I Tested 17 AI Copywriting Free Trials—Here Are the Only 6 Worth Your Time

The Truth About "Free Trials" in AI Copywriting Software

Let's be brutally honest: most free trials are designed to frustrate you into upgrading, not to give you a genuine evaluation period. I encountered four main types of "free trial" during my testing:

Type 1: The Credit Trap (Most Common)

How it works: "Free trial" gives you 2,000 words or 10 credits, which sounds generous until you realize a single decent blog post uses all your credits. You get one test, then you're stuck.

Who does this: Writesonic, Rytr, Copysmith
Why it sucks: One test isn't enough to evaluate brand voice accuracy or consistency

Type 2: The Feature Lockout

How it works: "Free forever" plan exists, but all the features you actually need are locked behind paid tiers. You can technically use it, but not for anything useful.

Who does this: Copy.ai (free plan severely limited), Simplified
Why it sucks: You can't test what you'd actually pay for

Type 3: The Time Crunch

How it works: Full access for 3-7 days. Sounds fair until you realize learning the tool takes 2-3 days, leaving minimal time for real testing.

Who does this: Jasper (7 days), Anyword (7 days)
Why it works (sometimes): If the tool has good onboarding, 7 days is actually enough

Type 4: The Genuine Trial (Rare)

How it works: 14-30 days of full access, no credit card required, enough time to genuinely test with real projects.

Who does this: Sreve (14 days), Frase (5 days free then $1 for 30 days)
Why it's great: You can actually make an informed decision

The 6 Free Trials Actually Worth Taking

Out of 17 tools tested, only 6 offer trials that give you genuine insight into whether the tool will work for your needs. Here they are, ranked by trial quality:

1. Sreve - Best Overall Free Trial (14 Days, No Credit Card)

Trial length: 14 days
What you get: Full unlimited access to all features
Credit card required: No
Best for: Performance marketers, agencies, e-commerce brands

This is the gold standard for free trials. Two weeks of unlimited access with no credit card means you can thoroughly test brand voice accuracy, content quality, and workflow integration without any pressure to buy.

What to test during trial:

• Days 1-2: Set up 2-3 brand voice profiles using existing content
• Days 3-7: Create 10-15 pieces of real content (not test pieces)
• Days 8-10: Test specific features like campaign planning and trend analysis
• Days 11-14: Compare editing time vs. your current process

I used the full 14 days and produced 22 pieces of actual client content. The trial length gave me enough time to see consistent quality, not just cherry-picked good examples. By day 10, I knew the tool was a keeper.

Trial limitations: None—it's genuinely full access
After trial: $19/month (still 90% cheaper than Jasper)

2. Jasper AI - Best Enterprise Trial (7 Days, Credit Card Required)

Trial length: 7 days
What you get: Full Boss Mode access
Credit card required: Yes (will auto-charge if you don't cancel)
Best for: Larger teams evaluating enterprise features

Jasper's trial is short but comprehensive. Seven days is tight, but they front-load onboarding with templates and tutorials that help you get productive quickly.

What to test during trial:

• Day 1: Complete onboarding and explore template library
• Days 2-3: Test brand voice with 5+ pieces of content
• Days 4-5: Try Jasper Chat and long-form assistant
• Days 6-7: Test team collaboration features if relevant

Pro tip: Set a calendar reminder for Day 5 to cancel if you're not satisfied. Jasper will auto-charge your card on Day 8 with no additional warning.

Trial limitations: None on features, just time-limited
After trial: $49-125/month depending on plan

3. Copy.ai - Best for Quick Testing (Free Forever Plan)

Trial length: Unlimited (free plan)
What you get: 2,000 words per month, limited templates
Credit card required: No
Best for: Testing short-form content and variations

Copy.ai's free plan isn't technically a "trial," but it gives enough access to evaluate if the tool's style matches your needs. The 2,000-word limit means you can create about 10-15 short pieces or 2-3 long-form articles.

What to test with 2,000 words:

• 20-30 ad headlines and variations (100-200 words total)
• 5-10 email subject lines and preview text (50-100 words)
• 3-5 product descriptions (300-500 words)
• 1-2 short blog intros or social posts (500-800 words)

The limitation forces you to be strategic. I focused my testing on ad copy and email subject lines—short-form content where Copy.ai excels. By the time I hit the 2,000-word cap, I knew it wasn't right for long-form work but great for variations.

Trial limitations: 2,000 words/month, limited templates
After trial: $49/month for Pro (unlimited words)

4. Writesonic - Best Budget Trial (10,000 Words Free)

Trial length: One-time (10,000 words)
What you get: Full template access
Credit card required: No
Best for: Solo operators testing budget options

Writesonic gives you 10,000 "premium words" which is enough to create 5-7 blog posts or 30-40 short pieces. That's sufficient testing volume to evaluate quality and consistency.

Strategic trial approach:

• Test 1 (2,000 words): Long-form blog post to test depth and coherence
• Test 2-3 (3,000 words): Product pages and landing copy to test conversion focus
• Test 4-10 (5,000 words): Various short-form (emails, ads, social) to test versatility

I used all 10,000 words over five days and got a clear picture of strengths (SEO content) and weaknesses (brand voice consistency).

Trial limitations: 10,000 words total (not monthly)
After trial: $16-79/month depending on word limits

5. Anyword - Best for Data Nerds (7-Day Trial)

Trial length: 7 days
What you get: Full access including predictive scoring
Credit card required: Yes
Best for: Agencies focused on A/B testing and performance metrics

Anyword's unique feature is predictive performance scoring—the AI predicts how copy will perform before you publish it. The 7-day trial gives enough time to test if these predictions align with your actual results.

Smart trial strategy:

• Days 1-2: Generate 10-15 pieces of content with performance scores
• Days 3-5: Publish content and run actual campaigns
• Days 6-7: Compare predicted scores to actual performance

The catch is you need a week of performance data to validate predictions, which means starting your trial strategically when you have campaigns ready to launch.

Trial limitations: Short timeframe to gather performance data
After trial: $49-99/month

6. Frase - Best for SEO Content ($1 for 30 Days)

Trial length: 5 days free, then $1 for first month
What you get: Full access to content briefs and SEO tools
Credit card required: Yes (for $1 trial)
Best for: Content writers focused on SEO optimization

Frase offers a unique trial structure: 5 days free, then pay $1 to extend to 30 days total. The $1 extended trial is essentially risk-free while giving you a full month to evaluate.

30-day trial roadmap:

• Week 1: Create 3-5 content briefs with competitor analysis
• Week 2: Write 2-3 full articles using AI assistance
• Week 3: Optimize existing content with Frase's suggestions
• Week 4: Track ranking improvements and evaluate ROI

The extended trial means you can actually see SEO results during the evaluation period, which is impossible with 7-day trials.

Trial limitations: Requires $1 payment for extended trial
After trial: $45-115/month

Free Trials I Tested That AREN'T Worth Your Time

Being honest about the disappointments saves you time. Here are the trials I tested that frustrated more than helped:

Rytr - Misleading "Free Forever" Plan

What they promise: Free forever plan with 10,000 characters monthly
Reality: 10,000 characters is about 1,500-2,000 words (one blog post)

The free plan exists but is so limited you can't realistically evaluate quality or consistency. You get one test, then you're forced to upgrade or wait a month. Not useful.

Copysmith - Credits Run Out Instantly

What they promise: Free trial with 20 credits
Reality: Long-form content uses 5-8 credits per piece

Twenty credits sounds generous until you realize you get 2-4 pieces of content total. Not nearly enough to evaluate brand voice or consistency.

Simplified - Everything Good Is Locked

What they promise: Free plan with AI writing
Reality: All useful AI features require Pro plan

The free plan technically has AI writing, but it's so basic (200 words per request, limited templates) that you can't evaluate what the paid tool would actually do.

ShortlyAI - Trial Too Short

What they promise: 4-day free trial
Reality: You spend day 1-2 learning, get 2 days of actual testing

Four days isn't enough time to test content consistency or see how well the tool adapts to your voice over multiple iterations.

How to Maximize Every Free Trial (My Testing Framework)

Don't waste trial periods exploring features randomly. Here's the systematic framework I used to evaluate each tool in the shortest time possible:

Pre-Trial Preparation (Do This BEFORE Signing Up)

• Prepare 3-5 pieces of existing content that represent your brand voice perfectly
• Create a testing checklist of specific content types you need (ad copy, blog posts, emails, etc.)
• Document your current process timing so you can compare efficiency
• Set up a comparison spreadsheet tracking quality, time, editing needed for each tool
• Block out time on your calendar for focused testing (don't trial during busy weeks)

Day 1: Initial Setup and First Test

• Complete onboarding (usually 15-30 minutes)
• Set up brand voice using your prepared examples
• Create one "control" piece you'll create in every tool for comparison
• Assess ease of use (if day 1 is frustrating, tool probably won't improve)

Days 2-5: Real Content Testing

• Create 10-15 real pieces (not test content—use actual client work)
• Test different content types from your checklist
• Track editing time required for each piece
• Note where the tool excels or fails (blog intros, CTAs, headlines, etc.)

Days 6-7: Advanced Features and Edge Cases

• Test advanced features like team collaboration or integrations
• Try edge cases (technical topics, niche industries, specific tones)
• Evaluate cost-per-piece based on trial usage
• Compare to current process using your pre-trial baseline

Final Day: Decision Framework

Use this framework to decide whether to subscribe:

• Quality test: Is editing time 50%+ less than current process?
• Voice test: Does content match brand voice 70%+ of the time?
• Value test: Does time saved justify cost?
• Ease test: Can I use this tool without frustration?

If the answer to all four is "yes," subscribe. If you're hesitating on two or more, keep looking.

Red Flags to Watch Out For During Free Trials

1. Aggressive Upgrade Prompts

If the tool bombards you with upgrade prompts every time you try a feature, it's optimized for sales pressure, not user experience. Quality tools let you focus on testing, not selling.

2. Generic Output Regardless of Input

Test the same content brief with 3-4 different brand voices. If the output is nearly identical, the tool isn't actually learning your voice—it's generating generic content with minor tweaks.

3. Complicated Cancellation Process

If signing up takes 2 minutes but canceling requires emailing support or calling, that's a dark pattern. Good tools make canceling as easy as subscribing.

4. Auto-Charge Without Warning

Tools that require credit cards for trials should send cancellation reminders 48 hours before charging. If they don't, they're hoping you forget and pay by accident.

5. Trial Limitations That Prevent Real Testing

Credit limits, feature locks, or time restrictions that make it impossible to evaluate the actual product are designed to frustrate you into upgrading before you can make an informed decision.