Is Turnitin Free? How Much for Similarity & AI Detection

You may have heard of Turnitin and wondered if you can just hop on the website and check your paper for plagiarism or AI writing—for free. Maybe you Googled it and found links that look promising.

Let’s clear things up once and for all: Turnitin is mainly designed for schools and universities. You can’t just create a free account like you would for Grammarly or ChatGPT.

But there’s more to the story, so let’s break it down.

Is Turnitin Free? Not Really for Individuals

Let’s get this straight upfront: Turnitin is not a free tool for public use like Grammarly or ChatGPT. It’s a licensed service, mostly available through schools, colleges, and universities.

Here’s what that actually means:

• 🛑 You can’t just create a Turnitin account and start checking your assignments on your own.

• 🛑 You will need a Class ID and enrollment key that is provided by your teacher or institution in most cases to log into Turnitin.

• 🛑 You don’t get the advanced functionality, like AI–powered detection or detailed similarity reports, in any free personal trial.

• 🟡 Some services, such as Revision Assistant, have free trials available, though these are usually meant for organizations.

So, unless you’re enrolled in a class that uses Turnitin, you won’t be able to access most of its features directly.

How Much Does Turnitin Similarity and AI Detection Cost?

Like we said, Turnitin is primarily a product that institutions, such as schools, colleges, and universities, purchase rather than individual users. The cost, therefore, varies on the number of students, the specific Turnitin features teachers are interested in (such as the Similarity Report or the AI writing recognition), and how much support the institution receives.

However, you can visit turnitin.com to explore their product offerings or contact their sales team for more information.

No Course ID? Here Are Your Options

If you’re not in a class that uses Turnitin, that’s OK — there are still a few other options available to you.  

Option 1: Use a Third-Party Plagiarism Checker

There are tons of other plagiarism checkers, some that even offer free trials (or have limited features). Some options:

• Grammarly Plagiarism Checker

• turnitindetector.com

  

• Scribbr

• Quillbot’s Plagiarism Checker

🔍
Some tools like Grammarly do not access Turnitin’s database, so the results won’t be the same as what your instructor sees. They can be good for a simple check but are not foolproof at matching what Turnitin finds.

⚠️ Also be careful: some free services may save your paper and sell it or place it online. If Turnitin later identifies it on its website, your paper could get flagged as copied content.

Option 2: Try Other Turnitin Tools

1. Turnitin Draft Coach

If your school provides it, Draft Coach is a helpful tool that works with Google Docs or Microsoft Word. It lets you check for:

• Citation issues

• Grammar suggestions

• Similarity (before submission)

But, as with regular Turnitin, it’s only available at schools that have it.

2. iThenticate

This is Turnitin’s professional tool — mostly used by researchers and publishers. It uses the same technology as Turnitin and gives similar results.

✅ The good news is that you can purchase access to iThenticate independently.

❌ The downside: it’s not free, and not for regular student assignments.

Option 3: Buy a Turnitin Report (With Caution)

Some freelancers on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr offer Turnitin originality reports. Technically, they use their institutional access to generate a report for you.

🛑 Warning:

• Do not give your personal information or final project to unconfirmed vendors.

• Don’t use any site that promotes fake course IDs or sells Turnitin accounts. Those are scams, and if you do that, you may find yourself in a world of hurt.

How to Use Turnitin for Free (Sort of)

While you can’t just sign up for Turnitin as an individual, here are a few creative (but legitimate) ways to check your work without paying directly:

1. Use Turnitin for Free (If You Have a Class ID)

If you’re enrolled in a school or college, you likely already have access through your learning portal (like Moodle, Canvas, or Blackboard). If your teacher or school gives you a Class ID and enrollment password, you can use Turnitin for free as a student. Here’s how:

1. Go to Turnitin.com

2. Click “Log in” (top-right corner).

3. Click the "Click here" Near to the New User.

   

4. Choose “Student”.

5. Enter the Class ID and Enrollment Key (your teacher will provide these).

6. Fill in your name and email.

7. Choose a secure password.

8. You can use a fake name if you want to protect your identity (though your teacher should still know who you are).

9. Read and accept the User Agreement.

10. Click “Create Profile.”

    

🎓 Once you're in, you’ll be able to submit assignments and receive Turnitin reports through your class account.

📝 This process is only possible if your university or institution has a license for Turnitin. If you don’t have a Class ID, then you’re out of luck, as Turnitin currently doesn’t allow individual accounts.

2. Use a Friend’s Account (Cautiously)

If you have a friend or classmate with access, they may be able to check your document for you. But be clear that they must not submit it as their own — or it could be flagged for self-plagiarism later.

3. Enroll in a Course That Uses Turnitin

Sometimes online courses or universities can provide you with free trials or access to Turnitin as part of their program. They’re not always easy to come by, but you might stumble upon one by Googling.

How Turnitin Reports Differ from Regular Plagiarism Checkers

Turnitin’s functionality is very different from that of most free plagiarism checkers — it’s important to understand this before relying on any tool.

Turnitin = Similarity Checker

Turnitin’s reports focus on textual similarity. This means it highlights parts of your article that match other documents in its massive database — documents like:

• Published research papers

• Web pages

• Previously submitted student papers

• Any other settings applied by your instructor

  

Instructors can adjust the settings in Turnitin so it ignores things like:

• Citations and footnotes

• References

• Narrow matches

But Similarity ≠ Plagiarism

But common plagiarism checkers won’t be able to distinguish between them. And the free checkers might only search publicly available websites and basic academic sources.

A work that checks as similar for any portion does not necessarily imply there was plagiarism. For instance, similar wording can occur with technical terms or common phrases, and reference lists may overlap.

So if you use a plagiarism checker, the report you get will not be equivalent to your Turnitin report. It is best to choose those that have the same database as Turnitin.

FAQ

1. Is a 40% Turnitin score bad?

A 40% similarity score is generally considered high and could be a cause for concern. However, some of that similarity might come from properly cited quotes or common phrases. It’s best to review the report carefully and check with your instructor.

2. What is a free alternative to Turnitin?

There are several free plagiarism checkers like Grammarly or turnitindetector.com. But keep in mind, some tools don’t have access to Turnitin’s extensive database, so results may vary.

3. How much does Turnitin cost?

Turnitin is sold to schools and institutions, not individuals. The price depends on things like the size of the institution, the number of students, the products chosen, and any support or training included.

4. Does Turnitin detect AI-generated writing for free?

No, AI detection is part of Turnitin’s premium features and is only available through licensed institutional accounts—not for free individual use.

5. Can I use Turnitin to check my work before submitting?

Usually, you submit work through your instructor’s assignment portal. Some instructors allow multiple submissions or use tools like Draft Coach to let you check drafts before final submission.

Conclusion 

So, is Turnitin free? For most people, the answer is no.

Turnitin is a paid service designed mainly for schools and institutions, and individual users usually can’t access it directly without a class ID or school account. But if your school provides access, you can use it at no extra cost. Otherwise, there are some alternative tools out there—though none quite match Turnitin’s reach and accuracy.

Hopefully, this helps you understand how to get the most out of Turnitin, whether free or paid!