Company: Frase.io
Background: Frase.io is an AI-powered writing tool that quickly helps you create high-quality, search-optimized content. Marketers and SEOs use Frase to research competitors, create content briefs, generate lists of semantically related keywords, and write (or rewrite) content.
Starting Price: $14.99/mo
Currency: USD
Visit Online: https://www.frase.io/
Review Summary & Ratings
Given the rabid ferocity with which Google is pursuing quality content, I've long perceived AI writers as a double-edged sword. While the new generation of AI writers is better, problems inevitably crop up when trying to use them as drop-in replacements for human writers. If you're considering using an AI writer, this Frease review should also provide some invaluable general insights into these tools. Hint – Don't fire your writers and editors before you test one extensively.
Pros: What I Like About Frase.io
1. Frase.io Offers Flexible Writing Models
Frase uses a proprietary machine learning algorithm, not the GTP-3 model that most other AI writing tools currently employ. This unique capability allows them to offer unique features and lower prices. The tool allows you to generate content using pre-trained AI or custom-built models without coding skills.
With pre-trained models, you can generate short writing quickly. For example, there are pre-trained models for creating blog titles and content outlines, rewriting existing articles, and summarizing long content into bullet-point form.
On the other hand, custom-built models help generate content in your desired writing styles.
Below are some writing samples I made using different tools at Frase.io.
Demo – Writing Blog Introduction
Demo – Writing Listicle
Demo – Building Custom Model
2. Excellent for Creating Short Content Snippets
My investigation into Frase.io started from a capability point of view. Running the few blogs I own requires massive content output. My question was: Could Frase.io adequately create good enough content to replace a writer?
It didn't take me long to discover that this AI writer comes up excellent. However, there's a big caveat. Most short-form content is spot-on, and you can use it with minimal intervention. Some tidying up may be necessary, but it depends on your requirements.
In general, the short content developed by Frase.io comes error-free and in decent grammatical shape. It even manages to flow the content smoothly, something I notice human writers struggle with from time to time.
Tests of generated content on social media platforms (see my Facebook post here and here; LinkedIn post here) showed me that most of the general public couldn't tell the difference between Frase.io content and human-written content.
Quiz time: Can you guess which of the following is generated by Frase?
3. Stable & Easy To Use Interface
Thanks to GPT-3, dozens of new online businesses like Frase.io are popping up all over the Internet. Add those to the old brand names like Jasper, and you have an array of choice. The problem is, that despite GPT-3, some newer platforms don't seem able to offer a stable service. The interface they've built to house their GPT-3 engine sometimes comes across as clunky and borderline unusable.
Not so for Frase.io.
It's a pleasure to use and offers a rock-steady service anytime. I consider 50 hours without a crash on any platform as a win.
If you feel there's a problem at any time, Frase.io even provides a service status page you can check.
Overall usability here is exceptionally high, and I feel that the core functions are easily within reach. The general concept is the same as Google Docs. Because of that, everything feels so intuitive, and you can get started quickly, even for first-time users.
4. Helpful Get-Started Tutorials
For those who have not used a cloud-based word processor before, Frase.io comes with a lot of assistance available. There's a series of short video tutorials that I find helpful. They even run weekly product walkthrough demos that help customers pick up better usability skills.
5. Easy Share and Collaborate with Non-Frase Users
The final advantage I see in Frase.io is the ability it provides to work with non-Frease.io users. Even if you're a solopreneur or small business, this allowance will help you work better with your remote team.
It seems especially helpful for SEOs (I hate the term “Guru”) and marketers who work with other writers who don't have a Frase account. It also makes me feel more at ease that they don't try to lock the whole work in their little ecosystem.
What I Dislike About Frase.io
1. Far from Replacing a (Good) Human Writer
Earlier I mentioned that Frase.io seems excellent at creating short content. Unfortunately, that's where it ends for the moment. The fact I'm personally writing this review should be an enormous red flag signaling how (un)satisfied I am with Frase.io's overall output quality.
Once content extends past the one or two-paragraph mark, Frase.io starts to go out of whack.
Half of the generated output either missed the point entirely or required extensive editing. The other half works if you use it on a standalone basis, but it doesn't fit well into the overall content of one comprehensive article. Putting everything together ends up with an article that's repetitive, not entirely correct, and often just sounds weird.
If you're a professional content writer, relax, your day job is safe for now.
2. All Plans are Capped at 20,000 Characters Per Month
All plans at Frase.io are capped at a maximum of 20,000 characters (not words!) each month. Twenty thousand characters may sound like a lot, but it's barely around 3,000 to 5,000 words on average.
The average long-form blog article you want to rank on Google requires around 1,500 words. That means you'll only be able to create 2 to 3 articles a month in an ideal world. That's even if you're paying for the most expensive plan.
However, it also doesn't account for the crap content you'll need to discard and re-generate if Frase.io makes a boo-boo. That still adds up in your character count. We're essentially paying for Frase.io to learn.
3. Lack of Integrations
One of my biggest gripes about Frase.io is the lack of app integrations. That means it lives in a bubble and doesn't play well with other apps like Asana, Zapier, or Slack. Sadly the business world doesn't work like this, and trying to stand alone today will likely result in a slow and painful death.
Frase.io Plans & Pricing
Frase.io comes in three plans; Solo, Basic, and Team. Each plan is capped at 20,000 characters a month, a limit you can move past with a Pro Addon that costs an extra $35/mo.
The Solo and Basic plans are for single users, with the former allowing you to write/optimize only four articles per month for $14.99/mo. The Basic plan extends that number to 30 articles for $44.99/mo.
Finally, we have the Team plan for $114.99/mo that supports three users and allows an unlimited number of article generations and rewrites each month.
Frase.io Alternatives
Thankfully, Frase.io isn't alone in this space, and there is much competition. However, I've yet to find one capable enough to replace a human writer.
Jasper
The Jasper (formerly Jarvis) content generation service is a cloud-based platform that automatically generates natural language content for your website. It uses the GPT-3 AI model to create high-quality content in various languages. It's one of the more reputable brands, but prices aren't low. It starts from $24/mo for 20,000 words.
Copy.ai
Copy.ai is relatively newer and a tool that I sometimes use. Like Frase.io, it's good at canned, short content that doesn't touch technical topics too closely. The long-form content generation here is slightly better and works methodically, allowing you to guide it with section headers. Use it for free, but a Pro plan starts from $49.mo.
Rytr
Rytr is another writing tool with lofty ambitions. It claims to help users create content for everything from blogs to legal document annotations. Use to build anything from business ideas to article outlines quickly. There's a limited free plan available, but professional use will likely need a paid plan starting at $9/mo.
Verdict: Who Should Use Frase.io A.I. Writing?
Frase.io can be dangerous for the uninitiated. I can't see it replacing a professional writer in any current capacity. However, it can be helpful in some sense for content creation. After all, it goes beyond the standard content and can move into marketing speak.
That makes it usable for a broad audience like SEOs and marketers who often work with writers. Even professional writers might find it handy to break writing blocks or simply as a source of new ideas.
Note: Answer for the quiz – the Appointy intro is written fully with Frase.io.
Final Thoughts
Frase.io isn't something bright, shiny, and new. However, it does one-up the competition by moving away from the mass market. With everyone running the GPT-3 engine, Frase.io offers something unique. That alone makes this a tool worth keeping an eye on for now.
