Both Turnitin and iThenticate use the same industry-leading database to identify overlapping text, but they are designed for different types of users and workflows.
Access and Account Types
Turnitin: Access is only available through an academic institution (such as a university or K-12 school). Individual standalone accounts for students or researchers are not available for purchase.
iThenticate: Offers flexible options. You can create a free Individual Account and purchase submission credits or access the platform through an Organizational Account (common for research departments, publishers, or corporate entities).
How your data is handled (Privacy & Repositories)
One of the most significant differences between the two platforms is how your documents are stored:
iThenticate Individual Accounts: Documents are never saved to a repository. This ensures that your work remains private and will not be used as a searchable source for others.
iThenticate Organizational Accounts: Organizations have the option to purchase a "private repository node." This allows them to compare new submissions against previous work uploaded within their own organization only.
Turnitin Accounts: Instructors have the option to choose whether submissions are saved to a global repository or not.
Cross-Platform Comparison: Generally, documents uploaded to iThenticate are never compared against the Turnitin repository, and vice versa.
At a glance: Which product is right for me?
| Feature | Turnitin | iThenticate |
|---|---|---|
Primary User |
Instructors and Students |
Researchers, Publishers, and Authors |
Primary Use Case |
Grading, feedback, and integrity in the classroom |
Ensuring originality in scholarly papers and professional manuscripts |
Account Type |
Institutional only (Individual accounts are not available) |
Individual and Institutional |
Repository |
Submissions are typically saved to a global repository for future comparison (instructor choice) |
Submissions are not added to a global repository |
Interested in an iThenticate individual account?
If you are a researcher or author looking to check your work, you can learn more about iThenticate here. We also have some useful getting started guides for new iThenticate individual account users to help you begin using iThenticate.
Looking to purchase as an institution?
Please get in touch with our expert Sales Team to get a quote tailored to your needs.