Turnitin plagiarism detection and academic integrity software

Turnitin is a premier educational technology platform primarily known for its plagiarism detection and academic integrity services. Founded in 1998 by four students at the University of California, Berkeley, the service began as an online peer-review system before evolving into a sophisticated similarity detection engine. The platform operates as a web-based service (SaaS), with its development and core operations centralized in the United States, although it serves a global market of over 16,000 institutions.

Over the decades, the brand has transitioned through several private equity owners, reflecting its massive growth in the EdTech sector. In 2019, the company was acquired by Advance Publications for approximately $1.75 billion, a move that integrated the platform into a large media and technology conglomerate. Under this ownership, Turnitin has expanded its suite of tools to include AI-generated text detection, automated grading (via Gradescope), and research integrity solutions (via iThenticate).

Today, the brand continues to be managed from its headquarters in Oakland, California. It maintains a significant international presence with regional offices in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and South Korea to support its millions of users worldwide. As of 2026, it remains a wholly-owned subsidiary of Advance Publications, focusing on the intersection of artificial intelligence and educational honesty.