What Actually Is Originality.AI?
Let’s be real for a second—the internet is drowning in AI content.
If you run a blog, own an agency, or publish content for a living, this is a nightmare. Google is cracking down on low-quality “robot” posts, and you don’t want to get caught in the crossfire.
Originality.AI is basically a lie detector for text.
It’s built for serious web publishers who need to know: “Did a human write this, or was it ChatGPT?”
Unlike those free checkers that just guess, this tool is trained specifically to catch the newest AI models like GPT-4o, Claude 3, and Gemini. It’s strict, it’s accurate, and it keeps your content safe.
Who Needs This Tool?
I’ve tested about a dozen of these detectors. Originality.AI isn’t for everyone (it costs money, after all). But it’s a must-have if:
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You Run an Agency: You need to prove to clients that they are paying for real human expertise, not a 30-second AI prompt.
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You Buy Websites: Before you drop thousands on a niche site, scan it. You don’t want to buy a site that’s 90% AI junk.
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You Manage Writers: Keep your freelancers honest.
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You Write Yourself: Sometimes clients get suspicious. Send them a verified report to prove you did the work.
The Cool Features (And Why They Matter)
Why pay when there are free tools? Because the free ones are often wrong. Here is what you get for your cash:
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It’s Super Strict: They claim 99% accuracy. It catches stuff that slips past other tools.
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Two-in-One Check: It scans for AI and Plagiarism at the same time. Saves you from paying for Copyscape separately.
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Scan Your Whole Site: You can feed it your website URL, and it will audit hundreds of pages at once.
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Readability Scores: Checks if your writing is too complex or just right for your readers.
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“Watch A Writer Write”: This is my favorite feature. It records the document history in the Chrome Extension. It’s the ultimate proof that a human typed the words.
Pricing: How Much Do You Save?
They use a “Credit” system. Think of it like an arcade—you buy tokens to play. 1 credit scans 100 words.
You can pay monthly (cheaper per credit) or just buy a pack once (more flexible). Here is the breakdown with our 25% off code:
| Plan | Regular Price | Price with UPREV25 | What You Get | Good For? |
| Pay-As-You-Go | $30.00 | $22.50 | 3,000 Credits | Freelancers (Credits last 2 years!) |
| Subscription | $14.95/mo | $11.21/mo | 2,000 Credits/mo | Bloggers & Agencies |
Note: If you buy the one-time pack, your credits last for 2 years. If you subscribe, they reset every month.
Verified Coupon List [2026]
I check these codes personally to make sure they aren’t dead. Here is the current status:
| Code | Discount | Status | Notes |
| UPREV25 | 25% OFF | ✅ Working | Best for first purchase. |
| BLOGGINGLIFT | 25% OFF | ✅ Working | Another solid option. |
| SAVE25 | 25% OFF | ✅ Working | Generic code, sometimes inactive. |
| EXTENSION50 | 50% OFF | ⚠️ Tricky | Usually only works inside the Chrome Extension. |
| (No Code) | 50 Free Credits | ✅ Active | Just install the Chrome Extension. |
How to Apply the Code (Don’t Miss It!)
The coupon box is a little hidden. Here is how to find it so you don’t pay full price:
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Click Here to go to Originality.AI.
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Create your account.
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Go to the Credits or Pricing page.
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Pick a plan (I recommend “Pay-as-you-go” if you are just starting).
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Look closely at checkout: Right above the credit card fields, there is a small link that says “Have a promo code?”.
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Click it and type UPREV25.
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Hit apply. You’ll see the price drop instantly.
Originality.AI vs. The Rest
Is it the best? That depends on who you are.
| Feature | Originality.AI | GPTZero | Winston AI |
| Best For | Marketing & SEO | Schools & Teachers | Mixed |
| Pricing | Starts ~$11 (w/ code) | Free + Paid | Free + Paid |
| Site Scan | Yes | No | No |
| Strictness | Very High | Medium | Medium |
The Bottom Line: If you are a teacher checking homework, use GPTZero. If you are a web publisher protecting your rankings, use Originality.AI.
FAQs (Straight Answers, No Fluff)
Here are the questions everyone asks, answered simply.
1. Can I get a totally free trial?
Sort of. You can’t just go to their website and paste text for free. But, if you install their Chrome Extension and sign up there, they give you 50 free credits. That’s enough to scan about 2,000 words.
2. Is there a lifetime deal?
No. Don’t fall for scams. Originality.AI uses expensive servers to run these checks, so they can’t offer a “pay once, use forever” deal. You have to pay for credits or a subscription.
3. Does the discount work on renewals?
Usually, codes like UPREV25 are for your first purchase only. If you subscribe, you get the discount on the first month. If you buy a credit pack, you get the discount on that pack.
4. How accurate is it really?
It’s the strictest one out there. They say 99% accuracy. In my experience, it catches almost everything, even if you try to trick it. But remember, sometimes it can flag human writing as AI (false positives), so use your best judgment.
5. Can it catch Quillbot?
Yes. It is specifically trained to spot “paraphrased” content. If someone uses ChatGPT and then runs it through a spinner like Quillbot, Originality.AI usually catches it.
6. Do my credits expire?
This is important:
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Pay-as-you-go credits: Last for 2 years. (Great deal).
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Subscription credits: Expire at the end of the month.
If you don’t scan often, buy the Pay-as-you-go pack.
7. Can I share my account?
Yep. You can add team members to your account. This is great for agencies because you can see who scanned what.
8. Is it better than Turnitin?
For web content? Yes. Turnitin is built for schools and has a database of student essays. Originality.AI is built for the web and SEO.
9. Does it offer a student discount?
Not specifically. You won’t find a “Student ID” verify button. But anyone can use the 25% off codes we listed above.
10. What if I run out of credits?
You can just buy a “top-up” pack whenever you want. You don’t have to wait for your subscription to renew.
11. Does it work on other languages?
It works best on English. It can scan other languages, but the accuracy isn’t guaranteed like it is for English text.
12. Is the Chrome Extension free?
Downloading it is free. But to actually run a scan inside Google Docs or WordPress, you need credits in your account.
13. Can I scan a whole URL?
Yes! This is a killer feature. You paste a website link, and it crawls the site to tell you what percentage of the content is likely AI.
14. What is the “Watch A Writer Write” thing?
It’s a verification tool. It records the screen/metadata while a writer works. It proves the text was typed out by a human and not copy-pasted from a bot.
15. Is my content safe?
Yes. They don’t publish your text or claim they own it. It’s a professional tool used by big companies, so privacy is a priority.
16. Can I check for plagiarism only?
No. Every scan checks for both AI and plagiarism. It costs 1 credit per 100 words regardless. You can’t turn one off to save money.
17. Is there a money-back guarantee?
Generally, no. Once you buy credits, they are yours. If you made a massive mistake (like bought the wrong plan), email their support, but don’t count on a refund if you just “didn’t like it.”