AI copywriting is an excellent way to overcome the blank page syndrome and speed up your writing process. It leverages machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP) to create everything from ad copy to social media posts.
While the underlying mechanism of AI copywriting tools is quite complex, the gist of it is simple—the tool scours the web for content related to your prompt, learns from it, and generates a fresh output based on its findings.
You can have match-ready copy with only a few tweaks instead of having to write everything from scratch.
If this sounds appealing, this guide will help you choose the best AI copywriting tool by reviewing some of the most capable solutions.
Editor's note: We went ahead and signed up for every one of these AI copywriting tools to test them in real world applications instead of just summarizing their features and prices for our article.
What is AI copywriting?
AI copywriting is a type of content creation where you use a tool built around ML and NLP to create short-form content like landing pages, ad copy and social media captions. The main benefit of using AI copywriting software is that it takes care of the heavy lifting, giving you more time to focus on fine-tuning your copy.
Of course, some AI copywriters can also create long-form content (e.g., a blog post), so they're quite versatile and useful for just about any type of written content.
How does AI copywriting work?
AI copywriting starts with a prompt/instruction you enter into your AI tool. Thanks to NLP, the AI copywriter understands your prompt and starts generating a response according to the instructions you give it.
The response is based on the existing content found around the web. Much like human writers, AI copywriting tools research the given topic to create high-quality content aligned with the provided input.
The main advantages of AI tools over human writers are speed and efficiency. You can get a draft in just a few clicks and no more than a couple of minutes.
That's why leveraging AI writing tools is an excellent way to scale content creation beyond the constraints humans deal with.
Does this mean an AI tool can replace a human copywriter?
Not at all.
AI-content generators should be reviewed to ensure factual accuracy because AI models aren't always perfectly reliable.
Due to the phenomenon called AI hallucination, you must double-check the output to avoid publishing false information.
Besides, AI copywriting tools (still) don't understand all the little intricacies of a language, which are particularly important in short-form content where every word matters. A skilled human copywriter knows that small tweaks can make a big difference and can adapt AI-generated copy accordingly.
How I tested these copywriting tools
When testing the top AI copywriting tools, I put myself in the shoes of an average copywriter, using the tools as they would.
Here are a few things the copywriters I interacted with said they looked for in a tool to help them along:
Customization Options: At the top of the list was evaluating the tool's ability to adapt to different writing styles. Since copywriting can vary widely—from informal and casual to formal and sophisticated—the tool needed to be able to adjust between tones.
Output Quality: I looked at the quality of the writing the tool churned out. Whether the sentences were clear and coherent, whether the tool followed the provided instructions, and if the tool relied too heavily on cliches or overused phrases.
Variety of Content: Since copywriting can range from email and social media content to product descriptions, I looked at how easily the tool could adapt. This included evaluating whether it offered pre-made templates for various use cases and if it could be "prompted" to produce different types of content.
Ease of Use: The initial experience with a tool often shapes users' opinions. I evaluated how easy it was to get started, how steep of a learning curve users would face, and the tool's overall accessibility. Integrations with other tools—such as Gemini with Google Docs and Notion AI with Notion workspace—were considered a plus.
16 best AI copywriting tools
We've seen an insurgence of AI copywriting software in the past couple of years, with each solution having some unique selling points.
Here's a concise recap of the best AI copywriting software you should check out:
1. Surfy
Surfy is an AI copywriting tool that lives inside Surfer AI, an AI writer for long form content.
As any good copywriter will do, Surfy can help you create original content or rewrite content based on specific instructions.
Think of Surfy as your personal AI assisted copywriter.
It can help you with several content tasks such as:
- Writing new content
- Rephrasing content in a different tone of voice
- Adding examples
- Expanding or summarizing existing content
- Linking to other web pages
- Researching content
You can use Surfy by signing into Surfer's Content Editor and tapping the forward slash key (/) on your keyboard.
To write new content, just add a prompt that is appropriate for your piece. Here's an example for an article on document management systems I'm writing.
And here's what the generated output looks like.
Of course, you can choose to expand on this with a more detailed prompt.
If you'd rather just edit an existing paragraph, highlight it and instruct Surfy.
Rephrasing, for example.
Or a prompt asking for examples and internal or external links.
You can then accept the newly written content, or start over.
The more detailed your writing prompts are, the more customized your content generated by Surfy is.
AI copywriters can especially benefit from using Surfy for a blog post but it can also write captions and create content for social media.
You can also improve the readability and flow of your writing starting with Surfer’s free paraphrasing tool.
This tool helps you rephrase paragraphs and sentences, making them clear, engaging, and professional while preserving the original meaning.
ChatGPT
ChatGPT is OpenAI's flagship product and one of the first commercial AI copywriting tools that has amassed an extensive global user base.
It's built on the company's GPT (generative pre-trained transformer) models, which vary depending on whether you use a free or paid version.
The free version offers access to GPT-3.5 and limited access to their latest GPT-4o, whereas the paid version grants full access to GPT-4, GPT-4o, the Dall-E image generator, and other premium features.
ChatGPT has a user-friendly interface and is easy to navigate. All you need to do is enter the prompt, and you'll get a response instantly.
Like with any other AI tool, the output reflects the quality of the prompt, so you should enter detailed instructions to feed ChatGPT enough information about what you're looking for.
For example, a generic prompt like "write a product description for a skincare product" will generate generic results, while a more detailed prompt like "engaging product descriptions for eco-friendly skincare products targeting young adults" will yield more accurate and relevant information.
You can transcribe audio, identify images, generate images from scratch, and even solve complex problems, the uses are endless.
All versions come with a capable chatbot that can produce human-like content on any topic. You can integrate it into other apps using the OpenAI API or create your own GPTs—chatbots trained on your personalized data—to tailor the model to many different needs.
ChatGPT is free to use, even if you don't have an account.
If you find it useful and wish to expand its functionality and response quality, you can upgrade to a paid subscription:
- Plus plan: $20/month
- Team plan: $25/month per person (billed yearly)
Semrush SEO Writing Assistant
SEO Writing Assistant (SWA) is a part of the Semrush content marketing suite. While it doesn't generate copy independently the way other AI platforms do, it's a useful editing tool with a few standout features, most notably:
- Real-time SEO assistance—SWA gives you helpful insights as you write, which are based on the top-performing competitors for the given keywords.
- Add-ons—You can integrate SWA with Google Docs, WordPress, and Word to streamline the writing process.
- Readability and tone consistency tracking—The Assistant will assign a readability score as you write and help you maintain a consistent tone throughout the text.
You can't use SWA as a standalone platform—you need to sign up for the Semrush account and create an SEO Content Template.
The free account only lets you create one template, which is a limitation that extends to the Pro plan. You need at least the Guru subscription to unlock more templates you can use SWA with.
The available plans are priced as follows:
- Pro: $129.95/month
- Guru: $249.95/month
- Business: $499.95/month (a custom plan is also available for business users)
Wordsmith
Created by Automated Insights, Wordsmith lets you create content from data using NLG (Natural Language Generation).
Put simply, it generates text-based summaries of your data, making it easier to analyze and understand. To get started, either upload your data sets directly (like CSV files or Excel spreadsheets) or automate the process using an API.
Wordsmith provides a concise written summary of your data along with actionable insights to help you meet your goals.
Use these to create copy for news articles, financial reports, sports summaries, and more.
You can also customize how the information is displayed depending on the reader. Whether it's the company CEO or a sales representative, the tool will show the most relevant data for them.
The platform serves a specific purpose without many bells and whistles, so you won't find many AI copywriting features that other tools on our list offer.
However, it's still a capable solution for turning large amounts of complex data into a compelling narrative, so it's worth checking out.
Wordsmith's pricing isn't readily available on the Automated Insights website—you need to inquire about it by contacting the sales team.
The good news is that you can request a free trial (demo) to see the platform in action and decide whether it's worth the investment.
ContentShake
ContentShake is another AI software created by Semrush. Unlike SWA, it's capable of writing entire blogs from scratch, and it can be useful for short-form copy as well.
A standout feature of ContenShake is its unique approach to content ideas. When you sign up, it will ask you to describe your business and suggest topic categories and tags accordingly.
It then presents you with a list of topics, providing details on their traffic potential, search intent, and keyword difficulty, similar to Surfer's Keyword Research Tool.
When you choose your topic, you can tinker with the general parameters of your article, such as the audience's location (country/city), word count, target keywords, and brand voice.
Once you go ahead and generate the article, the tool will rate the content and provide suggestions on how to improve it. Either take care of these manually or use the AI chat feature to do it for you.
Plus, you can use their image generation tool to have their AI create visuals or source real stock images from Unsplash related to your topic.
As for pricing, ContentShake comes with a free plan, which includes some limitations: you can only generate up to 3 articles per month, receive 3 topic ideas per week, and other restrictions.
If you want full access, you'll need to subscribe to the paid plan, which costs $60 per month.
AI Writing Assistant
AI Writing Assistant encompasses over 75 different tools split into four categories:
- Website copy & SEO
- Social media & ads
- Blog content
- Marketing & e-commerce
This means that the platform can generate everything from Google ads copy and Amazon product descriptions to full-fledged blog posts.
Once you choose a tool to go with, you can tailor the content to different audiences, creativity levels, and tone of voice. Semrush supports content in multiple languages (28 as of this writing), so that's an added flexibility.
The convenience of having different tools under the same umbrella, yet as separate entities, doesn’t go amiss either—especially for businesses and writers looking to consolidate various writing tasks into a single platform.
The AI Writing Assistant offers a 7-day free trial, so you can give it a whirl with no strings attached. If you decide to subscribe, it costs $25 per month.
AI Social Content Generator
As the name implies, AI Social Content Generator is a copywriting tool designed specifically for crafting social media posts. It can create captions, hashtags, publish-ready images, videos, and carousels.
The tool offers a few different options: provide a text-based prompt to generate a post, upload an ecommerce product for SCG to analyze and suggest relevant content, provide a long-form blog post to convert to various short-form social media posts, and more.
For better personalization, provide your website URL, and SCG will automatically pull in your logo, brand colors, and information about your business. This guarantees that all your posts align with your company's color palette and messaging, thereby maintaining brand consistency.
As you publish posts created by AI Social Content Generator, you'll get valuable insights to see what works best so that you can double down on it. Plus, the tool also allows you to assess your competitors' performance to get new post ideas.
You get a 7-day free trial to see the platform in action and determine if it's worth the money, but once that's over you'll need to pay $35 per month to use AI Social Content Generator.
If you want to create content for more than one brand and need higher limits, you can subscribe to the Plus plan for an additional $20 per month—but for personal use, the basic plan will do.
NotionAI
Notion is primarily a note-taking and productivity app designed to help users stay organized. It manages everything from tracking deadlines and progress with Kanban boards to collaborating with team members on projects or simply jotting down your to-do list for the day.
They also offer a nifty AI addition to their main tool that can help you with your copywriting, whether it's creating social media posts, writing landing page copy, or more.
Pressing your space bar will prompt the AI tool to pop up, where you can write down what you want done or choose from the range of presented options.
Plus, Notion's collaborative features allow you to add your team to the workspace and have a more convenient work environment overall.
And since everything happens directly within Notion, you save yourself and your team the extra step of having to juggle between platforms.
This also means you can get quite creative. Unlike other AI tools, Notion AI understands the context of your projects and notes, which means more relevant responses and the ability to have the AI tool engage with your entire Notion workspace.
Use it to convert your existing long-form content into various short social media posts or to turn your rough notes into polished copy.
You can try out Notion AI for free, but to continue using it, you will have to upgrade to one of their paid offerings:
- Free plan + Notion AI: $8 per seat/month
- Plus plan + Notion AI: $22 per seat/month
- Business plan + Notion AI: $28 per seat/month
QuillBot
QuillBot is a popular paraphrasing tool that can expedite the writing process and help you create different versions of your copy. While it doesn't generate AI copy independently, it can be useful for tweaking the content written by it without too much manual work.
The platform is available as a web app and has dedicated Chrome, Edge, and MS Word add-ons.
Quillbot is fairly easy to use. Simply type or paste your text and click Paraphrase. You can adjust the tone by selecting from various 'modes' to match the writing style you're going for.
You can also create a custom mode if you need a specific tone that isn't covered by the existing options.
Besides the Paraphraser, QuillBot offers a few additional handy features:
- Summarizer
- Grammar Checker
- Plagiarism Checker
- Citation Generator
They also offer a Co-Writer tool, which is a word processor that combines all of Quillbot's functionalities into one centralized platform. Plus, it comes with a few added AI features that can help you write and edit content.
Note that the bulk of Quillbots features are only available with the paid plan:
- $9.95/ month if you opt for monthly billing
- $4.17/month with annual billing (lump-sum annual payment of $49.95)
The free version caps at 125 words with Paraphrazer and 1,200 words with Summarizer, so even if you don't need any of the extra tools, you'll need to pay to unlock unlimited words.
X Grok
Grok is Elon Musk's foray into AI and is available as part of the X's (formerly Twitter's) Premium subscription. Its claim to fame is its general openness and lack of censorship, which helps set it apart from other AI tools that often impose stricter controls.
Here's an example: when we asked the tool for detailed instructions on how to break into a car, it didn't hesitate to answer. Most other AI tools would have outright refused to provide such information.
However, it is a pretty capable copywriting tool as well.
It works on a chatbot model so you will have to list down the type of content you want it to produce, the tone to be used, and other general requirements.
It can be especially useful if you're writing about current trends or topics that require access to the latest news. Grok pulls its information directly from X, where news often breaks before it even reaches traditional news outlets.
So for instance, if you run social media accounts talking about the latest celebrity gossip or happenings in Hollywood, Grok is among the best for the job.
But that's just one use case, the possibilities are endless.
As for pricing, there is neither a free plan nor a free trial, which is a drawback. This means you can’t test it out to see if it works for you—you’ll have to commit fully.
Fortunately, the premium plan won’t put too much of a strain on your wallet as it isn't that expensive:
- Premium: $8/month
- Premium plus: $16/month
Gemini
Gemini is a Google-offered generative AI tool designed for a range of use cases, with copywriting being among the more popular of them.
As with most AI chatbots, the quality of the output largely depends on the quality of your input. Put simply, the more well-worded and thorough your prompt is, the better the response you can expect.
To get your perfect copy, don't hold back on making your requirements known. Here are some general specifics to include in your prompt:
- The type of copy
- Your target demographic audience
- Your call to action (CTA)
- The tone and style of writing
- Key messages or points to highlight
Here's a sample Instagram post we generated using a prompt created with the above specifics.
Gemini uses the AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) formula here to engage the reader with the information you provided and entice them to follow through with the CTA. If you want a different approach, you can specify it in your prompt.
The tool also integrates with the rest of Google's products, which is an added convenience.
So for instance, if you have content guidelines for your copywriting tasks saved in Google Docs, you can simply ask Gemini to access them directly.
Gemini is free to use, but users can also choose to upgrade to Gemini Advanced for $20/month, which provides access to a more advanced model and offers better integrations with other Google products, among other benefits.
Meta AI
Like Gemini, Meta AI is another generative AI tool based on their Llama 3 technology. Have the tool create product descriptions, social media posts, website copy, and more by just providing a simple prompt.
Meta AI is also integrated with other Meta applications, including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. If these are part of your workflow, having an AI tool readily available can add to the convenience.
You can also use the tool to generate images to accompany your copy. Click on the 'Imagine' tab on the left sidebar and describe the image you want to create.
For example, here we generated an image of the reusable plastic bags for which we previously had Meta AI create a product description.
However, Meta AI doesn't yet support file uploads, including images. This is a significant drawback, as most competitors are already way ahead and offer features that allow for the analysis of spreadsheets, PDF files, and more.
On the plus side, Meta AI is free to use, and there are no paid plans—all their best features are included in the free plan.
Jasper AI
Jasper AI is among the most popular AI copywriting tools and comes with several unique features.
It lets you upload information about your audience and business details so that the content created by its LLM models is tailored to your brand.
Setting a brand voice reduces the need to manually adapt the tone of voice and other specifics, which can speed up content creation.
Once you've fed Jasper AI the necessary information about your campaign, you can select specific assets you want to create (emails, ads, blog posts, etc.). The platform will then generate copy quickly while making sure it's aligned with your general style guide.
Jasper AI features Chrome and Edge extensions, which you can leverage to use some of its features in real-time while completing different tasks like emailing.
Despite Jasper AI's many benefits, it's not perfect. Users have complained about the tool creating repetitive content and occasionally missing the mark when it comes to tone and style.
If you don't mind such drawbacks, you can choose from three available plans:
- Creator plan: $49/month
- Pro plan: $69month
- Business plan: Custom pricing available upon inquiry
Wordtune
Wordtune is an AI writing assistant that comes with several handy features to help improve your output. You can tweak your copy into a more desirable tone, rephrase it entirely, summarize large writings, and even generate content from scratch.
The Rewrite feature offers different rephrased suggestions for your text. You can have the tool produce more casual or formal suggestions, expand or shorten your text, and more—giving you complete creative control.
Similar to QuillBot, Wordtune also has a summarizing tool, except it's more advanced. You can enter links, upload PDFs, or just paste your writing into a textbox to get your summary.
Another one of their main features is the ability to generate copy from scratch. Give the AI tool a prompt detailing your needs, or make the process even simpler by choosing from one of their templates and providing just a few essential details.
Wordtune is free to use, though the free plan might not be rich enough for continuous use. You only get 10 rewrites and AI suggestions daily alongside three AI summaries per month.
If you need more, you can upgrade to one of three paid plans:
- Advanced plan: $13.99/month
- Unlimited plan: $19.99/month
- Business plan: Custom pricing
Copy.ai
Copy.ai is a versatile tool that lets you create just about every type of written content you might need—including short-form copy.
It features various built-in templates for different marketing efforts and audiences. You can browse through pre-made prompts and choose one to customize according to your specific needs.
You can even set a brand voice, so Copy.ai knows what you want your content to sound like from the get-go, saving you the added headache.
What sets Copy.ai apart from its competitors is its predefined workflows tool.
Copy.ai workflows are essentially automated multi-step processes designed to simplify and expedite your copywriting tasks.
For example, if you need to create a LinkedIn post, you can set up a workflow that automatically generates posts using multiple formulas (such as AIDA, PAS, etc.) simultaneously, all based on a single prompt. This saves you the time and effort of managing each formula manually.
Copy.ai offers a free plan, but it's far too limited for regular use. You only get 2,000 words a month, which many writers might burn through in a single day.
If you plan on adding Copy.ai to your workflow, you'll most likely need to subscribe to one of their paid offerings:
- Starter plan: $49/month
- Advanced plan: $249/month
Copysmith
Built on GPT-3, Copysmith is a handy tool for content marketers specialized for short-form pieces like Google and social media ads, headlines, and SEO meta descriptions and tags.
You can create several versions of your copy to decide on the most impactful one. Copysmith will also show you a mockup of the page with your copy on it so that you can see what it will look like when it's live. This is particularly useful for ads because it lets you assess their visual appeal.
As you create new copy, you can use the previously created pieces as reference points that Copysmith will use to ensure style consistency. You can also like or dislike the output, and the platform will learn from your preferences to provide better results in the future.
Copysmith offers a free trial that lets you test out the above features. If you find it useful, you can sign up for one of the two credit-based plans, with each credit equating to 10 content pieces. The pricing structure is as follows:
- Starter (50 credits)—$19/month
- Professional (250 credits)—$59/month
As of this writing, Copysmith is still running their promotional "early adopter offer," which lets you get 1,000 credits for the price of the 250 you get with the Professional plan.
Advantages of AI copywriting tools
Despite a few shortcomings, an AI copywriting tool can benefit your content creation framework in many ways, most notably:
- Overcoming writer's block—AI tools let you generate content ideas effortlessly, so you'll spend less time dealing with an empty page.
- Time savings—Besides brainstorming ideas, an AI copywriting tool can automate the creation of first drafts to give you a jump-start and minimize wasted time.
- Streamlined workflow—An AI copywriter can generate product descriptions, CTAs, and other high-impact copy in no time, letting you focus on other activities.
With the help of a capable AI tool, you can supercharge your online marketing strategy by creating many different types of content on autopilot, such as:
- Blog post ideas, outlines, and first drafts
- Social media posts
- Title tags and meta descriptions
- Website copy
- Creative email subject lines and newsletter content
How to choose an AI copywriting tool
While the main yardstick for choosing an AI tool will be your needs and preferences, there are a few universal features to look for.
SEO features are easily among the most important ones. There's not much point in using AI tools that make you edit your content heavily to include all the relevant keywords and meet other on-page SEO requirements.
By contrast, platforms like Surfer AI can create ready-to-rank content in minutes, freeing up a ton of time.
Automatic tone and style adjustments are also invaluable, as they help your content reflect your brand's unique voice. As mentioned, an AI tool might not nail it down perfectly from the get-go, but you'll have a solid base to work with instead of a generic, robotic piece you'll need to overhaul before publishing.
Other notable features to look for include:
- Ease of use—An SEO tool must hide its advanced mechanisms under a user-friendly interface to ensure you can leverage it without lots of technical knowledge. All the features should be laid out intuitively to provide a seamless user experience.
- Plagiarism detection—As AI content might not always be original, it's better to have a plagiarism detector built into your chosen tool instead of using (and probably paying for) a separate platform.
- Third-party integrations—You should be able to integrate your AI copywriter into your workflow without friction. Look for tools with different browser extensions, cross-platform support, and content export options.
Most AI tools offer a free trial/plan or a money-back guarantee, so take an extra step beyond reading reviews and sign up for the tools you shortlist.
This will give you some hands-on experience and help you decide if you should invest in a platform.
Overcoming AI limitations
While AI copywriting tools have become quite capable, they're not without flaws. It's not a good idea to merely copy/paste the output without human supervision, as you might expose your website and brand to several risks.
The first and most notable one is plagiarism.
AI-generated content may not be 100% original, mainly because LLM tools rely on existing content to draft their pieces. It's always a good idea to run the content through a plagiarism detector and fix any potential red flags to ensure originality.
You may also need to adapt the content's style to your brand voice despite the AI tool's proposed ability to do it for you. Remember that you're working with a machine that might not match a human's grasp of a language's many nuances, so some editing might be required.
There have also been concerns about the impact of AI content on SEO. Luckily, the claims that Google punishes AI-generated pieces have proven themselves untrue so far.
The company has made it clear that it only cares about the reader getting relevant content created for them instead of the search algorithm, regardless of how that content is written.
Here's a tweet from Google's Danny Sullivan that confirms this.
That said, you should tread lightly with AI content writing tools when creating YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) content. Such topics require a high degree of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), so any inaccuracies caused by issues like AI hallucination can cost you SEO points.
Make sure to fact-check your content before publishing it, and you should stay on the safe side.
Key takeaways
- AI copywriting is an excellent way to overcome writer's block and scale your content production quickly. Comprehensive AI copywriting tools can create various types of short-form content and reduce manual work.
- An AI copywriting tool works similarly to a human copywriter—it researches the given topic based on your prompt and creates copy derived from existing content. This doesn't mean AI copywriting tools can replace human writers, as their output often requires some tweaking for factual accuracy and style.
- Most AI copywriting tools serve a specific purpose, so determine your content needs before assessing the available options. For example, Surfer AI and Jasper AI are solid options if you're looking for SEO-friendly content, QuillBot is suitable for rewrites, while Wordsmith is a great choice if you need to turn complex data into digestible, cohesive narratives.
- Whichever AI copywriting software you choose, make sure to check it for plagiarism and accuracy. Some editing will be required in many cases, so look for a tool that minimizes the need for it. And don't worry about Google punishing you for using an AI copywriter—as long as your pieces are written for humans instead of search engines, Google shouldn't penalize them.
- When comparing different AI copywriting tools, look for options with SEO features, plagiarism detection, tone and style adjustments, and third-party integrations. Make sure your tool also has a simple, user-friendly interface that makes it easy to take advantage of its features.
Conclusion
The rise of AI copywriting tools is a trend you shouldn't sleep on, as many writers and businesses have embraced them to supercharge their productivity. This still doesn't mean copywriting should be completely outsourced to AI, as the human touch is irreplaceable.
If you want to craft compelling copy in minutes and free up more time for creative work, go ahead and try Surfer AI. Combine it with your expertise, and you'll instantly level up your copywriting game.
