The Top 10 Editing and Proofreading Services of 2023

• Dec 14, 2023
• 5 min read

• Tags: Academic Editing, Academic Proofreading, Book Editing, Book Proofreading, Business Editing, Editing, Proofreading

Proofreading and editing are essential steps of any well-written document. You’ve heard this time and time again, so we won’t harp on. You’re obviously here because you want to take strong that extra step of improving your piece. When proofreading is concerned, there are many options for you once you look up “free proofreading online” (or something of that sort) on Google. But here’s the thing. Online proofreading services are a far more reliable option. 

An online proofreading tool is not going to recognize the intricacies of grammar and syntax as well as an online proofreading service run by humans would. After all, isn’t that why you’re on the lookout for an expert? With the comfort of the internet, you can avail quality proofreading by expert editors with no hassle. All online. 

We’ve carefully curated a list of the best editing and proofreading services available, after going over each service and checking out their processes and editing quality. Here are some of your best options: 

#1 PaperTrue

PaperTrue is an online proofreading and editing service that works with clients all over the world. Whether you are an author, student, or business professional, you can count on expert native English-speaking proofreaders and editors for efficient and timely results. As you might be able to tell already, their editors are also dependable if you’re looking for more substantial levels of editing. 

In addition to editing and proofreading, PaperTrue provides peripheral services depending on the client’s needs. For academic documents, they provides formatting, referencing, and plagiarism checks that can be availed alongside its main services. PaperTrue has also become a reliable ally for aspiring writers, particularly self-publishing writers, for whom they have a range of pre-publishing services that include typesetting, cover design, copyright page development, acquiring ISBNs, and assisting writers with marketing material that helps writers widen their readership.

You can go through their website and get in touch with their customer support to know more about PaperTrue’s services. 

To see PaperTrue’s editors in action, visit the company website to avail a free sample. 

Pricing: A document of 1000 words will cost you around $36 for a turnaround period of 24 hours.
Average turnaround time: 12 hours to 1 week 

Over 1100 customers have rated PaperTrue 4.6 out of 5 on Reviews.io, 4.6 out of 5 on SiteJabber, and 4.4 out of 5 on Google Reviews. 

#2 Scribbr

Scribbr is one of the most well-known companies in the industry — and for good reason. They provide academic editing and proofreading services to students and researchers from all around the world, helping them with technical aspects like language, syntax, and formatting, but also improving larger aspects of academic writing like tone, style, and argumentation. 

Scribbr’s team of in-house editors are not only well-versed in language conventions but are also experts in various academic disciplines. Each document goes through a rigorous process of refining language (grammar, punctuation, syntax, spelling, etc.), academic writing style, and providing extensive and personalized feedback. 

Scribbr may not cover a lot of bases, but they’re certainly excellent at what they do! 

Pricing: Their prices start from £0.013 per word and vary depending on your deadline and requirements. You can head over to their pricing page to check out their prices. 

Average turnaround time: 24 hours to 1 week 

#3 Scribendi 

In the 24 years since Scribendi’s inception, they have expanded their proofreading and editing services to academics, students, authors, and corporations. Their services are fast and affordable, and you can get your work reviewed in as less as 4 hours (at a cost, though, literally).

Based in Canada and working worldwide, they have maintained a reputation for providing high-quality editing services. Their editors are native English speakers and (collectively) have expertise in a variety of fields across academia and industry. On their website, you can find details about what services they offer to each kind of client and how they are customized. 

They also take express care in providing comments and feedback based on the client’s knowledge of English — they are fully cognizant of the fact that many are ESL speakers.

Pricing: Their prices vary depending on the document you want to be reviewed by them. You can check for rates on each individual service’s web page.

Average turnaround time: 4 hours to 1 week
As per their reviews on Shopper Approved, they have a rating of 4.7/5, making them one of the highest-rated editing and proofreading services in the world. 

#4 Enago

Enago is a trusted name in the academic writing and research community. Over the last 15 years, they have worked with researchers from over 125 countries and have consistently collaborated with leading academic publishers and universities. 

Enago’s editors are subject matter experts who are well-versed with the standard of writing required to be published in a high-impact factor journal, and refine your research paper to not only improve language and formatting but also enhance the overall quality of your piece. 

They’ve established themselves as a reputable source in making English language publishing accessible to students and researchers who either write in English as a foreign language or get their original text translated into English. With offices set up in various regions around the world, their editors are also equipped to be sensitive to linguistic issues faced by local researchers. 

Take a look at their pricing plans here.

#5 Editage

Editage is one of the best editing and proofreading services for academics from all over the world. Their specialization is reviewing dissertations, scientific manuscripts, articles, and papers. 

In addition to its comprehensive four-step editing process, Editage is known for going the extra mile to give in-depth and personalized feedback for whatever document you submit to them. They have expert editors across a variety of fields who are well-versed in the conventions of academic writing and publishing. 

Editage is an excellent choice, particularly for academics who aspire to publish in journals, since the company frequently works with researchers from around the world. Over the last two decades, it has built its reputation as one of the foremost allies of the academic publishing community. 

Pricing: Editage’s prices start at $30 USD per 1000 words.

Average turnaround time: Variable (Minimum: 4 hours)

#6 Wordvice 

Since 2013, Wordvice has collaborated with academic and research institutions to edit and proofread academic papers across various fields. Their vision is to enhance their clients’ academic, research, and business endeavors with three priorities in mind: high quality, affordable prices, and punctual delivery. 

What makes their work stand out is their commitment to academic editing as a specialization, consistently proving themselves as experts of all things related to academic writing and publishing. They also work closely with students who speak English as a second or foreign language. 

They operate in six countries: The United States, Japan, Turkey, South Korea, Taiwan, and China. 

A document of 1000 words will cost you around $80 for a turnaround period of 24 hours. 

Their average client review score (as listed on their website) is 4.7/5

#7 Get Proofed

Get Proofed is a company that provides “fast, affordable, effective” proofreading services 24 by 7. It’s a reliable service for students, given that they help with referencing academic documents in addition to technical accuracy. They provide editing, proofreading, and formatting services for all document types, including dissertations, theses, book manuscripts, and business material. 

While they don’t really stand out in terms of the services they provide, what does work in their favor is a clean, user-friendly website that is clear about their service offerings. This continues through the editing process as well; each user creates an account and has direct contact with their editor through the dashboard. 

If your document is less than 10,000 words long, they review and return it within 24 hours. That’s a guarantee. So if you’re strapped for time, Proofed is one of the top editing and proofreading services for you. 

You can upload a 500-word sample document to see how they work. 

Pricing: Getting a Word document of 1000 words read by them will cost you around $35. Average turnaround time: It varies by word count, but you can expect shorter documents to be reviewed within 24 hours. 

You can read some of their client reviews here. 

Average turnaround time: They can edit documents as fast as three hours. You can head over to their site to see how long your document will take to be reviewed. 

#8 Wordy

No matter what you are writing, you can send in your document for review to Wordy in less than 30 seconds. They work with writers, academics, and professionals—and accept documents in 11 file formats including MS Office, PDF, LaTeX, and Google Docs. 

Despite functioning totally as an online proofreading service, you can rely on them for accountability. They assign proofreaders and editors based on your time zone, so you don’t need to worry about time discrepancies. 

Their prices are between $0.036 to $0.046 per word depending on your word count and turnaround time. You can browse further here. 

#9 Cambridge Proofreading

Cambridge Proofreading has offices in the UK and US, and they provide their services to ESL speakers, students, and international businesses. They focus on improving your style, clarity, and tone in writing. Their website is easy to navigate, and you can browse to check the specific criteria they use to review the document type that you need editing and proofreading for. 

Cambridge Proofreading’s editors are native English speakers who have a keen eye for detail and provide guidance that allows their clients’ writing to flourish. 

You can ask for a quote by accessing their “order now” portal and make your payment in either USD, GBP, or Euros. 

Their average customer rating on Trustpilot is 4.9/5. 

#10 Proofreading Pal

Proofreading Pal uses a two-proofreader model, that is proofread by two of their highly trained editors.  They provide their services to students, professionals, and authors. In addition to online placements, they also accept orders via phone call.

Trusted by over 17000 customers, they work with students, researchers, writers, professionals, and businesses. Their website has an extensive list of what kind of documents they work on. 

Knowing that each client has their own set of editing requirements to incorporate and deadlines to adhere to, Proofreading Pal has a range of turnaround speeds—from 30 minutes to 7 days, making them an accessible choice if time is a sensitive factor. 

You can also get a free sample for 400 words that will be returned within 12 hours.

Pricing: For a 24-hour turnaround, they charge $0.043 per word (approximately $43.00 per 1000 words)

They have a rating of 4.8 out of 5 on TrustPilot. 

So, there you have it. The most reliable and accountable online proofreading and editing services. 

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Rishi

Rishi was a zealous student at IIT Bombay when he realized, firsthand, the power of good language in effective communication. As part of this belief, after a brief stint in a hedge fund, he co-founded PaperTrue in 2014.