The 7 best AI writing tools in 2026: A hands-on comparison

Creating content that ranks in search engines can be a demanding process, involving research, writing, editing, and optimization. It requires a significant investment of time and resources.

AI writing tools have emerged as a way to streamline this process, capable of generating blog posts or social media captions in minutes. However, the challenge often lies in the quality of the output, which can sometimes be generic and require substantial editing to meet SEO standards.

At eesel AI, we encountered this challenge while exploring various tools. This led us to develop our own internal AI blog writer, which helped us scale our blog from 700 to over 750,000 daily impressions in three months. This article shares the insights we gained from testing these tools, offering a hands-on guide to help you find a suitable solution for your needs.

What are AI writing tools?

At their heart, AI writing tools run on Large Language Models (LLMs). You can think of an LLM as a sophisticated autocomplete that has processed a vast amount of text from the internet. You provide a prompt, and it generates text based on the patterns it has learned.

But they are not all the same. AI writers generally come in a few variations:

• AI Text Generators: These are classic content generators. You provide them with a topic, and they write copy from scratch. Rytr is a good example of this.
• AI Writing Assistants: These function more like an editor. They take text you have already written and help you refine it by fixing grammar, suggesting better words, and tweaking your style.
• AI-Powered SEO Tools: Platforms like Surfer are built to help your content rank. They analyze search results and provide data-backed advice on keywords and structure, but they do not typically write the first draft.
• End-to-End Content Platforms: This is a newer category, which includes the eesel AI blog writer. These platforms manage the entire content creation process, from a single keyword to a fully researched, structured, and media-rich blog post that is ready to be published. They address the final steps of content creation.

  

How we conducted this AI writing tools comparison

To make this useful, we evaluated each tool using a consistent set of criteria. We wanted to see which ones could genuinely make content creation easier and more effective. Here is what we looked for:

• Output Quality: Was the content well-written? Did it sound human, or was it obviously generated by AI? We looked for accuracy, engagement, and the amount of editing required.
• Ease of Use: How quickly could we get started? We preferred tools with simple interfaces that did not require extensive knowledge of prompt engineering to produce decent results.
• Feature Set: Did the tool offer more than just writing? We looked for useful features like built-in SEO tools, automatic image and video embeds, brand voice settings, and genuine research capabilities.
• Value for Money: Was it worth the cost? We compared the price to the features and the quality of the final content to determine if it was a good investment.

A quick AI writing tools comparison for 2026

For a bird's-eye view, here is how the top tools stack up.

A detailed AI writing tools comparison

Here is a more detailed look at each tool, based on our hands-on tests.

1. eesel AI blog writer

The eesel AI blog writer is designed to turn a single keyword into a complete, SEO-optimized, and media-rich article. The goal is to provide a publish-ready draft, handling research, article structure, asset creation, and linking automatically. This is the tool we used for our own organic growth.

Pros: A key feature is its ability to create a complete blog post. It automatically includes AI-generated images, infographics, relevant YouTube videos, and Reddit quotes to enhance engagement. The tool's context-aware research aims to produce in-depth content. Additionally, its optimization for AI Answer Engines (AEO) is designed to prepare content for future search trends.

Cons: The eesel AI blog writer is a specialized tool focused on long-form blog content. For users who primarily need to write short social media captions or ad copy, other tools may be more suitable.

Pricing:

• Early Bird Plan: $99 for 50 blog generations.
• It's completely free to try, so you can generate your first article and see the quality for yourself without any risk.

Why we included it: The eesel AI blog writer addresses the final steps of content creation. Instead of producing a text file that requires additional hours of formatting and asset sourcing, it provides a more finished product that is ready for both readers and search engines.

2. Jasper

Jasper is a well-known name in the AI writing space. It is a powerful content platform for marketing teams. Its key feature is Jasper IQ, a system that learns your brand voice and style guide to ensure everything it writes aligns with your brand. It offers a suite of tools, from a document editor to AI agents that can automate marketing tasks.

The best AI tool for writing SEO-rich blog content is Jasper (formerly Jarvis). It helps create keyword-optimized content, improves readability, and offers features for generating ideas, headings, and meta descriptions.

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Pros: Jasper is excellent at maintaining brand voice consistency, which is a significant advantage for larger teams. The "Brand Voice" and "Style Guide" features are among the best available. It is a mature platform with many features and is SOC 2 compliant, which is important for enterprise security.

Cons: The main drawback is the price; it is one of the more expensive options. While it is effective for generating text and AI images, you still need to manually find and embed other assets like YouTube videos or quotes.

Pricing:

• Pro plan: Starts at $59/month per seat (billed annually).

Why we included it: For businesses that need to produce a large volume of on-brand content in various formats and have the budget, Jasper is a solid all-in-one platform.

3. Copy.ai

Copy.ai has evolved from a simple copywriting tool into a full GTM AI Platform. It is built to help sales and marketing teams automate complex operational work. With features like "Workflows" and "AI Agents", it can research leads, create sales copy, and run personalized outreach campaigns.

Pros: Copy.ai excels at automating sales and marketing workflows. It is also LLM-agnostic, meaning it can select the most appropriate language model for a given task. With over 17 million users, it is a trusted name, and its free plan is one of the most generous available.

Cons: The platform's primary focus is on GTM automation rather than creating publish-ready blog posts. While it can draft articles, the output may serve as a starting point that requires further development. It is not specialized for the deep research, structure, and rich media integration often needed for ranking on competitive keywords. For those specific needs, users might consider tools designed for end-to-end content creation, such as the eesel AI blog writer.

Pricing:

• Free plan: 2,000 words per month.
• Chat plan: Starts at $24/month for 5 seats (billed annually).

Why we included it: It is a great choice for sales and marketing teams who need an affordable tool to automate operational tasks, where content drafting is just one of many requirements.

4. Writesonic

Writesonic is an AI platform focused on search visibility. It addresses both traditional SEO and what it calls Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), its strategy for getting content into AI search answers. Its AI Article Writer 6.0 uses real-time data to create factually accurate articles with citations.

Pros: Writesonic's focus on both SEO and GEO is a forward-thinking approach. The ability to track a brand's visibility in AI search is a unique and useful feature. Its AI writer is also built to produce fact-checked content, which helps build trust.

Cons: While it performs well with keyword optimization and can generate AI images, it does not integrate other types of rich media. You will still need to find relevant videos or social proof to make your post more engaging.

Pricing:

• Free plan: Available with a word limit.
• Lite plan: Starts at $39/month (billed annually).

Why we included it: Writesonic is a strong option for marketers who want a single platform to handle content creation, SEO, and visibility in the new landscape of AI-powered search.

5. Rytr

Rytr is a very popular and affordable AI writing assistant. It is designed for simplicity and speed, with a clean interface and over 40 templates for nearly any kind of short-form content, from blog outlines to Facebook ads. A notable feature is its browser extension, which allows you to use its AI wherever you write online.

Pros: Rytr's main advantages are its price and ease of use. The free plan is generous, and the paid plans are among the most affordable, making it a great entry point for the 8 million+ people who use it. It also supports over 30 languages and has a built-in plagiarism checker.

Cons: The output is suitable for simple tasks, but it is often basic and may lack the polish of more expensive tools. It is good for brainstorming or drafting short pieces of copy, but it is not designed to produce the kind of deeply researched, ready-to-publish articles needed for a serious content strategy.

Pricing:

• Free plan: 10,000 characters per month.
• Saver plan: Starts at $7.50/month (billed annually).

Why we included it: Rytr is arguably the best budget option for freelancers, solo entrepreneurs, or anyone who needs a simple tool for everyday, short-form writing tasks.

6. Surfer

Surfer is an SEO platform that helps you optimize your content to rank higher. It is less of an AI writer and more of an AI-powered optimization guide. Its main feature, the Content Editor, analyzes the top-ranking pages for your keyword and provides a real-time "Content Score" with suggestions on how to improve your article as you write.

Pros: Surfer is fantastic at the data-driven side of on-page SEO. Its scoring system simplifies the complex process of optimization into a checklist, which is useful for both professionals and beginners. It integrates with Google Docs and WordPress, and its competitor analysis is top-notch.

Cons: Surfer is primarily built to optimize content rather than create it from scratch. Although it includes some AI writing features, its core function is to provide guidance on structure and keywords. It helps you understand what to write, but the writing itself is largely a manual process. This distinguishes it from end-to-end platforms like the eesel AI blog writer, which automate the content creation process.

Pricing:

• Essential plan: Starts at $79/month (billed annually).

Why we included it: If you are serious about SEO, Surfer is a vital tool for optimizing your articles and giving them the best chance of climbing the search rankings.

7. Claude

Claude, from the AI company Anthropic, is a conversational AI known for writing prose that feels more natural and creative. It is a flexible tool that is great for brainstorming ideas, drafting text, and editing. Anthropic has also built it with a strong focus on safety and security.

Claude. But if you want to write a story using AI you have to write a detailed outline. Then you have to let it write one chapter at a time, edit each chapter with text prompts, and continue in this way. When it's done you'll still need to edit the whole thing, remove em dashes, replace repetitive phrases like '...and the result was immediate and spectacular.' and basically polish it. But, for me, Claude is best.

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Pros: The quality of Claude's writing is its biggest strength. The text it generates often feels more human and less robotic. It has a large context window, which is useful for summarizing long documents or engaging in extended conversations. It also offers enterprise-grade security and is HIPAA and SOC 2 compliant.

Cons: As a general chat tool, Claude lacks the specialized features for a streamlined blog creation process. It will not create an SEO-optimized structure, find and embed videos, or generate images for you. You have to guide it step-by-step, which can be time-consuming when trying to scale content production.

Pricing:

• Free plan: Available with usage limits.
• Pro plan: Starts at $17/month (billed annually).

Why we included it: Claude is a great AI partner for writers who prioritize high-quality prose and need a creative assistant for brainstorming and drafting text that sounds genuinely human.

Seeing these tools in action can provide a different perspective. For a visual walkthrough and hands-on review of various AI writers, the video below offers a comprehensive look at how different platforms perform in real-world scenarios.

This video tests and compares over 20 different AI writing tools for tasks like blog post creation and content writing for businesses.

Getting the most out of your AI writing tool

No matter which tool you pick, a few good habits will help you get better results.

• Give it context, not just a keyword. The quality of your output depends heavily on the quality of your input. Instead of just typing "customer service", try a more detailed prompt like, "Write a blog post about why proactive customer service is important for e-commerce brands that target small business owners." This is why tools like the eesel AI blog writer build brand and topic context into the workflow.
• Fact-check everything. AI models can and do generate incorrect information. This is often called "hallucinating", and it is why you should always double-check any stats, names, or facts before you publish.
• Edit for your voice. Even the best AI will not sound exactly like you. Use the AI-generated text as a solid first draft, then spend a few minutes tweaking it to add your own personality, stories, and style.
• Use AI to assist, not replace. Think of your AI writer as a capable assistant, not a replacement for a human. Let it handle the heavy lifting of research, outlining, and drafting. This frees you up to focus on strategy, creativity, and adding your unique insights.
  

  This is what I do. I outline, have it do a first draft, edit it for a good period, and then add the 'me' to it.

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Choosing the right AI writing tool

Different AI writing tools are designed for different purposes. Platforms like Jasper and Copy.ai are effective for a variety of marketing copy needs, while Surfer is a specialized tool for on-page SEO optimization. For users seeking to automate the entire workflow from research to a finished article, end-to-end content platforms are a relevant category.

An effective tool in this category goes beyond text generation to create a complete asset, handling research, SEO, writing, and multimedia integration.

The eesel AI blog writer is an example of an end-to-end platform. It is designed to deliver a finished article that is structured to rank in search and engage readers. To understand how such a tool can turn a keyword into a publish-ready blog post, it can be useful to try it directly.

Generate your first blog post for free with eesel AI and see the difference.