AI writing · checked 2026-10-14Can I vibecode QuillBot?
YES· one-shottable
QuillBot's rewriting is a prompt: a mode decides the instructions, a slider decides how far the wording may drift, and any current language model does the work. A competent agent can wire that into a local page with a word-level diff, grammar fixes with reasons, a summarizer and a history in one session, and it costs a few cents of tokens, or nothing on a local model. Two things stay behind: the plagiarism checker needs a web-scale index and the AI detector is its own model. If you only paraphrase now and then, the free tier or the writing tools built into your phone and laptop may already be enough.
$19.95/moprice
$239you'd save a year
one sittingbuild time
—people replaced it
What you need on hand.
DifficultyBeginner · No setup beyond your agent.
TimeAbout an hour for the first version
- Claude Code, Codex or CursorAny of them can run the prompt.
- Node.js 22better-sqlite3 compiles a native module, so build tools must be installed.
- A model API key or a local Ollama installA small hosted model is cheap and good; a local one is free but rewrites worse.
Before you buildIf you paraphrase a paragraph at a time, QuillBot Free (125 words per go) or your system's built-in writing tools may already do the job.
- 1. Install one agent: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor.
- 2. Make an empty folder and open it in the agent.
- 3. Paste the prompt below, press enter, and answer its questions as it builds.
The prompt
Build me a personal rewriting tool to replace QuillBot. Requirements: - Node.js 22 + TypeScript: a Fastify server and a single-page UI built with Vite and vanilla TS. `npm start` serves http://localhost:4710. - One `complete(system, user)` function in src/llm.ts, with the provider picked in .env: PROVIDER=anthropic (`@anthropic-ai/sdk`, ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, MODEL) or PROVIDER=ollama (OLLAMA_URL, MODEL). Stream tokens to the browser over SSE. - Paraphrase tab: input and output panes. Modes are prompt templates in ./modes/*.md (Standard, Fluent, Formal, Academic, Simple, Creative, Shorten, Expand). A synonym slider from 1 to 5 sets how far the wording may drift. A "freeze words" box lists terms that must stay exactly as written. - Show the result as a word-level diff against the input (`diff` package) with a toggle. Split long input by paragraph, rewrite up to 3 at a time, and keep paragraph order and blank lines. - Grammar tab: returns the corrected text plus a list of changes, each with the original span, the fix and a one-line reason; accept or reject every change separately. - Summarize tab: paragraph or bullet output with a target length in words. - History in better-sqlite3 at ./data/rewrites.db (input, output, mode, model, timestamp) with a list to reopen or delete entries and a clear-all button. - Refuse inputs over 20,000 characters. Send nothing but the text and the mode prompt to the model. Keep the key in .env only. - Single user. No accounts, no telemetry, local-first. Outbound calls: your chosen model provider and nothing else. - Out of scope: plagiarism checking, AI-detection scores, a browser extension, a Word add-in. - README: how to switch between a cloud key and a local Ollama model, and a note that small local models rewrite noticeably worse than hosted ones.
Opens your agent with the prompt filled in, you press enter. Or copy it and paste it into an empty folder.
Then keep going
Next prompts, same folder.
The first prompt builds the core. Run these one at a time in the same folder to grow it into your own QuillBot.
Add a Chrome extension (Manifest V3) to the rewriting tool in this folder. Requirements: - Right-click selected text > Rewrite with > one of the modes from ./modes. - The extension calls http://localhost:4710 only; add the port to host_permissions and a shared token from .env that the server checks. - In editable fields, replace the selection with the result; elsewhere show it in a small popup with a Copy button. - Keep everything in extension/ with a build script and load-unpacked instructions in the README. - Out of scope: Firefox and Safari builds.
Add custom modes to the rewriting tool in this folder. Requirements: - A page where I paste 3 to 10 samples of my own writing and name a mode. - Send the samples to the model once to produce a style guide (sentence length, vocabulary, punctuation habits, things to avoid), show it for editing, and save it as ./modes/<name>.md. - The new mode appears in the Paraphrase tab next to the built-in ones. - Add a test that a saved mode file loads and is passed to the model as the system prompt. - Update the README.
Add file rewriting to the tool in this folder. Requirements: - Accept .md and .docx uploads (`mammoth` to read .docx, `docx` to write it). - Rewrite paragraph text only; leave headings, lists, code blocks, tables and links untouched. - Return a downloadable file in the same format plus a changes report listing the paragraphs that were rewritten. - Cap uploads at 2 MB and refuse files with tracked changes, explaining why. - Update the README.
What you lose
- The plagiarism checker, which compares text against a web-scale index
- The AI detector and the humanizer that sits next to it
- Chrome and Edge extensions, the Word add-in, the macOS app and the phone keyboards
- Translator, citation generator and image generation under one login
- Rewrites as consistent as a tool tuned for one job; small local models are noticeably weaker
Why people still pay
Students and non-native writers want one add-in or keyboard that works inside Word, the browser and their phone, plus the plagiarism and AI-detector checks their school may run. At $8.33 a month on the yearly plan, building the tool and paying for tokens yourself only wins if you rewrite text every day.
QuillBot or your own copy?
Over
Your usage
3h ×$/h
QuillBot, 1 yr$239
Your own copy, 1 yr$34running + build session
You keep$205pays for itself in the first month
Estimate · Nothing to pay on a local model. On a hosted model, rewriting a few thousand words a day costs a few dollars a month in tokens. The build is token usage on your agent plan.
Take your data, then cancel.
1 · Take your data out of QuillBot
- 1Open each document under Projects and copy its text out; I found no bulk export in the help center.
- 2Paraphraser history is a Premium feature, so copy anything you want to keep before you downgrade.
- 3Saved documents count against the storage limit (10 MB on Free, 100 MB on Premium); trim large ones first.
2 · Cancel QuillBot
- 1Click your profile initial at the top right and choose Account Details.
- 2Open the Your Plan tab and select Cancel subscription.
- 3Alternatively, submit a ticket on the Contact Support page and ask for cancellation. Subscriptions bought in the iOS or Android app are cancelled in the Apple or Google subscription settings instead.
- Turning off renewal keeps Premium until the end of the paid period; refunds are issued only where the law requires them, so cancel before the renewal date.
- Buyers in the EEA and UK can withdraw within 14 days of purchase.
- Pausing is an option if you only need Premium for a term or a thesis.
- After the switch, remove the Chrome, Edge or Word add-ins so you don't keep seeing upgrade prompts.
The escape hatch
Don't feel like building it? These are already free.
Writing ToolsOpen sourceSystem-wide hotkey to proofread, rewrite, change tone or summarize selected text; runs on the free Gemini API, Ollama or other providers you configure.★ 2.5k · active Aug 2026 · one-click install
Windows, macOS, LinuxVisit ↗HarperOpen sourceRust grammar checker that runs offline, with editor and browser integrations. It fixes grammar and spelling but doesn't paraphrase.★ 16k · active Oct 2026 · one-click install
Web, macOS, Windows, LinuxVisit ↗LanguageToolOpen sourceRule-based grammar and style checker for 25+ languages with a self-hostable server; no paraphrasing.★ 15k · active Oct 2026 · docker to self-host
WebVisit ↗
Windows, macOS, LinuxVisit ↗HarperOpen sourceRust grammar checker that runs offline, with editor and browser integrations. It fixes grammar and spelling but doesn't paraphrase.★ 16k · active Oct 2026 · one-click install
Web, macOS, Windows, LinuxVisit ↗LanguageToolOpen sourceRule-based grammar and style checker for 25+ languages with a self-hostable server; no paraphrasing.★ 15k · active Oct 2026 · docker to self-host
WebVisit ↗
The numbers
QuillBot pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual, per month | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Paraphrases up to 125 words at a time in two modes, no paraphrase history, summaries and the AI detector up to 1,200 words, no plagiarism check, 10 MB of saved documents. |
| Premium | $19.95 | $8.33 | Unlimited paraphrase input in 9 modes plus custom modes, paraphrase history, summaries up to 6,000 words, 25,000 words a month of plagiarism checks, unlimited AI detector and translator, 100 MB of saved documents. |
- Free tier
- 125 words per paraphrase, 1,200 words for the summarizer and AI detector, 10 MB of saved documents, no plagiarism checker.
- Billing
- Monthly ($19.95), every six months ($79.90) or yearly ($99.95), renewing automatically. Cancelling stops the renewal and Premium runs to the end of the paid period; QuillBot also offers pausing a subscription.
- Hidden costs
- Refunds are issued only where the law requires them (buyers in the EEA and UK have a 14-day withdrawal right). Subscriptions bought through the App Store or Google Play are refunded by Apple or Google. A Team plan exists but the plan page publishes no price for it.
- Source
- quillbot.com
Also on the list
Related apps
Free covers the Standard and Fluency paraphrase modes, 125 words at a time, and summaries up to 1,200 words.
Yes. An AI coding agent such as Claude Code, Codex or Cursor can build a usable personal version in one session with the prompt on this page, running on your own machine.
About $19.95 a month on the Premium plan, $239.40 a year (checked 2026-10-14).
The plagiarism checker, which compares text against a web-scale index; The AI detector and the humanizer that sits next to it; Chrome and Edge extensions, the Word add-in, the macOS app and the phone keyboards; Translator, citation generator and image generation under one login; Rewrites as consistent as a tool tuned for one job; small local models are noticeably weaker. If any of those matter to you, keep paying.
Yes: Writing Tools (open source), Harper (open source), LanguageTool (open source).