Does ChatGPT work in Microsoft Word?

Yes. ChatGPT for Word is an add-in from Microsoft Marketplace. It opens ChatGPT in a sidebar and is available on all ChatGPT plans, including Free.

Does ChatGPT make up references?

It can. A 2023 study found 18% of GPT-4 citations in its test were fabricated, and OpenAI tells users to check citations. Check every reference before you submit, whichever tool you use.

How much is ChatGPT Plus?

OpenAI lists Plus at $20 a month, billed monthly.

Can GenText tell me if a ChatGPT reference is fake?

GenText checks whether each reference matches a published record and flags retracted papers. A reference that is not found may still be real, such as a book chapter or a very new paper, so check it yourself.

Is it allowed to use AI for my assignment?

That depends on your university and your course. Check the policy, and say how you used AI if you are asked.

GenText vs ChatGPT for Academic Writing (2026)

Facts checked on 14 October 2026. Prices change, so check each vendor’s page before you decide.

The short answer

ChatGPT may be all you need if you want a general assistant for ideas, explanations, summaries and rewrites. ChatGPT for Word now puts it in a Word sidebar on every plan, including Free.
Choose GenText if you are a student or researcher and your work needs academic sources: papers that support your claims, citations in your style, and a check of your reference list before you submit.

Side by side

	GenText	ChatGPT
Main job	Draft from an outline, summarize, rephrase and cite research.	General AI assistant. In Word: draft from notes, summarize, revise for an audience, reorganize and format.
Where it works	Browser app and a Microsoft Word add-in, one account.	ChatGPT web and apps, and ChatGPT for Word from Microsoft Marketplace (the same add-in covers Excel and PowerPoint).
Free plan	1,000 words a day, up to 5,000 a month. No credit card.	Free plan, including ChatGPT for Word and limited deep research.
Paid plans	Premium $19 a month or $190 a year. Business $39 a month or $390 a year.	Plus $20 a month, billed monthly. OpenAI also sells Go and Pro, and says it has no annual billing for Go, Plus or Pro.
Student price	Premium for $99 a year with an academic email.	OpenAI sells ChatGPT Edu to universities. Check whether your university has it.
Academic sources	Searches Semantic Scholar, which indexes over 200 million academic papers.	In Word, ChatGPT works with your open document and cannot reference other files on your computer.
Citations	APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago (author-date), Harvard or IEEE, in-text with a bibliography or as footnotes.	OpenAI tells you to check important facts, figures and citations.
Reference check	”Check references” in the Word add-in checks each reference against published records and flags retracted papers.	OpenAI’s ChatGPT for Word help page describes no reference check (checked 14 October 2026).
Usage limits in Word	Word count on your plan.	Token-based, at API rates for the model you use, drawn from your plan’s limits.

Where ChatGPT is stronger

Range. ChatGPT handles brainstorming, explanations, data analysis, images and voice, not only writing.
A free plan in Word. ChatGPT for Word is available on all plans, including Free.
Rewriting and restructuring a whole document. It can revise a section for a new audience and adjust headings, numbering and formatting.
One subscription, if you already pay. If you already have a ChatGPT plan, ChatGPT for Word draws on that plan’s usage allowance.

Where GenText is stronger

Academic paper search. GenText finds papers in Semantic Scholar’s index of over 200 million academic papers and inserts a formatted citation.
A built-in reference check. “Check references” checks each reference in your document against published records (Crossref, with OpenAlex as a fallback) and flags retracted papers. AI tools can get references wrong: a 2023 study in Scientific Reports found that 18% of the GPT-4 citations it tested were fabricated, and OpenAI tells users to check citations.
A reference check for any list. Run “Check references” on a reference list written by you, a co-author, or ChatGPT. It flags entries with no matching published record and retracted papers.
An annual and student price. $190 a year, or $99 a year for students with an academic email.

Which should you pick?

If you…	Pick
Want ideas, explanations or a quick rewrite	ChatGPT
Want to reformat or restructure a long Word document	ChatGPT
Need academic papers that support your claims	GenText
Need citations in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard or IEEE	GenText
Want to check a ChatGPT reference list before you submit	GenText

Try it

Start free at app.gentext.ai, or install the GenText add-in for Microsoft Word. 1,000 words a day, up to 5,000 a month, no credit card.

More comparisons

ChatGPT and OpenAI are trademarks of OpenAI. Microsoft and Word are trademarks of Microsoft. This page compares public information as of 14 October 2026 and is not endorsed by OpenAI. Check every AI draft and citation before you submit. Spotted something out of date? Email support@gentext.ai and we will fix it.