That’s probably just a personal thing, but when I’m working on business documents, I want my writing to sound... well, human. Not robotic, not soulless, and definitely not like it was churned out by some generic content spitting machine. Yet, the reality is that many AI tools designed to "formalize" your writing have one glaring weakness: they strip out the personality and subtle nuances that make your prose uniquely yours.
Why Is Maintaining Personality in Business Documents So Crucial?
Business writing isn’t just about being correct or formal. It’s about persuasion, clarity, and building trust. A bland, emotionless message can easily get lost in the deluge of emails and reports your audience is swimming through daily. Put simply: formality shouldn’t come at the cost of engagement.
Which leads us to a common mistake I see all the time: relying on AI tools that iron out every wrinkle of character from your writing. They stomp on tone and personality under the guise of professionalism, leaving content that sounds generic, corporate, and frankly—forgettable.
So, What Did We Do?
I dove deep into today’s market-leading AI paraphrasing and business document editor tools to see which actual solutions help writers nail formal writing without losing their voice. The contenders I focused on were:
- Rephrase AI ProWritingAid Scribbr Kroolo (specifically the new Formal Mode designed for professional use)
My aim? Find out which tools genuinely enhance formal business writing and preserve personality, and which fall into the trap of producing “AI slop.” Spoiler: Kroolo’s formal mode impressed me the most.
Hands-On Testing: How These Tools Perform on Real Business Documents
Rephrase AI: Powerful but Slightly Rigid
Rephrase AI stands out with its robust paraphrasing engine and fine-tuning controls, which let you dial the formality level up or down. This flexibility is crucial; it means you’re not stuck with a one-size-fits-all approach.
On the plus side, Rephrase AI’s interface is clean and intuitive. Controls are straightforward, not buried under dozens of tone options you’ll never use. You can adjust style sliders that influence how formal, concise, or verbose your output will be. It’s a practical tool for those who want control.
However, I noticed that sometimes even with these controls, Rephrase AI pushes your writing towards safe, bland territory when set for maximum formality. It’s still slightly prone to stripping voice if you’re not careful.
ProWritingAid: Comprehensive But Overwhelming
ProWritingAid is a fantastic all-in-one proofreading, style checking, and paraphrasing tool with a huge user base among professional writers and editors. Its strength lies in detailed analysis and suggestions for clarity, grammar, and style.
But here’s the downside: ProWritingAid’s interface can be overwhelming for the average business user. There are dozens of options for tone, formality, pace, and more, most of which distract more than help. I spent more time toggling features than actually improving the draft.
Its paraphrasing feature sometimes produced awkward phrasing, and it didn't always respect the original tone.
Scribbr: Great for Academic, Less So for Business
Scribbr is well-known for academic proofreading and plagiarism detection—but when it comes to business writing, especially formal modes, it falls short. The tool is geared heavily toward citations and academic tone, which isn’t exactly what you want in a polished, assertive business document.
Its interface is clean, which I appreciate, but the lack of fine editorial control over formality and personality means you’re stuck with preset suggestions that feel more like automated edits than thoughtful rewrites.
Enter Kroolo Formal Mode: The Business Document Editor That Balances Precision and Personality
Kroolo’s formal mode is tailored specifically for professional use. Unlike the other tools I tested, it approaches formality with nuance and subtlety, not blunt force.
Why Kroolo Stands Out
- Precision without Sterility: Kroolo’s AI respects the writer’s voice even as it enhances formality. It suggests improvements that elevate professionalism but leave enough wiggle room for personality. Intuitive UI: The interface is uncluttered—just the essential controls you need. There’s a formal mode toggle and sliders to adjust tone and clarity, but no bombarding you with 50 different tones. Seamless Integration: Kroolo plays nicely as a business document editor—you can polish legal contracts, reports, emails, and proposals without switching apps. Fine-Tuning Controls: Like Rephrase AI, but more refined. You control how formal you want the output to be and how much personality to preserve. This is critical for writers who want tight, professional text that still feels human. Ad-Free Experience: No clutter or distractions spoil the writing process, which I deeply appreciate as a longtime writer.
How Kroolo’s Formal Mode Helps Real Writers
Imagine you’re drafting a client proposal. You want to sound credible but approachable, not stiff and lifeless. Kroolo’s formal mode will smooth out grammar, improve flow, and replace casual slang with business-appropriate words—while keeping the underpinning tone that sets you apart.
This is a refreshing break from AI tools that hammer your text into a generic corporate mold.
Comparison Table: Kroolo vs. Rephrase AI vs. ProWritingAid vs. Scribbr
Feature Kroolo Formal Mode Rephrase AI ProWritingAid Scribbr Focus Business documents, formal writing Paraphrasing & tone control Style & grammar checking Academic proofreading Maintains Voice & Personality? Yes, balanced Mostly, with some rigidity Partially, can be generic No, more academic User Interface Clean & minimal controls Simple & intuitive Feature-heavy & complex Simple but limited for business Formality Control Fine-tuned sliders Adjustable formality slider Multiple tone options Preset academic tone Ideal For Professionals editing business documents Writers needing rephrasing flexibility Editors & writers needing detailed analysis Students & academics Ad Experience Ad-free Minimal ads Some premium upsells Free and paid versionsWhich AI Paraphrasing Tool Is Actually the Best for Formal Business Writing?
After all this, my firm conclusion is that if you want a business Go here document editor built to handle formal business writing—with an AI that doesn’t sacrifice personality— Kroolo for professional use is the best bet.
Rephrase AI comes in a close second, thanks to its fine-tuning controls, but it tends to err on the safe side, losing some of the subtlety that makes formal writing stand out. ProWritingAid is an excellent multipurpose tool but feels overwhelming and less specialized for formal business documents. Scribbr, while stellar for academic work, isn’t suited for this particular use case.
Final Thoughts: Use AI to Amplify, Not Erase, Your Voice
AI writing tools can be a godsend—or a nightmare—depending on how they’re designed. If you’re regularly producing business documents—proposals, reports, client emails—don’t settle for a tool that churns out soulless text. Look for one like Kroolo’s formal mode, which was clearly built with the real needs of professional writers in mind.
It’s not just tech; it’s a reminder that even in the age of AI, your words matter. And the right tool respects that.