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With so many academic proofreading services on the market, how do you know which will best meet your needs? Finding the answer to this question would take hours of research. Luckily, I’ve done all the research for you!
I’m a trained proofreader who has thoroughly researched over 70 online proofreading and editing services and narrowed them down to five highly rated, reputable businesses that stand above the rest for polishing academic texts.
The Best Academic Proofreading Services
Here are the top five academic proofreading companies.
Best Academic Proofreading Services
| Company | Trustpilot Rating | Fastest Turnaround Time |
| Scribbr | 4.6 (3,425)* | 12 hours |
| Edit My Paper | 4.6 (20) | 90 minutes (1,300 words or fewer) |
| Cambridge Proofreading | 4.9 (3,054) | 12 hours |
| PaperTrue | 4.8 (497) | 12 hours |
| Editage | 4.8 (179) | 8 hours (must call) |
Although many well-known businesses do a great job of proofreading a wide variety of texts, few focus solely (or primarily) on academic documents.
Scribbr and Edit My Paper are the first two companies on this list because they specialize in academic proofreading. (I have a discount code for Edit My Paper.)
Cambridge Proofreading, PaperTrue, and Editage don’t specialize in academic documents, but they’re popular companies.
To be included in this article, a company had to meet the following criteria:
- specialize in academic writing or be highly rated on Trustpilot
- provide an instant price quote (no waiting for an email)
- offer a turnaround time (TAT) of 24 hours or less
Top-Notch Tip: If you need your document back ASAP, say so. Most companies are happy to negotiate a faster turnaround time for you.
What Proofreading and Editing Companies Offer
Many proofreading and editing businesses combine proofreading, copyediting, and editing into one service, which I’ll refer to as “combined proofreading and editing.”
Some companies combine proofreading and copyediting.
And a few businesses offer proofreading, copyediting, and editing as separate services.
If you have doubts about what occurs during each editorial stage (developmental editing, line editing, etc.), please see the first frequently asked question toward the end of this article: “What’s the difference between proofreading and editing?”
Furthermore, I wrote a post about academic proofreading if you’d like to know everything it entails.
Note: These businesses have rules about how much they can intervene in academic texts. If you’re a college student, none of these proofreading services will write any portion of your paper for you since this violates universities’ academic policies.
Each Service Has a Unique Selling Point
To help you choose the best option, see if you have any specific needs listed below.
The Unique Offerings of Each Business
| Business | Best Bet if You . . . |
|---|---|
| 1. Scribbr | have a text written in Spanish, French, or German |
| 2. Edit My Paper | have a tight turnaround time (TAT) |
| 3. Cambridge Proofreading | want to choose if one or two editors work on your text |
| 4. PaperTrue | want a free sample edit |
| 5. Editage | are trying to get your article published in a scholarly journal |
Now let’s see the details for each company.
1) Scribbr
Scribbr offers a combined proofreading and copyediting service.
They specialize in proofreading and editing academic documents written in English, Spanish, French, and German. They also take on business texts.
Based Where: Netherlands
Trustpilot Rating: 4.6 (excellent) out of 3,425 reviews
Fastest TAT Available: 12 hours
Free Sample Edit: If your text is over 20,000 words, you’ll receive a sample edit of about 2,000 words within 12 hours of placing your order.
Examples of the Academic Documents They Work On:
- Academic articles
- Admission essays
- Capstone projects
- Dissertations
- Essays
- Literature reviews
- Manuscripts
- Motivation letters
- Personal statements
- Proposals
- Research papers
- Term papers
- Theses
Their Hiring Process: Scribbr editors must pass a challenging quiz, make it through the application process, and successfully complete their rigorous in-house training program.
About the Editors: Their editors have passed the Scribbr Academy, which has a pass rate of just 2%.
How It Works: Scribbr will assign you an editor based on your document type and field of study.
Services Offered: Combined Proofreading and Copyediting (add-on services available)
Combined Proofreading and Copyediting: They check for grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, word usage, consistency, clarity, syntax (sentence structure), style, and tone.
If you want combined proofreading and editing (not just proofreading and copyediting), you’ll need to purchase the structure check and clarity check mentioned below.
Scribbr offers the following services for an additional cost:
- Structure Check: Ensures your writing is well organized and free of redundancies (does not involve heavy rewriting or restructuring)
- Clarity Check: Makes sure you’ve communicated your ideas clearly and used sound logic
- Formatting: Customizes your paper’s formatting according to your requirements
- Citation Editing: Verifies that your in-text citations and reference list adhere to the relevant style guide
Factors that Influence Price:
- Word count
- Turnaround time
- Add-on services chosen (if any)
To give you an idea of rates, the table below shows the cost for a 1,000-word text depending on the TAT.
Price for Proofreading and Copyediting a 1,000-Word Document
| TAT | Price |
|---|---|
| 12 hours | $76 |
| 24 hours | $59 |
| 3 days | $51 |
| 7 days | $42 |
Get a price quote from Scribbr.
2) Edit My Paper
Edit My Paper specializes in proofreading and editing academic texts. They also work with business documents.
Based Where: Canada
Trustpilot Rating: 4.6 (excellent) out of 20 reviews
Fastest TAT Available: 90 minutes (1,300 words or fewer)
Note: The 3-hour TAT is for texts with 2,275 words or fewer.
Free Sample Edit: No
Examples of the Academic Documents They Work On:
- Application essays
- Dissertations
- Essays
- Journal articles
- Papers
- Personal statements
- Reports
- Research projects
- Theses
Their Hiring Process: To become an editor for Edit My Paper, applicants must pass rigorous editing tests. Editors are internally audited and reviewed by clients to ensure they produce top-quality work.
About the Editors: They are native English speakers with extensive experience editing academic texts, and they’ve studied at excellent universities in North America or Europe.
How It Works: They will assign you an editor who is a good fit for your document.
Edit My Paper offers four service levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Pro), which they refer to as editing tiers.
The tier you choose determines the depth of editing and the amount of experience your editor has with projects like yours.
These tiers also determine your editor’s level of education. Education levels range from college students from a top 10 university with high GPAs to editors with a PhD.
Level of Education according to Editing Tier
| Editing Tier | Education Level |
|---|---|
| Bronze | Teachers or university students with a high GPA |
| Silver | Experienced teachers, university graduates, or master’s degree students |
| Gold | Experienced professional editors, doctors, and researchers (only university graduates) |
| Pro | One of their top 10 editors in each subject |
Services Offered: Combined Proofreading and Editing
Combined Proofreading and Editing: They check for grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, word choice, style, consistency, concision, clarity, and flow.
Editors also provide comments about your document’s structure and give you suggestions for improvement.
They offer the following services for an additional cost:
- Citation correction
- Formatting
- Extra editing/ESL service
- Extra comments
Factors that Influence Price:
- Word count
- Turnaround time
- Service level
Price for Proofreading and Editing a 1,000-Word Document
| Bronze | Silver | Gold | Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 minutes | $96.00 | $104.00 | $120.00 | – |
| 3 hours | $56.00 | $60.00 | $68.00 | $100.00 |
| 7 hours | $44.00 | $48.00 | $61.00 | $84.00 |
| 12 hours | $40.00 | $44.00 | $60.00 | $80.00 |
| 24 hours | $36.00 | $42.00 | $56.00 | $76.00 |
| 3 days | $34.00 | $38.00 | $44.00 | $72.00 |
Get a price quote from Edit My Paper. To get a discount, use the code OMSAVEPROOF in step 4 when checking out.
The discount you receive depends on your document’s word count. Here’s a breakdown of the savings:
| Word Count | Discount |
|---|---|
| 976 to 2,275 words | $7.50 off |
| 2,276 to 5,200 words | $10.00 off |
| 5,200+ words | $15.00 off |
3) Cambridge Proofreading
Cambridge Proofreading offers a combined proofreading and editing service for academic and business documents.
Based Where: United States (founded in England)
Trustpilot Rating: 4.9 (excellent) out of 3,054 reviews
Fastest TAT Available: 12 hours
Free Sample Edit: No
Examples of the Academic Documents They Work On:
- Applications
- Assignments
- Dissertations
- Essays
- Manuscripts
- Papers
- Reports
- Theses
Their Hiring Process: Cambridge has a rigorous recruitment process; they accept less than 1% of the editors who apply to work for them.
About the Editors: Their experienced editors have advanced degrees from top universities worldwide.
How It Works: They choose an editor whose qualifications and experience best match your text’s topic.
Services Offered: Combined Proofreading and Editing
Combined Proofreading and Editing: They check for grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, word choice, style, tone, concision, clarity, and logic.
Editors also give you feedback and advice on the composition of your writing. An Editor’s Summary Report is provided for documents over 3,000 words.
They offer two levels of service:
- One-Editor Premium Service
- Two-Editor Advanced Service*
*The two-editor advanced service, done by two senior editors, offers an even more in-depth and accurate edit.
Factors that Influence Price:
- Word count
- Turnaround time
- Service level
Price for Proofreading and Editing a 1,000-Word Document
| TAT | One Editor | Two Editors |
|---|---|---|
| 12 hours | $37.90 | — |
| 24 hours | $28.90 | — |
| 2 days | $25.90 | $49.80 |
| 3 days | $23.90 | — |
| 7 days | $22.90 | $45.80 |
4) PaperTrue
PaperTrue offers combined proofreading and copyediting for all kinds of writing.
Based Where: They have locations in the United States, India, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
Trustpilot Rating: 4.8 (excellent) out of 497 reviews
Fastest TAT Available: 12 hours
Free Sample Edit: Yes (up to 300 words)
Examples of the Academic Documents They Work On:
- Admission essays
- Assignments
- Dissertations
- Essays
- Journal articles
- Personal statements
- Research papers
- Theses
Their Hiring Process: Their editors must pass a comprehensive editing and language proficiency test. They prefer editors with a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
About the Editors: They are native English speakers and language experts.
How It Works: You’ll be assigned an editor who is knowledgeable about your document’s subject matter. After the editor has worked on your text, a senior editor will review your writing to ensure it’s been polished to a high standard.
Services Offered: Combined Proofreading and Copyediting
Combined Proofreading and Copyediting: They check for grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, formatting (including references), word choice, and sentence structure. They also improve style, clarity, consistency, concision, and coherence.
Factors that Influence Price:
- Word count
- Turnaround time
Price for Proofreading and Copyediting a 1,000-Word Document
| TAT | Price |
|---|---|
| 12 hours | $58 |
| 24 hours | $44 |
| 2 days | $34 |
| 3 days | $32 |
| 7 days | $29 |
Get a price quote from PaperTrue.
5) Editage
Editage (a division of Cactus Communications) provides a combined proofreading and editing service for all kinds of documents. They handle all types of journal manuscripts.
Based Where: They have offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Japan, China, Singapore, and South Korea, as well as representatives in Turkey and Brazil.
Trustpilot Rating: 4.8 (excellent) out of 179 reviews
Fastest TAT Available: 8 hours (must call them for a quote)
Free Sample Edit: Yes (500–600 words)
Examples of the Academic Documents They Work On:
- Abstracts
- Case reports
- Dissertations
- Journal manuscripts (of all kinds)
- Theses
Their Hiring Process: They hire subject-matter experts with advanced degrees and considerable experience in research and scientific editing. These experts undergo a rigorous language training program.
About the Editors: They’re typically native English speakers, and their team includes PhDs, MDs, postgraduates, engineers, and even journal peer reviewers.
How It Works: They assign you two editors who meet your editing preferences and are experts in your paper’s subject.
Services Offered: Combined Proofreading and Editing
Combined Proofreading and Editing: The elements they check depend on the service level selected.
Please see their web page for details of everything offered with each service level.
They offer three levels of service:
1) Advanced Editing: Two editors check for grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, formatting (including citations and references), word choice, syntax, tone, and consistency in style and terminology.
2) Premium Editing: Two editors check for everything offered in the advanced editing service and improve presentation style, structure, flow, logic, and clarity. They leave feedback on how to make your paper better.
3) Scientific Editing: A peer reviewer from an esteemed journal, a science editor with 20+ years of experience, and a managing editor will do everything offered in the first two service levels and perform an in-depth edit and review of your manuscript. You’ll receive a paper that has a good chance of being accepted by a journal.
Factors that Influence Price:
- Word count
- Turnaround time
- Service level
Price for Proofreading and Editing a 1,000-Word Document
| TAT* | Advanced | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 8 hours | call for quote** | call for quote |
| 15 hours | $170.00 | $180 |
| 29 hours | $140.00 | $152 |
| 41 hours | $90.00 | $132 |
| 65 hours | $68.00 | not available |
**To get a quote for the 8-hour express delivery, please call Editage. They take calls 24-7.
To obtain a price quote for Scientific Editing, you need to upload your document to their website.
Get a price quote from Editage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between proofreading and editing?
Although we sometimes use the terms proofreading and editing synonymously, they’re far from synonymous.
I’ve created a table (you’ll see it soon) that briefly explains all four stages of the editorial process.
The stages are in order. The editing process starts with developmental editing and ends with proofreading.
Developmental editing is the most in-depth (and most expensive) editing stage. Each subsequent stage becomes cheaper, with proofreading being the fastest and least costly.
The stages overlap with each other to some degree. For example, copyediting includes proofreading, but copyediting has a broader scope. Proofreading is the last editing step; it’s meant to find errors that were missed or unintentionally introduced in prior editing phases.
The Four-Step Editorial Process
| Editing Stage | What’s Involved |
|---|---|
| 1) Developmental Editing | Adds/subtracts/reorganizes entire sections of text to improve the overall content and structure |
| 2) Line Editing | Refines the language to improve flow, clarity, and consistency in style and tone |
| 3) Copyediting | Makes writing correct, comprehensive, consistent, clear, and concise; fixes mistakes with sentence structure |
| 4) Proofreading | Corrects errors with grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and basic formatting issues; checks for repeated and omitted words |
Is academic proofreading considered cheating?
You should check your university’s proofreading policy to determine whether academic proofreading is considered cheating. This information is usually in your college’s academic policies and procedures manual.
Academic misconduct is a serious offense, so knowing the answer to this question is crucial!
Generally speaking, universities encourage (and often require) graduate students to use a third-party proofreading service before submitting a thesis or dissertation. Some colleges even specify which proofreading service students should use.
However, at the undergraduate level, it can vary.
For example, suppose you’re taking an ESL course, an English composition course, or any other class where your professor will evaluate your writing skills. In that case, using an outside proofreading service may be considered cheating.
Furthermore, some universities prohibit students from using proofreading services for any courses at the undergraduate level.
Bottom Line: Be sure to check your university’s proofreading policy before submitting your writing to a proofreading service.
Which proofreading service is best?
The best proofreading service is the one that effectively meets your needs. With numerous competent proofreading companies on the market, choosing one “best” service is challenging. However, you can look to reputable consumer review websites like Trustpilot to see how proofreading businesses perform.
Here are two of my top choices that aren’t mentioned in this article.
Best Company Providing Proofreading Only (Not Proofreading + Editing): ProofreadNOW.com
If you’re looking for a company that provides stand-alone proofreading (not a combined proofreading and editing service), ProofreadNOW.com is an excellent option. It’s highly rated on Trustpilot and offers great prices. It also provides stand-alone copyediting if your paper needs more than proofreading.
The only downside is that if you need a price quote, you have to wait for a reply via email.
ProofreadNOW works on all types of documents.
Best Service if You Have an Exceptionally Tight Turnaround Time: ProofreadingPal
Often, people need a text proofread fast! If you need your writing back lickety-split, ProofreadingPal is a prime pick. It’s listed as the number one business in my post about the fastest proofreading and editing companies.
ProofreadingPal has an excellent Trustpilot rating, provides an instantaneous price quote, handles all genres of writing, and offers lightning-fast turnaround times.
How much does proofreading cost for a 1,000-word document?
Typically, proofreading costs about $30–$60 for a 1,000-word document if you hire a proofreading service. This calculation is based on a rate of 3–6 cents per word.
Hiring a freelance proofreader costs roughly $10–$30 (1–3 cents per word) for a 1000-word text. However, the price depends on the document’s technicality, quality of writing, and turnaround time.
If you’d like more information about how much proofreading costs and the pros and cons of hiring a freelance proofreader versus an online proofreading company, check out this article on Om Proofreading.
I hope this post has given you all the information you need to decide on the academic proofreading service that’s right for you.
Good luck with your academic endeavors!
Best wishes to you!
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
– Albert Schweitzer
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