I tested dozens of AI writers to find the 6 best AI writing tools in 2026

The world of AI writing tools is a bit of a circus right now. A new one seems to launch every other day, and they all claim to be the next big thing for content. It’s tough to know which tools are actually helpful and which ones will just give you robotic text that you'll have to rewrite anyway.

I’ve spent the last few weeks digging through a ton of these tools to create a clear, no-fluff list of the top options for 2026. The goal is to help you find something that creates quality content people actually enjoy reading, without sinking hours into one article. The right tool can genuinely change your content game. At eesel, we put our own eesel AI blog writer to the test and scaled our organic traffic from 700 to over 750,000 daily impressions in just three months.

What is an AI writing tool?

What exactly is an AI writing tool? Put simply, it’s software that uses a large language model (LLM) to write human-like text based on your instructions. But there's a huge gap between a basic text generator (think simple chatbot) and a dedicated AI writing platform. The specialized tools are built for specific jobs, like writing blog posts, ad copy, or SEO-friendly content.

These tools usually fit into a few buckets:

• AI text generators: Their main job is to create written content from scratch based on what you tell them.

• AI writing assistants: These are more about polishing your existing text. Think of Grammarly, but with smarter suggestions for tone, style, and clarity.

• AI-powered SEO platforms: These tools look at the top search results for a keyword and give you a data-driven plan for your content, from structure to which phrases to use.

Many of the top tools in 2026 actually mix these functions, giving you a solid combination of content creation, editing help, and search optimization features in one package.

How I chose the best AI writing tools for this list

I wanted this list to be genuinely useful, so I was pretty strict about how I judged these tools. I wasn't just looking for cool features; I was looking for real-world results. Every tool here was graded on four main things:

• Output Quality: How human, accurate, and interesting is the content? Does it need a total overhaul, or is it pretty much ready to go?

• Ease of Use: Is the interface easy to navigate? Can you get going immediately, or do you need a manual to figure it out?

• Feature Set: Does it only write words, or does it offer more? I looked for useful extras like SEO tools, plagiarism checkers, brand voice settings, and asset creation.

• Value for Money: Does the price make sense for what you get? Is there a free trial or plan so you can try it before you buy?

A quick comparison of the best AI writing tools in 2026

For a quick look, here’s a high-level comparison of the best AI writing tool options in 2026. This table breaks down what each tool is best for and its starting price so you can see how they stack up.

The 6 best AI writing tools to try in 2026

Alright, let's get into the details of each tool. Here’s a full breakdown of their main features, what they’re good at, where they could be better, and what they cost.

1. eesel AI blog writer

The eesel AI blog writer is built to do one thing incredibly well: turn a single keyword into a complete, SEO-optimized blog post that’s ready to hit publish. It’s not just a text generator; it's a content platform that handles the whole workflow, research, writing, creating assets, and formatting, all at once. It goes beyond just giving you words and delivers a finished product.

Its biggest selling point is that it generates the full package. You don't just get a block of text. The output includes AI-generated images, infographics, and data tables that actually make sense with the content. It also embeds relevant YouTube videos and pulls real, insightful Reddit quotes to add a layer of authenticity that most AI tools just can't replicate. This saves a ton of time you’d otherwise spend hunting for assets and formatting your post. It’s also optimized for AI Answer Engines (AEO), which helps your content appear in places like Google's AI Overviews. The only real downside is that it’s hyper-focused on long-form blogs, so it’s not the right fit for short social media posts or ads.

The pricing is simple and clear. It’s a credit-based system, so you don't have to worry about a monthly subscription. It costs $99 for 50 blog posts, and you can just top up your credits whenever you run low. You can try it for free to see the quality for yourself without spending anything.

2. Jasper

Jasper has been around for a while and is a popular choice for large marketing teams because it’s packed with features. It has over 100 templates (which it calls "Apps") for pretty much any marketing task you can think of, from social media captions to video scripts. Features like "Brand Voice" and "Jasper IQ" help keep the content aligned with your company’s knowledge and style guide, which is great for consistency.

Jasper's main strengths are its flexibility and collaboration features, making it a solid option for teams juggling different types of content. It's also SOC 2 compliant, which is a big deal for businesses that care about security. On the other hand, the content often needs a good amount of human editing to rank for competitive keywords. It also doesn't create visual assets like images or charts automatically, so you still have some manual work to do after the text is done. Plus, key features like API access are locked behind the custom-priced Business plan.

I like a mix of free Chat GpT and Jasper. Free Chat GPT is actually still better for brainstorming , Jasper doesn’t really always understand the same prompts, the same way. I could ask it to suggest an outline for an ebook blah blah blah and sometimes it takes a lot more correction than chat GPT. But it is helpful for tightening up copy, or rather getting ideas to make it tighter, and things like various classic marketing frameworks.

Reddit

The Pro plan starts at $59 per month per seat with annual billing. There's a 7-day free trial if you want to give it a spin.

3. Writesonic

Writesonic aims to be a complete platform for both old-school SEO and the new world of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), which is all about getting your content seen in AI search results. Its "AI Article Writer 6.0" pulls real-time data from Google and analyzes competitors to create fact-checked articles that are up-to-date and relevant.

Writesonic's big play is trying to replace your entire marketing toolkit by bundling SEO research, AI writing, and AI search tracking into one place. On its more expensive plans, it can even track your brand's visibility on generative AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity, which is a pretty neat feature for modern brand management. The main catch is that these advanced GEO features are only on the "Professional" plan and up, which is a big price jump from the entry-level options.

The quality of content could vary strongly depending on whether you pick Premium or Average quality. Moreover, the ChatGPT 4.0 version has fewer words and is more expensive.

Reddit

A free trial is available to get you started. The Lite plan kicks off at $39 per month when billed annually.

4. Copy.ai

Copy.ai is a "GTM AI Platform" made for sales, marketing, and operations teams. Its standout feature is "Workflows," which lets you automate complicated, multi-step tasks like researching leads, personalizing sales emails, or creating content briefs. It uses an "Infobase" to store your brand and product details, making sure everything it generates is consistent and on-brand.

Copy.ai is great for automating those repetitive, data-heavy GTM tasks that can eat up a team's time. It's SOC 2 Type II compliant and offers solid value for small teams since its first paid plan includes five user seats. However, some users have mentioned that the content can feel a bit generic at times and might need some editing to sound truly unique. It’s more of a process automation tool that happens to write, rather than a dedicated SEO content creator.

Delivery speed definitely needs improvements, as does the fact that there are not many integrations available. Another con is the absence of an AI image generator, which makes you switch between tabs and is not worth paying $49 per month.

Reddit

There's a free plan that gives you 2,000 words a month. The "Chat" plan starts at $24 per month (for 5 seats) with annual billing.

5. Rytr

Rytr is one of the most well-known and affordable AI writers out there. It keeps things simple, focusing on text generation with over 40 templates for everything from emails and ad copy to creative story ideas. It supports over 30 languages and has a built-in plagiarism checker to help you make sure your content is original.

The biggest draw here is the super low price and generous free plan, which makes it perfect for individuals, students, or anyone on a tight budget. The variety of creative templates is also a nice bonus if you need a little inspiration. Some users find the text can be a bit stiff and may require more editing for high-quality, long-form professional content.

Where it falls short though is riffing off what you've already written and working in line with that style. This, along with the stilted sentences makes it less-than-ideal for creative writing.

Reddit

A free plan gives you 10,000 characters per month. Paid plans start at just $9 per month for 100,000 characters, and you get two months free on an annual plan.

6. Surfer

Surfer is less of a pure AI writer and more of an SEO optimization tool. Its main job is to analyze the top-ranking articles for a keyword and give you a data-backed checklist of terms, headings, and topics to include in your own piece. Its "Content Score" gives you a live metric that shows how well-optimized your article is as you write.

Surfer is fantastic for fine-tuning existing content or guiding a human writer to hit all the right SEO marks. Its points system turns a complex analysis into a simple, follow-the-steps guide. The main issue is that it's not primarily a content generator; the Surfer AI writer is an add-on feature that works on a credit system within its paid plans. It's also one of the pricier options on this list, and there’s no free plan to test it out.

Pricing starts at $79 per month for the "Essential" plan with annual billing.

Tips for choosing the best AI writing tool for your needs

With so many choices, picking the right one really depends on what you need. Here are a few pointers to help you decide:

• Figure out your main goal. Are you writing long SEO blogs, short social media updates, or personalized sales emails? Different tools are good at different things, so pick one that specializes in what you do most.

• Know the difference between a writer and a platform. Some tools just spit out text, and you're left to find images, build tables, and do all the formatting. Others, like the eesel AI blog writer, give you a a complete, publish-ready article, which saves you that final, tedious step of putting it all together.

• Think about your workflow. Do you need a tool that connects with WordPress or Google Docs? Do you need features for team collaboration? Make sure the tool fits how you already work.

• Use the free trial. Almost every tool on this list lets you try it before you buy. Use that trial to create a piece of content you actually need. See if you like the quality and if the process makes sense for you before you pull out your credit card.

For a more detailed look at how different AI writing tools stack up, this video review offers a helpful comparison of some popular options and their real-world performance.

This video review compares nine popular AI writing tools to help you find the best one for your needs.

Final thoughts on finding the best AI writing tool

Look, the "best" tool is always going to be the one that fits your goals, budget, and workflow. Each tool on this list has its own clear strengths, whether it's being budget-friendly, having powerful automation, or providing deep SEO analysis.

Just remember that even the most advanced AI content still gets better with a human touch. Always fact-check, edit for tone, and add your own unique perspective to make the content truly yours. Think of these tools as a copilot that does 90% of the heavy lifting, so you can focus on the final 10% that makes it stand out.

If your main goal is to efficiently create high-ranking, media-rich blog posts that are ready to go the moment they're generated, the eesel AI blog writer was built for exactly that. It handles the entire process from research to asset creation, so you can focus on strategy instead of tactics. Try it for free and see what a difference a context-aware, asset-generating AI can make.