essays total, not a renewing monthly allowance
Tutorly
3.2Free
vs Samwell AI+0.2
Chat with AI tutors for instant homework answers across Math, Science, History, Coding, and more - plus AI paraphrasing and step-by-step essay guidance.
- Real-time AI tutor chat across multiple academic subjects
- Personalized, detailed answers to specific homework questions
- AI paraphrasing for essays and reports
Covers a genuinely wide subject range (Math, Science, History, Coding, Biology, English)
Free/basic plans cap daily questions - heavy users will hit limits quickly
Gradescope
4.5Free
vs Samwell AI+1.5
AI-assisted grading at scale, owned by the plagiarism-detection company.
- AI-assisted clustering of similar student answers for faster grading
- Built for paper-based exams and problem sets specifically
- Owned by Turnitin, the plagiarism-detection company
Genuinely speeds up grading large volumes of similar responses
Scoped to grading rather than lesson planning or content creation
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Samwell AI free?
Samwell AI has a free plan, and paid plans start from $8/mo.
What is the best free alternative to Samwell AI?
Gradescope is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.5 out of 5). Other free options: WriterBuddy, EssayGrader, Tutorly.
What is the cheapest alternative to Samwell AI?
Among paid plans, EduWriter.ai has the lowest starting price (from $7/mo). If you need it free, start with Gradescope.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.