Do both tools work in Microsoft Word?

Yes. GenText and Paperpal both offer a Word add-in. GenText also runs in the browser at app.gentext.ai with the same account.

Which one checks references?

Both. GenText's "Check references" runs in the Word add-in on the document you are writing. Paperpal's Reference Check is a paid feature with a monthly word limit (10,000 words on Prime, 30,000 on Pro).

Billed monthly, GenText Premium ($19) costs less than Paperpal Prime ($25). Billed yearly, Paperpal Prime ($144) costs less than GenText Premium ($190), unless you qualify for GenText's $99 student year.

GenText vs Paperpal: Drafting vs Polishing (2026)

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

The short answer

GenText helps you write the paper, not just polish it. It drafts sections from your outline, suggests papers that support a claim with a formatted citation, and checks your reference list inside Microsoft Word. It costs $19 a month, $6 less than Paperpal Prime billed monthly, and students pay $99 a year.

Choose GenText if you are still writing: you want help drafting sections, finding papers to cite and inserting citations in Word, with a reference check before you hand in.
Choose Paperpal if your draft is mostly written and you want language editing and pre-submission checks, including in Google Docs or Overleaf.

Why students and researchers choose GenText

From outline to draft. GenText drafts sections from your outline, summarises and rephrases, and suggests papers that support a claim, with a formatted citation.
A reference check while you write. “Check references” runs inside the Word add-in on the document you are working on, with no upload step. It checks that each reference exists and matches its published record, and flags retracted papers.
Lower monthly price. GenText Premium is $19 billed monthly. Paperpal Prime is $25 billed monthly.
A $99 student year. Premium for $99 a year with an academic email, applied at checkout.
A free plan with no credit card. 1,000 free words a day, up to 5,000 a month.
Browser or Word, one account. Use app.gentext.ai or the Word add-in on the same plan.

Side by side

	GenText	Paperpal
Main job	Draft, summarise, rephrase and cite research.	Language editing, research and citations, and checks before you submit.
Where it works	Microsoft Word add-in and browser app.	Word add-in, web, and a Chrome or Edge extension for Google Docs and Overleaf.
Free plan	1,000 words a day, up to 5,000 a month. No credit card.	200 grammar edits a month, 5 uses a day of paraphrase, trim, translate and AI review, and 5 research questions with citation lookup a day.
Paid plans	Premium $19 a month or $190 a year. Business $39 a month or $390 a year.	Prime $25 a month, or $144 a year ($12 a month). Pro $59 a month, or $348 a year ($29 a month).
Student price	Premium for $99 a year with an academic email.	See Paperpal’s site for current offers.
Reference checking	”Check references” in the Word add-in checks that each reference exists and matches its published record, and flags retracted papers.	Reference Check on paid plans (10,000 words a month on Prime, 30,000 on Pro): matches references against 250M+ articles, fills missing details, detects retractions and runs 9 checks.
Cancelling	Cancel any time; access runs to the end of the period.	100% money-back guarantee shown on the pricing page.

When Paperpal may fit better

Polishing a finished manuscript. Language suggestions, consistency checks and journal-fit tools for a paper headed to a journal.
Google Docs or Overleaf. Paperpal works there as well as in Word.
Lowest annual price. Prime works out at $12 a month on the annual plan.

Using both

Some writers draft with one tool and polish with another: draft and cite in GenText, then run a final language check in Paperpal.

Which should you pick?

If you…	Pick
Are still writing and want help drafting and citing in Word	GenText
Want a reference check on the document you are writing, with no upload	GenText
Pay monthly, or qualify for a student price	GenText
Have a finished manuscript and want language polishing in Google Docs or Overleaf	Paperpal

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

Paperpal is a trademark of its owner. This page compares public information as of 14 October 2026 and is not endorsed by Paperpal. Spotted something out of date? Email support@gentext.ai and we will fix it.