Turnitin for Students: What You Really Need to Know About Access and Pricing
Many students wonder if they can purchase Turnitin as an individual user. Whether you’re checking a research paper for plagiarism or verifying AI-generated content, the reality is more complicated than it seems. In this blog, we’ll break down Turnitin’s official policies, pricing structures, and realistic alternatives for students seeking accessible tools.
Turnitin’s Official Stance: No Individual Licenses Allowed
Turnitin explicitly states:
"Turnitin does not offer individual license purchases to users. Many institutions offer Similarity detection services from Turnitin. Please ask your school or university whether they are using Turnitin and if the service may be available to you under their license."
This policy is non-negotiable—Turnitin only sells licenses to educational institutions, not individual students or freelancers.
How Institutions Provide Turnitin Access – What You Need to Know
Turnitin is exclusively accessible through your school or university. Institutions integrate it into learning management systems (LMS) like Canvas, Blackboard, or Moodle. Whether you see a Similarity Report depends entirely on your institution’s settings. For example:
- Some schools hide reports from students entirely
- Others allow access only to instructors
- A few permit students to view their own similarity scores
Crucially, students never pay Turnitin directly—the cost is fully covered by the institution.
Understanding the Hidden Costs: How Turnitin Pricing Works for Schools
While students don’t pay for Turnitin, institutions do. Historically, the average annual fee per student has been around $3, but this varies widely based on:
- Institution size (small colleges vs. large universities)
- Contract terms (e.g., number of users, features included)
- Geographic region
Large universities often pay tens of thousands of dollars annually for institutional licenses. However, Turnitin has not disclosed specific 2025 pricing, so exact figures remain unknown.
AI Detection: Why Students Can’t Access It (And What You Should Know)
Turnitin’s AI Detection tool is not available to students—only instructors and educators can view these reports. Even if your institution uses Turnitin, you’ll never see AI-generated content flags in your own work. This policy is intentional: Turnitin positions AI Detection as a tool for academic integrity oversight, not student self-checks.
💡 Important: If you’re asked to submit an AI Detection report as a student, your institution likely does not have this feature enabled for your account.
iThenticate: A Costly Alternative for Individuals
iThenticate, Turnitin’s sister service for professionals and researchers, does allow individual purchases—but at a steep price. Each document check starts at $125, making it impractical for students. This service is designed for publishers, researchers, and corporations, not budget-conscious learners.
[Visit iThenticate’s official website]for details on professional pricing.
Affordable Alternatives: Third-Party Services Like DocxDetector
Although Turnitin does not directly sell products to students, some third-party services claim to offer similar functionality at lower prices. For example, docxdetector provides similarity checking and AI detection services for as low as $1 per document, along with exceptional service features:
Highest-tier instructor-level reports
Individual secure accounts for each user — absolute security guaranteed
No traces left anywhere, including in Turnitin’s database
Next Steps: What Students Should Do
1. Check with your institution first: Contact your school’s IT or library department to confirm if Turnitin is available through your LMS.
2. Explore affordable alternatives: If your school doesn’t provide access, consider services like docxturnitin for low-cost checks—but always research their legitimacy first.
3. Avoid unofficial “Turnitin” sellers: Third-party sites claiming to sell Turnitin licenses are scams. Turnitin never sells individual licenses, so any such offer is fraudulent.
By understanding these realities, students can make informed decisions about plagiarism and AI checks without falling for misleading claims or overspending.
✅ Final Tip: If your school uses Turnitin, always check your course syllabus or LMS settings first—many institutions already provide free access to students through their academic accounts.