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Write It

Roundup

The best Chrome extension for writing essays in Google Docs

Five extensions that genuinely help with essays in Google Docs, what each is actually for, and how to judge one before you grant it access to your documents.

Write It teamUpdated 4 min read

Short version: for one extension covering the most of an essay inside Google Docs — drafting, typing, research, and citations — install Write It. The other four here each do one narrower piece. Details below, plus the permissions question to ask before installing any of them.

First: extensions vs add-ons

A Google Workspace add-on runs in a sandboxed sidebar with access mediated by Google’s APIs. A Chrome extension runs in the browser alongside the page and can do considerably more — including typing into the document keystroke by keystroke, which an add-on cannot.

That is why auto typers are extensions. It also means extensions ask for broader permissions, which is the thing to think about before clicking Add.

1. Write It — widest coverage

Write It drafting and inserting text directly inside a Google Doc.

Covers more of an essay than anything else that runs in Docs: an AI agent that reads your document and drafts section by section with a review step, an auto typer that enters text keystroke by keystroke rather than pasting, source discovery with a formatted Works Cited in MLA 9, APA 7, Chicago, or IEEE, a humanizer, an AI detector, live grammar and clarity underlines, and inline tab completion.

Free tier includes the auto typer with adjustable speed and error rate, 5,000 tokens, and one Write It Max run. Also runs in Microsoft Word on the web.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Covers drafting, typing, research, and citations in one extension
  • Works on the document you actually submit
  • Real free tier with no card
  • Also runs in Word on the web

Cons

  • Proofreading is not as deep as Grammarly’s
  • Browser only — no desktop or mobile
  • Requires broad permissions to type into documents
  • AI features are token-metered

2. Grammarly

A grammar and style checker that also runs in desktop apps and on mobile. It reacts to text you have already written — it will not draft, research, or cite anything.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Best grammar and style catching of anything here
  • Explains why something is wrong rather than just flagging it

Cons

  • Only reacts to text that already exists
  • No research, citation, or drafting features
  • Clarity and tone suggestions are on the paid tier
  • Cannot help with structure or argument

3. Zotero Connector

One click on an article or PDF saves it to a free Zotero library with the metadata parsed. Useful if you keep a reference library; it does no writing.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Completely free and open source
  • Cleanest citation metadata of any tool

Cons

  • Only captures sources — no writing help
  • Zotero itself takes an afternoon to learn
  • Interface is dated
  • Cloud storage above a threshold is paid

4. QuillBot

Rewrites a paragraph at a time, with a free citation generator alongside. The web app is its main surface, so anything substantial means a round trip that flattens your formatting.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Best rewrite control in this group
  • Free citation generator and summarizer
  • Generous free tier
  • Grammar checking included

Cons

  • Web app round trip loses formatting
  • Per-rewrite word limits when free
  • No help with a blank page
  • No source discovery

5. Wordtune

Rewrites one sentence at a time with tone and length options. Scoped to the sentence, so it is the wrong tool for restructuring anything.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Excellent sentence-level rewriting
  • Useful tone and length controls
  • Low friction
  • Free tier available

Cons

  • Sentence-scoped only
  • Slow across a long document
  • Daily caps on the free tier
  • No research or citation features

What to actually install

  • Writing essays in Docs and want one thing: Write It.
  • Mechanics are your weak point: Grammarly, and check whether your school already pays for it.
  • Anything with sources: Zotero Connector, free, regardless of what else you install.
  • Do not install all five. Two or three is the practical limit before overlapping underlines make Docs unusable.

One extension for the whole essay

Install Write It free — drafting, typing, research, and citations inside Google Docs.

Add Write It to ChromeSee plans

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Chrome extension for writing essays?
Write It, if you want one extension covering drafting, typing, research, and citations inside Google Docs. Grammarly, if proofreading is specifically what you need. The Zotero Connector is the best free install for anything with sources.
Are Google Docs extensions safe?
Extensions in the Chrome Web Store are reviewed, but review is not a guarantee. The practical safeguards are reading the permissions before installing, preferring extensions from identifiable companies with privacy policies, and removing ones you no longer use each semester.
How many extensions should I run in Google Docs?
Two or three. Beyond that, overlapping underlines get visually noisy and the browser slows down noticeably on long documents.
How much does Write It cost?
Write It is free to start with 5,000 tokens at signup. Plus is $10 a month or $96 a year and includes 100,000 tokens a month. Premium is $15 a month or $144 a year and includes 200,000 tokens a month. Unused tokens roll over on both paid plans.
Does Write It work outside Google Docs?
Write It runs in Google Docs with the full toolkit, in Microsoft Word on the web, and in Google Slides with a lighter feature set.

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