Published on: June 23, 2023 Updated on: February 1, 2024
ShortlyAI review: What Is It, Who It’s For, and How To Use It
Author: Lianne Jones
Struggle with writer’s block? ShortlyAI is an AI writing tool worth considering for that reason.
As an AI writing partner that can fill a blank page at the tap of a button, ShortlyAI brings a lot of benefits to the table, from helping writers find the first words of an article to generating full content outlines to helping with YouTube video scripts.
It’s also popular and often compared with other great AI writing tools, including Copy.ai and Jasper.
But with so many of these great AI writers out there, it goes without saying that you need to invest in the best one for you.
So here’s our in-depth ShortlyAI review. Below we run through the key features, how good it is as an AI writing assistant, and how ShortlyAI can be used as an AI tool.
What is ShortlyAI?
ShortlyAI is an AI writing software tool that can generate written content for website articles, blogs, social media posts, and stories. Some of its key features include templates, a user-friendly text editor, and AI writing commands.
Qasim Munye created ShortlyAI in 2020. In 2021, ShortlyAI was acquired by Conversion.ai (Jasper) but remains a standalone app.
ShortlyAI runs on OpenAI’s GPT-3 technology, which uses natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to interpret and process data.
The AI model can understand textual prompts and automatically generate words on virtually any topic.
ShortlyAI review – how good is it?
When considering AI-powered writing tools, it’s always worth looking at:
- The content it generates
- The standout features
- The interface and how easy it is to use
- The plans and pricing
So that’s what we look at in our Shortly AI review. Find out what it offers below, including all its pros and cons, to decide whether or not it’s the ideal creative brainstorming partner for you.
What content can Shortly AI generate?
Shortly AI keeps things simple. It’s designed to generate two types of content: articles/blogs and stories.
And that’s a good thing. Writers who write blog posts or stories will, more often than not, find more accurate word generation with Shortly AI over other general AI writers.
This includes generating articles and blogs, short stories, novellas, or novels – fictional or not.
In fact, when starting a written piece with Shortly AI, you’re given two templates to choose from right off the bat: “article/blog” or “story.”
So in terms of content generation, ShortlyAI is a specialized AI writing tool catering to both online content creators and creative writers. It was designed to help users “get past writer’s block.”
The key features of Shortly AI
Aside from content generation that focuses on articles, blogs, and stories, the key features of ShortlyAI are its GPT-3 AI technology, AI writing commands, and no word limits.
As it runs on GPT-3, created by OpenAI, ShortlyAI is a powerful AI writer.
OpenAI’s GPT-3 is one of the most advanced AI models currently out there, so new users can rest assured they won’t be using out-of-date AI technology.
On top of that, ShortlyAI does not currently impose word limits, unlike some AI writing tools.
It’s worth mentioning that there is a daily word limit to prevent bot abuse, but this “should not be reached under normal use.”
Where ShortlyAI really stands out, however, is its writing commands. These include:
- /expand – elaborate on any text you highlight
- /rewrite – rewrite or regenerate any text you highlight
- /shorten – shorten any text you highlight
- /instruct – type specific instructions for what the AI should generate
Instead of clicking, these writing commands simply make things much easier while you’re writing since you can continue to type instead of reaching for your mouse or trackpad.
The “shorten” command is also a unique tool not offered by most other AI writing tools and can be useful for things like social media posts.
What some users might find missing in ShortlyAI, however, are popular AI tools such as AI chat and tone of voice.
ShortlyAI is ultimately designed for “getting past writer’s block,” but these are tools many users find useful, especially for creating blog articles and social media posts.
ShortlyAI interface and user-friendliness
ShortlyAI’s text editor interface is different from the standard interface used by other AI writers, such as Jasper or Copy.ai.
It features the same sidebar and text editor layout but with slightly different tools and an appearance tailored for creative writing.
The sidebar offers four tools:
- Writing stats – words, pages, and characters
- Article brief – a simple textbox for describing the content you’re after
- Output length – choose between “a little”, “somewhere in between”, and “a lot”
- Write for me – the main button for generating content
As for the text editor, it offers a stripped-down appearance for typing the title and main text body using a book-type font.
There is no toolbar for formatting as, in the same way, it encourages commands; Shortly AI encourages you to use shortcut keys. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on user preference.
As a result, ShortlyAI is simple to use, with a text editor that’s designed for creative writing, increased focus, and productivity.
Users who are used to formatting toolbars may have to spend time familiarizing themselves with the commands and shortcut keys.
But other than that, ShortlyAI is user-friendly, with one of the more attractive text editors we’ve seen on an AI writing tool – it’s especially ideal if you’re a writer who wants to focus on the words and nothing else.
Plans and pricing – how much is ShortlyAI?
First of all, ShortlyAI offers a free trial that doesn’t require you to provide your credit card details. With paid plans, you have two options: the Shortly AI Annual Plan or the Shortly AI Monthly Plan.
There is no difference between these plans in terms of using ShortlyAI.
You’ll get the same benefits with both plans, which include full access to ShortlyAI, unlimited words, and continuous updates.
The only difference is, therefore, whether you want to pay annually or monthly.
And like all software plans and subscriptions, paying annually works out cheaper in the long run. You can also cancel either plan anytime.
What’s worth noting, however, is that ShortlyAI sits at a higher price than most other AI writing tools – both with its annual and monthly plans.
AI use cases – the best uses for ShortlyAI
Blog writing
ShortlyAI is an AI-powered writing tool that’s well worth looking at for bloggers and blog writers.
This includes professional blogs and personal blogs, as ShortlyAI is designed to generate both informational content and storytelling content – which some blogs can have a mixture of.
Blog writers will especially benefit from ShortlyAI’s simple interface, which focuses on productivity with useful tools that include writing stats, article briefs, and output length.
ShortlyAI also offers a dedicated template for blog creation, allowing bloggers to jump straight into generating written content for any blog topic.
Website articles
As ShortlyAI uses OpenAI GPT-3 technology, it’s also a great AI writing tool for business owners and website owners, as the AI is trained on a large database of information. This can include generating words for informational articles and promotional articles.
In this case, the main benefits are quick and easy content generation thanks to ShortlyAI’s simple, user-friendly interface.
Tools such as “output length” and “write for me” will help website owners and businesses generate well-written article content quickly, saving time and increasing overall output.
Storytelling
As well as an AI writing tool for blogs and articles, ShortlyAI is designed for AI-generated story content.
This includes short stories, novellas, and novels of any length, offering a dedicated template tailored for story writing – and creative writing in general.
What makes ShortlyAI especially good for creative writers is its writer-focused text editor that’s more stripped down than other AI writing tool text editors, allowing writers to focus on the words without too many distracting tools on the page.
The text editor’s book-style font is another small benefit that can help improve the overall user experience for writers.
Conclusion
Shortly AI is a great tool if you’re a website content creator or creative writer of stories who often struggles to get words on the page.
The AI writing assistant was designed with these formats in mind, offering unique tools that focus on productivity and output.
This doesn’t make ShortlyAI the best choice for copywriters and content marketers, however, but when you need a blog post, it can really help you out!
ShortlyAI may also fall short for some users due to its lack of content voices, toolbar formatting, and AI chat.
Despite that, we still think ShortlyAI is worth trying out – especially if you’re a writer who puts more importance on word output and inspiration over content marketing and SEO.
Frequently asked questions
Are AI writers worth it?
AI writing tools offer various benefits to writers as they can generate full paragraphs, ideas, and outlines at the tap of a button.
This can provide inspiration and improve productivity, making AI writers worth it for writers who struggle with deadlines or writer’s block.
Can AI write a story?
Artificial intelligence can generate fictional short stories from scratch, as well as help writers create long-form stories, such as novellas and novels.
There are various AI story generator tools for writing stories, including NovelAI, Rytr, and Jasper.
Lianne Jones
TopApps writer
Recent Articles
Create Exams in Seconds with AI Exam Generators Manually crafting exams is a time-consuming and tedious process for educators. But what if you...
Read MoreTired of staring at a blank page, struggling to find the right words for your essay? AI essay generators are revolutionizing the way...
Read MoreIntroduction AI blog automation is no longer a futuristic concept; it’s the 2024 reality that’s revolutionizing the blogging landscape. In a world...
Read More