GradeDraft
Proofreading Services for Students and Academics
A proofreading service at GradeDraft means a human proofreader working your file at a fixed per-word rate: $0.018 a word, with no quote form standing between you and the number. You get a tracked-changes file and a clean copy back, a query wherever the proofreader has a question rather than a silent fix, and a Stripe invoice only after you approve the result. This page is part of GradeDraft's academic editing service, which covers every level from proofreading up to substantive editing.
- Price from
- $0.018 per word
- Turnaround
- quoted with your price, replies within 2 hours, 8 am-11 pm ET, seven days
- Revisions
- free for 14 days after delivery
- Turnitin originality report
- included with every order
- What arrives
- a tracked-changes file, a clean copy, and a short style sheet
- Payment
- nothing upfront; a Stripe invoice (card or bank transfer) after you approve
Proofreading service at a per-word price: what you get and what it costs
A proofreading service means one thing at GradeDraft: a human proofreader, a single published rate, and two files back, invoiced only once you approve. This page is for people who need a document proofread; proofreaders looking for work should see freelance proofreading jobs on our editing bench instead. GradeDraft's proofreading services cover essays, research papers, theses, personal statements and cover letters at the same $0.018-a-word rate, which only changes when the work moves up to copy editing or line editing. Our proofreading and editing services are priced side by side below.
What proofreading covers - and what it leaves alone
A proofreading pass checks four things on a document whose argument and structure are already settled: spelling, grammar, punctuation and consistency. It does not touch the argument or the organization.
Spelling, grammar, punctuation, consistency
A proofreader reads line by line for typos, agreement errors, misplaced commas and apostrophes, and consistency of spelling variant, number style and heading capitalization.
What moves up to copy editing or line editing
Proofreading stops at the sentence as written. A reference-list audit (checking every in-text citation against the reference list) is not included at this level; that work sits inside copy editing. Sentence rewriting, paragraph reordering, and tightening for register move further still, into line editing.
- Spelling and typos
- Grammar and subject-verb agreement
- Punctuation, including comma splices
- Consistency: spelling variant, number style, capitalization
- Formatting slips: heading style, spacing
- Sentence rewriting for clarity or flow
- A full reference-list audit (citation-to-reference matching)
- Paragraph reordering or structural changes
- Rewriting for register or tone
This page does not re-explain proofreading from the ground up. The difference between proofreading and editing covers the full level ladder if you want the whole picture.
How much does proofreading cost
How much does proofreading cost? At GradeDraft, the proofreading price per word is a flat $0.018, so the proofreading cost below is exact, not a quote-form estimate.
Proofreading rates by document length
| Word count | Price |
|---|---|
| 650 | $11.70 |
| 1,500 | $27.00 |
| 3,000 | $54.00 |
| 5,000 | $90.00 |
| 10,000 | $180.00 |
| 20,000 | $360.00 |
Scroll horizontally to compare all columns.
Pick the edit and your word count. The number is the published per-word rate times the words; a 275-word page is the unit behind every page figure.
2,750 × $0.018= $49.50
Send my briefWorked examples
3,000-word undergraduate paper, proofreading: 3,000 × $0.018 = $54.00. A 10,000-word thesis chapter, proofreading: 10,000 × $0.018 = $180.00.
Searches for cheap proofreading services usually mean one thing: a rate you can see before you commit. GradeDraft runs one published rate rather than a coupon or first-order discount: $0.018 a word, every time.
Proofreading vs copy editing vs line editing, priced side by side
| Level | Rate | 3,000-word paper |
|---|---|---|
| Proofreading | $0.018/word | $54.00 |
| Copy editing | $0.028/word | $84.00 |
| Line/substantive editing | $0.045/word | $135.00 |
Scroll horizontally to compare all columns.
Proofreading is the cheapest, narrowest pass. A draft that needs sentence rewriting or a reference-list audit is a job for copy editing instead.
What arrives when your proofread is done
Every proofreading order returns three things: a tracked-changes file, a clean copy, and a short style sheet.
The tracked-changes file shows every edit inline: Microsoft Word Track Changes for a .docx file, or Google Docs suggesting mode for a shared doc, so you accept or reject each one individually. The clean copy is the same document with every change already accepted, ready to submit. Where the proofreader has a question rather than a fix, that sits as a margin query in a comment, not a silent edit.
The style sheet is a short record of the choices made on your document: US vs Canadian spelling, serial comma or not, numeral style, and capitalization of specific terms. Your next paper from the same course can follow it and stay consistent.
A before-and-after proofread: one paragraph, every change explained
Here is a sample edit: one undergraduate paragraph in APA 7 with six errors a proofreading pass catches, shown before and after. It is a composite sample written by GradeDraft, not a client's paper.
Composite undergraduate paragraph, APA 7: before and after a proofread
Before
There purpose in this section is to explain why instructor presence effects student engagement in online courses. Prior research shows that students who receive weekly feedback report higher satisfaction, this pattern also held for perceived learning (Richardson & Swan 2003). Many programs are now piloting synchronous check-ins, and by the end of the pilot, most institutions decide to expand the program permanently. Organisation of course content also matters, since a confusing layout can undo even strong instructor presence.
After
Their purpose in this section is to explain why instructor presence affects student engagement in online courses. Prior research shows that students who receive weekly feedback report higher satisfaction; this pattern also held for perceived learning (Richardson & Swan, 2003). Many programs are now piloting synchronous check-ins, and by the end of the pilot, most institutions decided to expand the program permanently. Organization of course content also matters, since a confusing layout can undo even strong instructor presence.
What changed
- Homophone: "There purpose" corrected to "Their purpose." A spellchecker passes it because both words are spelled correctly on their own.
- Confused word: "effects student engagement" corrected to "affects student engagement": affect is the verb, effect the noun.
- Comma splice: the comma joining two independent clauses ("...higher satisfaction, this pattern held...") is replaced with a semicolon.
- Citation-punctuation slip: "(Richardson & Swan 2003)" gets the comma APA 7 requires between author and year.
- Tense drift: "decide" corrected to "decided," so the sentence stays in past tense once it describes a completed pilot.
- Inconsistent spelling: "Organisation" corrected to "Organization" to match the US spelling used everywhere else in the document.
Hire a proofreader who works on academic documents
Who proofreads your file
If you want a proofreader for hire who knows academic conventions, every order goes to GradeDraft's editing desk and is matched to your document type rather than picked up by whoever is free. Message your proofreader directly through the order thread; the writers page shows how the desk is organized, and the GradeDraft about page explains who runs intake and matching.
Editing desk
Proofreading, copy editing, line editing, dissertation and thesis editing, and manuscript editing.
"Prior research shows that students who receive weekly feedback report higher satisfaction; this pattern also held for perceived learning (Richardson & Swan, 2003)." (Composite sample written by GradeDraft.)
Documents we proofread
GradeDraft proofreads essays, research papers, lab reports, theses, Common App personal statements and cover letters, in APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 17 or another named style guide. If your request is simply "proofread my essay" and the essay also needs comments on argument, it fits editing for a single college or class essay better. For a chapter that needs more than a surface pass, see thesis and dissertation editing. Authors get their own lines: manuscript editing for a journal article, and book editing and formatting for a full-length book.
Human proofreading vs Grammarly and free checkers
Many people run Grammarly or a free checker before paying for online proofreading services, and that is a sensible first pass: these tools are instant and catch a real share of spelling and grammar errors. What they miss is context: a free checker cannot always tell that "effects" should be "affects" in a given sentence, check a citation against APA 7, or hold a spelling variant across a 20-page document. Human proofreading adds the judgment a rules-based checker lacks. Anyone comparing the best proofreading service options is really paying for that judgment: professional proofreading services earn their fee on errors software cannot see. For a free read before you decide, run the free essay checker first.
Proofread my paper: the order in four steps
Ordering proofreading services online should not need a phone call. "Proofread my paper" takes four steps from upload to invoice:
Proofreading order: upload to delivery
- Upload: send your file and tell us the deadline and style guide.
- Quote: price and turnaround come back within 2 hours, 8 am-11 pm ET, seven days a week. Turnaround is confirmed in your quote because it depends on length and queue.
- Proofread: your editing-desk proofreader marks up the file and prepares the style sheet.
- Approve, then invoice: you review the tracked-changes file and the clean copy inside the revision window, and the Stripe invoice (card or bank transfer) arrives only after you approve.
The how it works page covers the same four steps in more detail; the full rate card sits on the price list next to every other service.
After delivery: revisions, refunds and confidentiality
You have 14 days from delivery to request revisions against your original file at no extra charge. If the delivered proofread still misses your brief and cannot be fixed inside that window, a refund review opens instead. The samples page and the guarantees page show that standard before you order.
Confidentiality
Only your assigned proofreader sees your file, and an NDA is available on request. We never publish your name, your school or your documents, and no order is reused. We never ask for your LMS login, portal password or student ID.
Send your document for a fixed price
Upload your file and get a $0.018-a-word price with a confirmed turnaround within 2 hours.
Questions before you book a proofread
How fast can you proofread my document?
Turnaround is confirmed in your quote rather than set by a fixed band, because it depends on length and the current queue. Quotes come back within 2 hours, 8 am-11 pm ET, seven days a week, and state the delivery time before the work starts.
Can I get a sample edit before I order?
Yes. Every order starts with a sample paragraph edited in your document's style before you pay anything, so you see how the tracked changes and queries look on your own writing rather than on a stock example. You are invoiced only after you approve the finished file.
Is my document kept confidential?
Yes. Only your assigned proofreader sees your file, and it is never published, reused, or shared with a third party. We never ask for LMS logins, portal passwords or student IDs, and an NDA is available on request if your institution or employer needs one.
Will the proofreader rewrite my sentences?
No. Proofreading marks spelling, grammar, punctuation and consistency with tracked changes; you accept or reject each one. Where a fix would mean rewriting a sentence for clarity or flow, the proofreader flags it as a query instead, and that work moves to copy editing if you want it done.
Do you proofread for Canadian spelling?
Yes. Tell us US or Canadian spelling at the brief stage, and the proofreader holds that choice consistently, recorded on the style sheet that ships with your file. Pricing is the same $0.018 a word for US and Canadian students, billed in USD.