Roundup
The best AI tools that work inside Google Docs
Choose an in-document tool by the task: assignment feedback and sources, Google’s built-in assistance, or grammar and AI rewriting.
Write It teamUpdated 3 min read
For work in Google Docs, choose Write It if you want a student writing toolkit with rubric feedback and sources beside the draft; consider Gemini for Google’s built-in features on eligible accounts; consider Grammarly for grammar, clarity, and AI rewriting. There is no single best option for every task.
Vendor documentation checked September 9, 2026. The order reflects our editorial focus on student writing workflows; we have not run a controlled output-quality benchmark.
Choose by the task in front of you
| Your task | Option to consider | Check first |
|---|---|---|
| Review an assignment against its rubric | Write It Rubric Workspace | Attach the full criteria and connect the intended Doc. |
| Use AI already built into Google Docs | Gemini | Confirm eligibility on the account you use for the assignment. |
| Polish wording and generate revisions | Grammarly | Check enabled AI features and review suggestions in context. |
Extensions vs add-ons
A built-in Google feature, a Chrome extension, and a Google Workspace add-on use different installation and access paths. The name alone does not tell you which editing actions are supported. Look for the specific task you need and check the permissions requested by the tool.
A connected assistant is another option. Our guide to AI that edits Google Docs directly explains the difference between an in-document edit, a connected action, and an exported file.
1. Write It
A Chrome extension centered on student writing in Google Docs, with several stages of an assignment in one panel.
- Auto Typer. Types text into the doc character by character with variable speed and self-corrected mistakes.
- Apollo Agent Mode. Plans and drafts multi-step writing tasks in the document, with a review step first.
- Rubric Workspace. Attach and preview the assignment rubric, connect the document, and inspect feedback by criterion.
- AI Humanizer and AI Detector. Rewrite machine-sounding passages and see what still reads that way.
- Research Mode. Research chat, source search, saved sources, and bibliography tools. Connect the Doc for document actions.
- Writing Assistant and tab completion. Grammar and clarity underlines, plus inline next-phrase suggestions.
Free tier available. Also runs in Microsoft Word on the web and, more lightly, Google Slides.
2. Gemini in Google Docs
Gemini is built into Docs on eligible accounts. Google describes drafting, refinement, source context, and matching a reference document’s writing style or format in its Google Docs feature update.
Check what your personal or school account enables before installing another tool. For the current research and assignment workflow differences, read Write It vs Gemini in Google Docs.
3. Grammarly
Grammarly’s browser extension provides suggestions in Google Docs, and its offering includes generative drafting and rewriting as well as proofreading. It is a useful option to evaluate when wording, clarity, and sentence-level changes are your main task. See Grammarly for Google Docs and its generative AI guide. Check your account’s enabled features and limits.
4. Free built-ins people forget about
- Voice typing. Use Tools → Voice typing when dictating helps you start a draft.
- Version history. Use File → Version history to inspect changes and recover an earlier draft.
- Document outline. Use headings to make the argument’s structure easier to review.
- Citations. Docs includes a Citations tool. Check its available styles against your assignment before formatting references.
Stop switching tabs
Install Write It and draft, revise, research, and cite without leaving your Google Doc.