Plagly is a “free” plagiarism checker that also offers a premium service and checks for online plagiarism. I put the word free in quotes because, as you will see momentarily in this Plagly Review, Plagly doesn’t truly give your writing anything at all without a credit card number on file.
Premium services are fine.
In fact, I approve of a great many premium plagiarism detectors for students and teachers. They’re a sound investment for students, businesses, and educational institutions.
Our content marketing agency produces over 300+ articles/month, so we use these tools on a daily basis.
But a service that markets itself as a free plagiarism checker should offer something for free…
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Our Verdict
Unfortunately, no, I can’t recommend Plagly. Despite all the problem solving I did, I couldn’t get the program to work and there was no customer support to help me through it. I would recommend Grammarly instead. While Grammarly may be on the pricey side, you can save 20% with our link.
Grammarly Best All-Around
PROS
- 86/86% accuracy
- 16+ billion database
- 150k+ word limit
- 5 device limit
- 1-hour response
CONS
- Only English
- Expensive without our link
Plagly Limited Features
PROS
- 20 different languages
- 20+ billion database
CONS
- Buggy/unreliable
- 1,000 word limit
- No iOS support
- No customer report
- No reporting
Grammarly Premium Walkthrough Video
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Disclosure: Grammar Gang is reader-supported. We might earn a small commission if you purchase something through our site. Learn more.
Plagly Review 101: Plagly Pros
Let’s start with the positive features of Plagly, few as they might be.
They support a large number of languages and they pull from a truly massive database for each essay you write, with more sources than Grammarly.
1. Language Support
Plagly caters to more than just the English speaking audience. On their official website they state that service is offered in more than 20 different languages.
That also extends to their grammar check and spelling reviews for the paper you’ve created.
2. Extensive Database
Plagly pulls from a huge database featuring over 20 billion different websites and writing sources, including Kindle books.
That’s an outstanding selection that most services would be envious of. To compare, Grammarly has a database of 16 billion, meaning that plagly pulls from 4 billion more websites than it’s major competitor.
Plagly Cons
Ok, onto the bad with this detection software.
There was quite a lot wrong with this grammar checker. For starters, my hands-on test of the premium service was a complete and utter failure.
There is currently no reporting function for writing, no customer support page, and a horrid word cap limitation placed upon premium users who want to check their college essay.
Take a deep breath and let’s get started. We’re going to write an essay.
1. 1,000 Word Limit
When it comes to checking documents, 1,000 words is nothing. Most term papers and blog articles go way beyond that.
So why then does plagly impose a 1,000 word limit on their premium service for teachers and everyone else? It’s maddening to me that a service that claims it caters to students, educational institutions, and businesses would have such a low limit set on their service.
Just like the experts from our MasterClass review can attest, you should only invest in tools or products that offer the best services.
2. No Reporting Yet
On the left hand side of Plagly there is a tab for text reports
I assumed that this meant you have the ability to take your plagiarism results and phrases and export them into a text PDF.
Well, it might mean that one day. But for now, when you click on the Reports tab, you get a message stating that this feature is not yet available.
Reports are essential, especially for businesses that are looking to hold their employees accountable and make sure great writing goes on the books. Once this service is rolled out, I hope it will be a feather in Plagly’s cap. But for now, it’s solidly in the “cons” section. Take a quick look at any search engine and you’ll see similar reports.
3. No iOS Support
Plagly checker software is available for grammar checking on a number of devices.
First of all, it can be used via the company’s official website. They also have a spell checker browser extensions for both Google Chrome and Firefox. The company makes its mark in the mobile arena with an Android application, available on the Google Play store.
The notable exclusion here is the iOS platform, which is popular with teachers. Apple users have no plagly app for their mobile phones and tablets. This is alienating a strong percentage of the market and is a notable flaw.
4. System Did Not Work
First off, Plagly’s free plagarism detection software doesn’t actually give you detailed results. If you copy and paste your assignment into their free checker, it just tells you whether or not plagiarism exists in your persuasive essay outline or section of books.
A lot of the above could have been forgiven had the service actually worked when I tried it out. After signing up for the free trial of their premium service, I attempted to paste our plagiarism heavy argumentative sample content into the interface.
Because of the persuasive limitations I discussed earlier I was going to have to input the copy 1,000 words at a time and then compile the proofreading results at the end.
I never got that far.
After I entered my paper outline, I was treated to a swirly green circle of doom that never went away. At first, I let it go, wondering if maybe the system was just slow. After 15 minutes the critical thinking kicked in and I realized I was waiting for results that were never coming.
I tried this with our clean argumentative essay sample content as well. I also tried both articles via Plagly’s browser add on.
It was the same result every single time, no matter what homework I put in.
5. No Customer Support Page
Plagly has a tab at the bottom of the essay checker home page that is supposed to link to a help center.
Unfortunately, that tab does not work on the duplicate content checker. You click on it and nothing happens. If you right-click on it and select “open in a new tab” it just opens the Plagly home page again.
So that means there is absolutely no customer support for anyone who is browsing the page looking to make a purchase decision or check plagiarism, regardless the word count of your academic paper. While using the premium service I stumbled upon an email address.
I sent them an email with a question about the plagiarism detector tool, detailing my issues using it.
Ordinarily, in cases like this you get an immediate confirmation email from the app stating that your question has been received and will be answered. I received no such confirmation.
This was several days ago and I have yet to hear anything.
Plagly Costs, Plans, & Payment Options
Plagly’s premium app plan normally costs $20 per month for students, teachers, and others. They’re currently offering a special 50% off price point of $9.99 per month.
As far as payment methods go, Plagly’s proofreading tool accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and PayPal.
Do I Recommend Plagly?
Unfortunately, no. I can’t recommend Plagly.
It all boils down to one major issue. Despite all the problem solving I did, I couldn’t get the program to work and there was no customer support to help me through it.
There’s no point being frustrated with this kindle app product when you could just be a smart writer and use Grammarly for proofreading and search engine optimization instead.