Grammarly Plagiarism Checker EXPOSED: What It Really Finds

If you write essays, blog posts, reports, or anything that must be original, a reliable plagiarism checker is essential. Grammarly’s plagiarism tool is bundled into Grammarly’s paid plans and promises to scan your writing against billions of web pages and ProQuest’s academic databases to flag passages that need citations. Below I’ll walk you through what the Grammarly Plagiarism Checker does, how it works, what it doesn’t do, pricing and plans, practical tips, and a real-FAQ section sourced from official pages and reputable reviews so you can decide whether it’s right for you.

What the Grammarly Plagiarism Checker does

• Scans across billions of web pages and academic sources (Grammarly states it checks ProQuest databases as well).
• Highlights matching passages in your document so you can see exactly which sentences or paragraphs overlap with existing sources.
• Provides quick citation help (it can suggest or format citations in APA/MLA/Chicago in some education-focused workflows).
• Integrated into Grammarly’s writing surface and apps: available via Grammarly’s web editor, desktop apps, and browser extensions where Premium/Pro features are active.

Grammarly Plagiarism Checker – Key Features

1. Source coverage

Grammarly compares your text against the open web (billions of pages) and a large collection of academic works via ProQuest. That means it can catch many instances of copied internet content and matches to scholarly articles held in ProQuest’s databases. This is especially useful for student work and academic writing.

2. Inline highlighting & guidance

When a passage looks similar to an existing source, Grammarly highlights it in your document and points you to the matched source(s). It also prompts you when a passage likely needs a citation so you can fix or attribute it properly.

3. File uploads and formats

Grammarly supports copying/pasting text and uploading common formats such as DOC/DOCX and PDF for checking, allowing you to scan finished documents rather than only text entered into the editor.

4. Integration with writing tools

Because Grammarly works as a browser extension, desktop app, and web editor, you can run a plagiarism check during drafting or as a final step. For classrooms and institutions, Grammarly for Education adds tailored features (citation generation, instructor tools).

5. AI / originality signals

Grammarly bundles plagiarism detection with other “originality” signals (e.g., AI-detection tools) in some paid tiers, giving a more holistic “authenticity” check for modern content workflows.

How the Grammarly Plagiarism Checker works

1. You submit text (paste or upload).
2. Grammarly compares that text against its web index and ProQuest’s academic databases.
3. Matches are returned with highlighted passages and links to sources.
4. Action suggestions: the tool suggests citing, rewriting, or removing matched content.

Limitations & what to watch for

• No universal “similarity score” like some dedicated academic tools: third-party testing and some user reports suggest Grammarly may not offer the same detailed similarity-report style (with percent similarity and exhaustive source lists) that specialized academic tools (e.g., Turnitin) provide. If your institution requires a Turnitin-style report, verify requirements first.
• False positives & paraphrase gaps: like all automated tools, Grammarly sometimes flags common phrases or properly quoted material; conversely, cleverly paraphrased passages can slip through. Human review is still important.
• Access depends on plan: the plagiarism check is a Premium/Pro feature—it’s not available on the free tier.

Grammarly Plagiarism Checker – Pricing & plans

Note: Grammarly’s paid individual plan is marketed as Grammarly Pro (often shown as “Pro” or “Premium” on the site). Official pricing options listed by Grammarly:

• Free plan — $0 / month
  Basic grammar, spell-check, and tone hints. No plagiarism checks.
• Pro (individual paid plan)
  • Monthly: $30 USD / member / month
  • Quarterly: $60 USD / member / three months
  • Annual: $144 USD / member / year (works out to $12/month billed annually)
    The Pro plan includes plagiarism detection, advanced writing suggestions, citation tools, and AI-writing features.
• Enterprise / Education
  Custom pricing for organizations with additional admin controls, DLP, privacy options, and classroom features. Education-specific offerings can include citation generators and educator workflows. Contact sales for a quote.

Tip: Grammarly periodically runs discounts; third-party blogs sometimes report promo pricing (e.g., up to ~30% off) but always confirm promotions on the official plans page before purchasing.

Who should choose Grammarly’s plagiarism checker?

• Students & educators who want an easy-to-use check integrated into a broader writing toolset (and who value ProQuest coverage).
• Content creators and bloggers who want a quick originality sanity to check as part of proofreading.
• Professionals who prefer a single app for grammar, style, and plagiarism checks over using multiple separate tools.

If your primary need is the most exhaustive similarity reporting (e.g., strict institutional submission requirements), compare with enterprise-grade services like Turnitin or specialist tools and confirm acceptance with your institution.

Practical workflow / how to use it effectively

• Draft with Grammarly enabled (browser extension or desktop app).
• Before submission, run the Plagiarism check in the Grammarly editor or web app.
• For flagged passages, either add proper citations, quote correctly, or rewrite to make the text original.
• Re-run the check to ensure no remaining un-cited matches.
• Keep a human review step—automated tools help catch problems but can’t replace judgment.

Grammarly Plagiarism Checker – Pros & Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does Grammarly check against academic databases?
A: Yes — Grammarly states it checks against ProQuest’s academic databases in addition to billions of web pages. This gives it better reach into scholarly material than a web-only tool.

Q: Is plagiarism checking included in the free plan?
A: No — plagiarism checking is part of Grammarly’s paid plan (Pro/Premium) and not available on the Free tier.

Q: What file types can I check?
A: Grammarly supports checking pasted text and common file types such as DOC/DOCX and PDF via the web editor.

Q: Does Grammarly show a percentage similarity score?
A: Grammarly highlights matching passages and shows sources, but its interface and reporting differ from some academic tools that provide a single similarity percentage—expect highlighted matches and linked sources rather than a Turnitin-style summary percentage. Third-party reviews note differences in reporting style and depth.

Q: Can Grammarly detect AI-written text as well as plagiarism?
A: Grammarly offers AI-detection tools and bundles originality checks in certain paid plans. They have an AI detector and claim combined authenticity features in Pro/education products.

Q: Is Grammarly good enough for academic submissions required by universities?
A: It’s helpful as a pre-check and catches many web/academic matches (ProQuest coverage), but institutional requirements vary. Some universities require Turnitin or similar reports—confirm with your instructor or institution. Third-party reviewers recommend checking institutional policy when stakes are high.

Final Verdict

Grammarly’s Plagiarism Checker is a convenient, well-integrated originality tool that benefits writers who want grammar, style, and plagiarism checking in one place. Its ability to scan ProQuest databases is a meaningful advantage for academic users. However, if the absolute most exhaustive similarity reporting (a Turnitin-style institutional report) is required, compare side-by-side with dedicated academic tools before relying solely on Grammarly. For everyday writers, students, and content creators who already use Grammarly, the Pro plan’s plagiarism feature offers a strong, easy-to-use safety net.