Comparison · 2026
AI Detectors vs Turnitin
Turnitin is institution-only. ai-detectors.io is for the writer, the editor and the recruiter - sign up in 30 seconds with $1 in free credit.
Our verdict
If your workflow is text-only and you've already paid Turnitin, stay there. Otherwise ai-detectors.io is the better default in 2026.
Best for ai-detectors.io
Multi-modal teams. Newsrooms, platforms, agencies that scan more than just text.
Best for Turnitin
Turnitin loyalists who already have a paid seat and only scan text.
Side-by-side
Feature comparison
| Feature | ai-detectors.io | Turnitin |
|---|---|---|
| Modalities | Text · Image · Audio · Video | Text only |
| Free tier | $1 credit on signup, no card | Limited free trial |
| Starting price | $9 / mo | $14.95 / mo |
| Annual discount | 50% off | 20-40% off |
| Scan history | Forever, every plan | Tier-based |
| Per-sentence highlights | From Starter ($9) | Yes |
| Model attribution | From Pro | Limited |
| API access | Business ($49/mo) | Add-on or higher tier |
| GDPR / DPA | Yes | Yes |
| 2026 models | GPT-5.5, Claude 4.7, Veo 3.1 | Varies by release cadence |
Where ai-detectors.io wins
- Multi-modal: text, image, audio and video in one scan.
- $1 in free scan credit on signup. No card required for Free.
- Lifetime scan history on every plan, including Free.
- One credit pool - no per-modality caps to juggle.
- API included on Business at $49/mo (50% off annual).
- 2026-current model coverage: GPT-5.5, Claude Opus 4.7, Veo 3.1.
Where Turnitin wins
- Built into institutional LMS workflows.
- Established brand recognition with academic integrity offices.
- Decades-deep institutional academic-integrity database.
Already using Turnitin?
Get $1 in free scan credit on signup. Lifetime history. Every plan.
Pricing
One credit pool. Four plans.
Lifetime scan history on every plan. Same accuracy across every model. No retention tier, no per-modality caps to juggle.
Save 50% paying yearly. Upgrade or cancel any time.
Free
Try itFree forever, no card required
Try every text and image model. $1 in credit on signup.
Credit
- $1 in signup credit
- No top-ups
Modalities
Limits
- 25,000 chars / scan
- 5 MB per image
Features
- Per-sentence highlights
- Model attribution
- API access
Support
- Community
- Lifetime scan history
Starter
SoloBilled yearly - $54/year
Sentence-level highlights and bulk text scans for solo writers.
Credit
- $12 credit / month
- Top-up packs available
Modalities
Limits
- 75,000 chars / scan
- 10 MB per image
Features
- Per-sentence highlights
- Model attribution
- API access
Support
- Email · 72h
- Lifetime scan history
Pro
Multi-modalBilled yearly - $114/year
All four modalities with model attribution.
Credit
- $25 credit / month
- Top-up packs available
Modalities
Limits
- 150,000 chars / scan
- 25 MB per image
- 10 min per audio
- 5 min per video
Features
- Per-sentence highlights
- Model attribution
- API access
Support
- Email · 24h
- Lifetime scan history
Business
ScaleBilled yearly - $294/year
API access and bulk pipelines for teams at scale.
Credit
- $75 credit / month
- Top-up packs available
Modalities
Limits
- 150,000 chars / scan
- 50 MB per image
- 60 min per audio
- 30 min per video
Features
- Per-sentence highlights
- Model attribution
- API access
Support
- Priority · 4h
- Lifetime scan history
One-time top-ups
Top up any time. Bigger pack, bigger bonus.
Buy more credit without changing plans. Same balance, every modality.
FAQ
ai-detectors.io vs Turnitin
It depends what you're scanning. Turnitin is strong in its core lane. ai-detectors.io is the better fit when you need text, images, audio and video in one platform with one credit pool.
In most cases, yes. We start at $0 with $1 in scan credit on signup, then $9 / $19 / $49 monthly. Annual is 50% off across the board.
Both publish accuracy in the high 90s on text. We benchmark on the public RAID set across GPT-5.5 and Claude Opus 4.7 - see /about for the methodology.
Yes - sign up, import your existing files, and you'll see results in the same dashboard. Lifetime scan history is preserved on every plan, including Free.
There isn't one. Every signup gets $1 to spend on any model. No card required for Free.
Yes - included on the Business plan ($49/mo or $24.50/mo annual) with an OpenAPI spec.
More comparisons
ai-detectors.io vs the rest
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