Last checked: October 2025. The latest Turnitin and GPTZero updates were used to compare the two tools.
✍️ Introduction: The Dilemma of Writing with AI
For many students, writing with AI has become part and parcel of everyday academic life, from polishing essays to paraphrasing complex ideas. Essay Done and AceEssay promise to make writing “smarter.” However, as AI detectors improve and universities strengthen their rules on academic integrity, the question is not just “Which tool writes better?” but also “Which tool keeps me safe?” Thus, this review pits AceEssay against Essay Done to see which AI humanizer truly balances AI reduction, academic tone, and ethical safety.
🎓 Why Do Students Turn to AI Humanizers
Most students do not use AI to “cheat.” They do it to clarify ideas, polish grammar, and avoid unintentional AI flags. For non-native English speakers, AI tools help make a rough draft into fluent academic writing. The difficulty lies in how “human” the text is in the end and whether the text passes the AI detectors without compromising logical flow or citation style.
🧩 Meet the Tools: AceEssay and Essay Done
🔹 What Is AceEssay?
AceEssay is an AI-powered academic editor and humanizer designed specifically for university students. Unlike generic rewriters, AceEssay integrates AI detection bypass, tone preservation, and citation protection within one platform.

Key features include:
- AI humanization engine tested against Turnitin, GPTZero, and ZeroGPT
- Ethical editing reminders and integrity policy
- Support for academic formats (APA, MLA, Chicago)
- Free preview and token-based pricing for budget-friendly use
🔹 What Is Essay Done?
Essay Done positions itself as a one-click AI rewriter that promises to make your essays sound “human.” Its appeal lies in its simplicity — paste your text, click “rewrite,” and get a new version in seconds.
However, as this review shows, speed comes at a cost: the rephrased results often sacrifice academic tone and citation accuracy, which can be risky under strict plagiarism policies.

⚙️ Test Setup (October 2025)
Both tools were used on the same 800-word academic essay, “The Role of Behavioral Economics in Public Policy.” The following metrics were considered:
| Metric | Tool Tested | Criteria |
| AI Detection | Turnitin + GPTZero | % of text flagged as AI-generated |
| Grammar & Readability | Grammarly Premium | Error count & flow |
| Academic Tone | Manual review | Preservation of research writing style |
| Citation Accuracy | APA format check | In-text and reference list consistency |
| Usability & Pricing | Interface + token cost | Speed, clarity, and pricing fairness |
| Ethical Transparency | Policy presence | Ethical disclaimers and boundaries |
✅ AceEssay: What Stands Out
- 🚀 AI Reduction Accuracy AceEssay consistently lowered the AI rate from 82% → below 5%, outperforming Essay Done (which hovered around 25%). More importantly, the rewritten text still sounded cohesive and academically appropriate — not overly casual or mechanical.
- 🎯 Academic Tone & Logical Flow
The coherence in transitions was preserved, along with the disciplinary vocabulary characteristic of research papers and literature reviews. Sentences were thus in line with academic conventions, which Essay Done sometimes disrupted by oversimplifying phrases.
- 🧩 Citation Integrity AceEssay retained in-text citations perfectly (APA & MLA tested). Essay Done, in contrast, often reformatted or deleted parentheses, increasing the risk of citation inconsistencies.
- 💬 Grammar & Naturalness The final output passed Grammarly Premium checks with zero major errors. Tone-wise, AceEssay’s writing felt like something a real student might produce after revisions — human, not “AI-polished.”
- 💡 Ethical Transparency AceEssay explicitly reminds users about academic integrity and recommends using the tool for editing and paraphrasing, not full rewriting. This boundary-setting helps students stay on the right side of academic ethics.
⚠️ Essay Done: Where It Falls Short
- Higher Residual AI Rate: Turnitin still flagged portions as “AI-generated” even after processing.
- Style Distortion: The rephrasing often translated academic expressions into informal ones, thus distorting the scholarly tone.
- Citation Breakage: References are sometimes removed or misplaced, which is a red flag in research essays.
- No Risk Disclaimer: Since there is no explicit ethical guideline, the site may mislead students about appropriate use.
💰 Pricing Comparison
| Feature | AceEssay | Essay Done |
| Free plan | ✅ Limited tokens | ✅ Basic mode |
| Full rewrite accuracy | 95% | 70% |
| Citation preservation | ✅ | ⚠️ Partial |
| AI detection safety | ✅ Excellent | ⚠️ Inconsistent |
| Monthly price | $12.00 | $19.00 |
AceEssay’s pricing is not only cheaper, but its per-token output also provides higher accuracy and cleaner structure — ideal for students working on tight budgets.
🧭 Responsible Use: A Note on Academic Integrity
Let’s be clear: AI humanizers are not “cheat tools.” They are assistive editors that help students sound more natural, correct grammar, and fit academic tone requirements.
However, such texts cannot be submitted as original work since that would violate university policies. AceEssay focuses on ethical editing, allowing users to remain authors and reduce false AI flags.
As AI detectors develop so quickly, you have to keep an eye on your institution’s updated policy regarding AI-assisted writing. Tools like AceEssay are there to help you and not do your thinking for you.
🧪 Our Verdict
| Category | Winner |
| AI Reduction | AceEssay |
| Academic Tone | AceEssay |
| Grammar Quality | AceEssay |
| Citation Safety | AceEssay |
| Ethical Design | AceEssay |
| Price | AceEssay |
Final Verdict:
Essay Done is good — but AceEssay is smarter, safer, and built with students in mind.
Whether you’re revising a policy paper or polishing your literature review, AceEssay provides a much more human, academically acceptable, and ethically acceptable experience.
🔚 Conclusion
In 2025, with AI detectors becoming sharper, international students need tools that balance intelligence with integrity. AceEssay isn’t just about lowering AI scores — it’s about preserving your authentic voice while staying within academic boundaries.
✨ Use it wisely, write with integrity, and let your ideas shine — not your AI detector score.
👩💼 About the Author
Fiona Zhang is a content strategist and operations lead at AceEssay, where she specializes in brand storytelling, SEO content planning, and user community growth. With a background in Communication and Digital Media, Fiona has worked across multiple content-driven startups, helping them scale from niche audiences to recognized online brands. At AceEssay, she focuses on building the brand’s editorial voice, managing cross-platform campaigns, and exploring how AI tools can enhance authentic academic writing. Her work blends data insight with creativity, making each piece of content both discoverable and meaningful. When she’s not crafting strategies, Fiona enjoys photography, reading marketing case studies, and experimenting with coffee recipes.