Even if the original phrase has been changed, the finest plagiarism checker UK needs to be able to identify plagiarism with the greatest degree of accuracy (Merkus and George, 2022). Additionally, the instrument must offer a transparent, thorough plagiarism report.
We did an in-depth study evaluating the performance of 4 checkers to determine which one is the best. We submitted copied texts that were either verbatim copied and pasted or slightly altered.
1. Quetext review
Pros
- provides a citation helper to assist in adding any missing citations
- detects the majority of plagiarism
- Several alternatives for support, but no live assistance
Cons
- partial matches in which a source text is compared to texts from different sources
- does not fit scholarly sources well
- a large number of false positives
level of matches
Quetext can identify the majority of plagiarism, however, it cannot completely match the entire source text to a single source. Instead, specific phrases are attributed to various sources, which produces a lot of false positives.
Despite claims on the website that Quetext checks against both websites and scholarly sources, this is not the case.
Usability
In its downloaded report, Quetext makes distinctions based on the level of plagiarism: orange for partial matches and red for full matches. Otherwise, identical colours are applied across sources.
Although working directly with the tool is not possible, Quetext does provide a citation aid that assists in generating the necessary citations.
A free trial allows users to examine up to 2,500 words; however, beyond that, they must subscribe for $9.95 per month.
Trustworthiness
Your text is not saved or uploaded again by the programme, which also has a FAQ section. Users may also submit a help request, call the business, or email it.
2. Grammarly review
Pros
- frequently locate the source of plagiarism
- Offers a citation and language help but doesn’t sell or share the documents with anybody else
Cons
- performs poorly for modified texts
- 100,000 maximum characters (14,000–25,000 words)
- The formatting is momentarily erased and sources are displayed in the same colours
level of matches
Some instances of plagiarism were picked up by Grammarly, but it had trouble with writings that had undergone more extensive editing.
Most of the time, the tool was successful in locating the correct source, although the matches were just partial and did not fully highlight the copied text. Grammarly displayed an increasing number of false positives as the level of editing grew.
Usability
When you hear the word “academic,” as a freshman, does it make you queasy? Then you may be assured that you are not the only one who has these feelings. Despite this, academic writing projects are unavoidable (USEW, 2022). But then there comes Grammarly to help, although the tool’s design is extremely straightforward, it is difficult to read because it uses the same colour for all sources.
While altering the text, Grammarly momentarily removes the original formatting; however, once the document has been downloaded, the formatting has been restored.
The membership includes a language and style tool as well as a citation aid that makes it easier to create the necessary citations, however, it does not support APA formatting. The monthly plan ($30 per month) and the yearly plan ($12 per month) both have a 100,000-character restriction.
Credibility
The application does not keep, sell, or exchange documents with third parties.
A form is available for asking questions, and there is a helpful website containing hints, instructions, and FAQs. No live help is offered.
3. Unicheck review
Pros
- often finds the source that was copied
- Never sell or distribute documents without authorization
- Live assistance
Cons
- Finding the plagiarised source is tough due to the unclear report
- identical highlight hues across several sources
- numerous matches for a single instance of plagiarism
level of matches
Unicheck frequently identifies the intended source as well as additional sources that partially match the copied texts. As a result, it gives partial matches with numerous sources rather than giving a full match with a single source. As a result, the report is hazy.
With varying degrees of accuracy, the tool was able to identify some of the plagiarism in the altered text.
Usability
The report is somewhat challenging to read when downloaded. The programme does not provide clear instructions on what to do about each similarity because it displays so many found sources in the sidebar.
Since every instance of plagiarism is displayed using the same hue, it is difficult for the user to tell where the information came from. The user must conduct a time-consuming and difficult search for the copied source in the sidebar.
After the first 200 words, users can verify their work for free, but after that, it costs $5 for 20 pages, $10 for 50 pages, and $15 for 100 pages.
Trustworthiness
- Documents are securely stored by Unicheck, and it is guaranteed that they won’t be shared or sold
- The website has a help section with tutorials and guidelines as well as live chat support
4. PlagScan review
Pros
- often finds the source that was copied (full match)
- You purchase a set quantity of words to be used on various occasions
- Does not sell or distribute documents without authorization
Cons
- Just e-mail support; no comprehensive (life) support
- The same highlight colours are used across all sources, and fresh tabs are launched for each source
- unable to locate the majority of the stolen sources
level of matches
Most of the copied sources could not be located by PlagScan, especially if the source content was altered. However, it was frequently accurate when it was able to pinpoint a source.
PlagScan was also able to produce comprehensive matches, which resulted in a report on plagiarism that was rather easy to understand. When used with common internet sources (such as web pages), the programme fared better than when used with scholarly materials. This might reduce how useful it is to academics and students.
As the level of editing rose, the performance decreased, producing several false positives.
Usability
The PlagScan tool’s interface was user-friendly, although it used the same colours for several sources. Instead of displaying the copied text in the sidebar, it opens the source in a new tab. Direct use of the tool is hence impossible. A lot of British essay writers use this app to check for plagiarism.
The first 2,000 words that users verify are free, but after that, they must pay for each additional 1,000 words ($4.99 for 5,000, $9.99 for 15,000, $19.99 for 35,000, and $39.99 for 80,000). You can move those words to another document if your document doesn’t use all of the words you purchased.
Trustworthiness
Users can agree to a reupload of submitted documents in PlagScan’s internal plagiarism database, however, the service does not distribute or sell submitted materials.
Although there is no live assistance offered, they do offer an email address for inquiries.
References
Julia Merkus and Tegan George (2022). Best Plagiarism Checkers of 2022 Compared. https://www.scribbr.com/plagiarism/best-plagiarism-checker/
USEW (2022). TYPES OF ACADEMIC WRITING – COMPLETE GUIDE. https://www.usessaywriter.com/types-of-academic-writing/
