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The best AI tools for ESL students in 2026

Writing in a second language is hard enough. The right tools fix your grammar, explain what you do not understand and help you sound academic. We compared eight of them on what matters to ESL students.

By the GetCopy team · Updated

We make GetCopy, one of the tools on this list. We say where other tools do a job better. Prices were checked on Nov 11, 2026 and change often, so confirm them on each tool's site.

Quick picks

  • GetCopy

    Drafting a paper from your own sources

    Free: 250 AI words a day · Paid: $12/mo, billed yearly

  • Grammarly

    Grammar and spelling checks in every app

    Free: Yes · Paid: $12/mo, billed yearly

  • QuillBot

    Rephrasing a sentence you wrote

    Free: Up to 125 words per paraphrase · Paid: About $8/mo, billed yearly

  • DeepL

    Translating and checking what you meant

    Free: Yes · Paid: DeepL Pro, with Write Pro as an add-on

  • ChatGPT

    Explanations and brainstorming

    Free: Yes · Paid: $8/mo (Go) or $20/mo (Plus)

  • Paperpal

    Polishing a research paper before you submit it

    Free: Limited · Paid: $12/mo, billed yearly

  • Jenni AI

    AI autocomplete while you write

    Free: Limited · Paid: About $12/mo, billed yearly

  • Zotero

    Saving and citing your references

    Free: Yes (300 MB file sync) · Paid: Storage from $20/year

The eight tools

1. GetCopy Our tool

Best for: drafting a paper from your own sources

GetCopy takes you from a topic to a cited draft in three steps: details, outline and draft. You pick the sources it writes from, and it cites them author-year. In the editor you can improve, shorten or simplify any sentence, or have it explained in your own language.

Good for ESL students

  • Writes in 20 languages, from English to Persian and Vietnamese
  • Explains any passage in your language without changing it
  • Cites only the sources you pick from your library
  • Version history lets you restore any earlier version

Watch out

  • It does not check for plagiarism
  • AI Chat does not search the web
  • It does not import existing Word documents

Free plan: 250 AI words a day ·Paid: $12/mo, billed yearly

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2. Grammarly

Best for: grammar and spelling checks in every app

Grammarly checks grammar, spelling and punctuation as you type, in the browser, Word and Google Docs. Each suggestion comes with a short explanation, so you learn the rule as you fix it.

Good for ESL students

  • Works almost everywhere you write
  • Explains each correction in a sentence
  • The free plan covers the basics

Watch out

  • Full-sentence rewrites and plagiarism checks need Pro
  • Built for general English, not essay structure or citations

Free plan: Yes ·Paid: $12/mo, billed yearly

Visit Grammarly

3. QuillBot

Best for: rephrasing a sentence you wrote

QuillBot rewrites a sentence or paragraph in different modes, such as more formal or simpler. It also has a grammar checker, a summarizer and a citation generator.

Good for ESL students

  • Shows several ways to say the same thing
  • A synonym slider helps you build vocabulary
  • The grammar checker is free

Watch out

  • The free paraphraser takes 125 words at a time
  • Rephrasing someone else's text is still plagiarism unless you cite it

Free plan: Up to 125 words per paraphrase ·Paid: About $8/mo, billed yearly

Visit QuillBot

4. DeepL

Best for: translating and checking what you meant

DeepL Translator is known for natural-sounding translations. DeepL Write rewrites your text to sound clearer, in a smaller set of languages.

Good for ESL students

  • Translate your sentence back into your language to check its meaning
  • Write suggests clearer, more natural wording
  • Free to start

Watch out

  • Translating a whole essay can break your university's rules
  • Write supports fewer languages than the translator

Free plan: Yes ·Paid: DeepL Pro, with Write Pro as an add-on

Visit DeepL

5. ChatGPT

Best for: explanations and brainstorming

ChatGPT answers questions in almost any language. Ask it why a sentence is wrong, what a word means in context, or what is weak in your argument.

Good for ESL students

  • Explains grammar rules in your own language
  • Helps you brainstorm topics and research questions
  • The free plan is enough for questions

Watch out

  • It can invent references that do not exist, so check every source
  • It is a general chat tool, so you manage sources and citations yourself

Free plan: Yes ·Paid: $8/mo (Go) or $20/mo (Plus)

Visit ChatGPT

6. Paperpal

Best for: polishing a research paper before you submit it

Paperpal is a language editor for researchers. Its suggestions are tuned for academic writing, and it checks a manuscript before you submit it to a journal.

Good for ESL students

  • Built for academic English
  • Works in Word and on the web
  • Has a free plan to try it

Watch out

  • The free plan has small monthly limits
  • Most useful for journal articles, less for coursework

Free plan: Limited ·Paid: $12/mo, billed yearly

Visit Paperpal

7. Jenni AI

Best for: aI autocomplete while you write

Jenni suggests the next sentence as you type and can add citations from papers it finds for you.

Good for ESL students

  • Keeps you writing when you are stuck
  • Citation search is built in

Watch out

  • The free plan is small, and its limits changed in 2026
  • Check every suggested citation against the paper itself

Free plan: Limited ·Paid: About $12/mo, billed yearly

Visit Jenni AI

8. Zotero

Best for: saving and citing your references

Zotero is a free, open-source reference manager. Save a paper from your browser in one click, then insert citations and a bibliography into Word or Google Docs.

Good for ESL students

  • Free, with thousands of citation styles
  • Works with Word, LibreOffice and Google Docs
  • Most university libraries teach it and support it

Watch out

  • It is not an AI writing tool
  • Free online storage for files is 300 MB

Free plan: Yes (300 MB file sync) ·Paid: Storage from $20/year

Visit Zotero

How to choose

Start from the problem you have today.

  • You need to write a paper from scratchGetCopy
  • You have a draft and want clean grammarGrammarly or Paperpal
  • You know the idea but cannot phrase itQuillBot
  • You are not sure your English says what you meanDeepL
  • You want a rule or a word explainedChatGPT
  • Your reference list is a messZotero

Use AI without breaking the rules

Five habits that keep your work your own. Read the full guide to using AI for essays.

  1. 1

    Read your AI policy first

    Rules differ by university and by course. Some allow AI for language help only.

  2. 2

    Keep the ideas yours

    Use AI to fix and explain your English, not to think for you.

  3. 3

    Check every source

    Make sure each reference exists and says what you claim it says.

  4. 4

    Keep your drafts

    Saved versions show how your work grew if anyone asks.

  5. 5

    Say when you used AI

    Disclose it whenever your course asks you to.

Questions about AI tools

What ESL students ask most before they pick a writing tool.

Still have a question? Write to us at support@getcopy.ai.

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