The Best AI Writing Apps and AI Keyboards for iPhone in 2026
Short answer: if your iPhone supports Apple Intelligence, start with Apple's built-in Writing Tools. It is free, it is already on your phone, and it handles proofreading and basic rewriting in most apps. For real-time grammar fixes while you type, Grammarly is still the most complete keyboard. For paraphrasing, use QuillBot. If most of what you write is messages and you want a tool for each situation, from replying to a screenshot to changing the tone of a text, TextAI is the one built for that.
Ratings and versions below are from the App Store on October 2, 2026. We make TextAI, so weigh what we say about it accordingly; everything else here is from each app's own App Store listing or support page, linked in each section.
How we compared them
Every app here either works as an iPhone keyboard or is built around one, because the useful AI writing app is the one that works where you are already typing. We looked at five things:
- Where it works: inside every app through a keyboard, or only in its own app.
- What it does well: correcting, rewriting, drafting from scratch, or replying.
- What costs extra: which of the features you care about need a subscription.
- Requirements: the iOS version and device it needs.
- How current it is: when the app was last updated.
The quick comparison
| App | Best for | Works as a keyboard | Requires | App Store rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Writing Tools | Free proofreading and rewriting | Built into iOS | iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 or later | Built in |
| Grammarly | Real-time grammar fixes | Yes | iOS 17.4 | 4.7 (225K ratings) |
| QuillBot | Paraphrasing and humanizing | Yes | iOS 16 | 4.7 (3K) |
| Wordtune | Rewriting a sentence several ways | Yes | iOS 17 | 4.4 (987) |
| TypeAI | A chatbot inside the keyboard | Yes | iOS 16 | 4.7 (19K) |
| ChatGPT | Long drafts and open questions | No | iOS 18 | 4.8 (10.9M) |
| TextAI | Replies and everyday messages | Yes | iOS 17 | 4.6 (1.2K) |
| Plug AI | Dating replies | No | iOS 15 | 4.6 (15.7K) |
1. Apple Writing Tools: best free option on newer iPhones
Writing Tools is part of Apple Intelligence. Select text in almost any app, including third-party apps and websites, and you can proofread it, rewrite it or summarize it. Rewrite offers three tones: Friendly, Professional and Concise. Apple's Writing Tools guide has the full list.
Where it falls short: it needs an Apple Intelligence iPhone, which means an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or an iPhone 16 model or later. Three tones is a narrow range when the problem is "say no to my boss without sounding rude." It works on text you have already written, so it will not draft a reply to a message you received.
Choose it if you have a supported iPhone and mostly want to clean up what you wrote.
2. Grammarly: best for fixing mistakes as you type
Grammarly's keyboard underlines problems while you type, in every app, and can rewrite a whole message for length, fluency or tone. It checks spelling, grammar and conciseness in more than 20 languages, and it now includes voice dictation that cleans up filler words.
Where it falls short: several features people expect are Premium-only, including tone transformations and vocabulary and clarity suggestions. Typing is supported in six languages, fewer than the languages it can check. It is built around correcting your text, so it is less helpful when you do not know what to say in the first place.
Choose it if your main problem is mistakes, not what to write.
3. QuillBot: best for paraphrasing
QuillBot pairs an in-app editor with a keyboard that paraphrases, checks grammar and translates. The keyboard also has a Humanizer mode for text that reads like AI wrote it. The translator covers more than 40 languages, and there is an AI detector.
Where it falls short: you need an account to start. Only two paraphrase modes are free; the other eight are Premium. It is aimed at study and writing work rather than conversations.
Choose it if you rewrite other people's sentences, or your own, all day.
4. Wordtune: best for seeing several ways to say one thing
Wordtune suggests alternative phrasings for a word, a phrase or a whole sentence, with controls for tone and length. You can also start a draft through Siri by saying "Create with Wordtune."
Where it falls short: it has far fewer ratings than the others here (under a thousand), and as of October 2026 its last update was in May 2026. It improves wording you already have rather than reading a conversation and answering it.
Choose it if your draft says the right thing and you want it to sound better.
5. TypeAI: best for a chatbot inside your keyboard
TypeAI is a keyboard extension with grammar checking in seven languages, paraphrasing, translation, autocomplete for half-written messages, and a chatbot you can ask from the keyboard.
Where it falls short: grammar checking covers seven languages. Most of what it does goes through one general assistant, so you write the prompt yourself each time.
Choose it if you like a chatbot and want it one tap away in every app.
6. ChatGPT: best for long drafts and open questions
The ChatGPT app will draft almost anything, explain it and revise it as many times as you ask. It is the most capable general model on this list.
Where it falls short: it is not a keyboard. Every message means copying text out of the app you are in, writing a prompt, and pasting the answer back. It needs iOS 18.
Choose it if you write long pieces or need to think a problem through, not just send a reply.
7. TextAI: best for replies and everyday messages
TextAI takes the opposite approach to a chatbot: 228 single-purpose tools, each tuned for one job, and a keyboard that puts 28 of them above the keys in any app. You select the message you received or the text you wrote, tap Reply, Proofread, Change tone or Shorten, and the result goes into the text field. It can reply from a screenshot of the whole conversation, and it has tools that read a message for you (Decode a message, Vibe check, Is this flirting?) before you answer. Beyond texting it covers email, captions, cover letters and essay outlines; the full list is on this site.
Where it falls short: it is iPhone only and needs iOS 17. It does not underline mistakes as you type the way Grammarly does; you run a tool when you want one. There is no long-form document editor or plagiarism checker. The free download includes a few generations, and regular use needs a Pro subscription.
Choose it if most of your writing is messages, and the hard part is knowing what to say.
8. Plug AI: dating replies only
Plug AI writes replies to dating conversations from a screenshot, suggests opening lines and gives dating advice.
Where it falls short: the listing says a subscription is required to use it at all. It is not a keyboard, so you move between apps. As of October 2026 the last update on the App Store was in August 2024.
Choose it if you only want help with dating apps and do not mind paying up front.
Which one should you pick?
- You want to stop making mistakes: Grammarly, or Apple Writing Tools if your iPhone supports it.
- You rewrite text for school or work: QuillBot.
- Your wording is clunky: Wordtune.
- You want a general assistant in the keyboard: TypeAI, or ChatGPT if you do not mind switching apps.
- You do not know what to text back: TextAI. For dating only, RIZZ or Plug AI; see our comparison of AI texting assistants.
Whatever you choose, add the keyboard properly and turn on Full Access, or the AI features will not work. Our AI keyboard setup guide walks through it.
FAQ
What is the best free AI writing app for iPhone?
If your iPhone supports Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 and later), Apple's built-in Writing Tools are free and work in most apps. On older iPhones, Grammarly's keyboard has the most useful free tier for fixing mistakes. QuillBot gives you two paraphrase modes for free.
Is there a Grammarly alternative for iPhone?
Yes. QuillBot is the closest match if you want grammar fixes plus paraphrasing in a keyboard. Wordtune is better for rewriting a sentence several ways. Apple Writing Tools covers basic proofreading and three tones at no cost on supported iPhones. If most of what you write is messages rather than documents, TextAI's ready-made tools for replies and tone are a better fit.
Do AI keyboards work in every app?
Almost. A third-party keyboard works in most text fields once you add it in Settings and turn on Allow Full Access. iOS always switches to the system keyboard in password fields and some phone number fields, and a few apps block third-party keyboards entirely.
Is it safe to give an AI keyboard Full Access?
Full Access is what lets a keyboard reach the internet, and every AI keyboard needs it to send your text to a model. iOS shows the same warning for all of them, so read each app's privacy policy to see what is sent, where it is processed and what is stored.
Which AI writing app is best for texting?
For replying to messages, especially from a screenshot of the conversation, a texting assistant works better than a grammar checker. TextAI, RIZZ and Plug AI all read screenshots; TextAI also covers everyday messages and email, while RIZZ and Plug AI focus on dating.