How Did We Choose These AI Tools?
For this article, we reviewed over 60 AI tools across 10+ categories.
We’ve put these tools through real-world scenarios to see which ones truly deliver on their promises. And we’ve also noticed a few downsides along the way.
Let’s review the key information, see free vs paid options, and see which tools are built to last.
Note: For up-to-date pricing info, always visit the official website.
The Best AI Chatbots
1. ChatGPT
ChatGPT is still the benchmark for consumer AI tools, and 2025 brought some big upgrades. The release of GPT-4o (Omni) in May introduced a major step forward: it’s faster, smarter, and can process text, images, and audio seamlessly. You can now use it for everything from drafting complex documents to analyzing screenshots or even talking with it in real time.
Whether you're writing content, brainstorming ideas, managing projects, learning new topics, or translating languages, 4o handles it with better reasoning and faster responses.
GPT-4o-1: For Precision Tasks
While 4o is the new general-purpose model, GPT-4o-1 is optimized for accuracy and step-by-step reasoning. It’s especially helpful when:
- Solving detailed or structured problems (e.g. planning budgets, formatting data)
- Analyzing or organizing complex content
- Debugging not just code, but logic in workflows, documents, and plans
It’s not just for tech users—anyone needing clarity, structure, or process thinking will benefit.
Operators: AI That Gets Things Done (Mostly)
Operators, introduced in 2025, act like AI assistants with access to tools, think booking travel, making dinner reservations, or organizing your weekend. They’re still improving and can occasionally stall mid-task, but the idea is promising for personal productivity.
Available only to Pro users, Operators are part of OpenAI’s push toward more proactive AI agents.
Tip: The free plan is fine for light use. But if you're working regularly with AI, whether for writing, operations, learning, or strategy, the Plus or Team plan is a better experience across the board.
2. Claude
Claude, developed by Anthropic, has become a strong alternative to ChatGPT, especially for users who value clarity, structure, and long-context reasoning. The latest flagship model, Claude 3 Opus, launched in March 2025, handles up to 200K tokens of context, ideal for reviewing long documents, conducting deep research, or managing multi-step tasks without losing track.
It shines in use cases like:
- Summarizing dense material (legal docs, technical manuals)
- Writing with a natural, consistent tone
- Strategic planning or brainstorming
- Interpreting and cross-referencing large datasets or conversations
Claude’s tone is generally thoughtful and measured, great for users who prefer a more cautious, explanatory AI assistant.
Claude 3 Family
- Haiku: Lightweight, fast, and free—good for quick tasks and short-form content.
- Sonnet: Middle-tier option used widely in apps like Notion and Slack.
- Opus: Anthropic’s most powerful model. Excellent at reasoning, multilingual understanding, and structured thinking.
All models share the same core architecture and safety principles, with Opus offering the deepest capabilities.
Tip: Claude excels at understanding nuance and keeping structure over long conversations or documents. If you often work with detailed materials (reports, research, legal docs), Claude Pro or Team is well worth it.
We find it useful for helping us explain some of the more advanced AI technology around face swap and video editing.
3. Gemini
Gemini 1.5 Pro is Google’s flagship model, now available in products like Gmail, Docs, and the standalone Gemini app. It supports up to 1 million tokens in some versions—ideal for heavy research and multi-document analysis. Integrated tightly with Google Workspace.
- Free & paid tiers (via Google One AI Premium at $20/month).
- Fast, fluent, good at web-integrated tasks (e.g., fact-checking, summarizing URLs).
4. Pi by Inflection
Pi focuses on being a kind, emotionally intelligent assistant. Great for journaling, light conversations, and coaching-style interactions.
- Free to use, with optional upgrades rumored but not yet fully rolled out.
- Not built for heavy tasks or research—best for casual, reflective use.
The Best AI Writing & Content Creation Tools
5. Jasper.ai
Geared toward marketing and brand teams, Jasper offers AI writing tuned for tone, voice, and campaign consistency.
- Paid only, starting around $49/month.
- Features include brand voice memory, campaign templates, and team collaboration tools.
- Not a general-purpose chatbot, focused on content marketing at scale.
6. Copy.ai
Best known for short-form copywriting and automation around sales enablement and marketing ops.
- Includes workflows that auto-generate email sequences, product descriptions, and ad copy.
- Pricing starts at $49/month, with a focus on enterprise automation.
7. Writesonic
An all-in-one AI writer aimed at marketers and freelancers. Offers tools for SEO blogs, product descriptions, and chatbot creation.
- Powered by a mix of GPT-4, Claude, and internal models.
- Starts free, with premium plans from $16–$20/month.
- Known for flexible outputs and value pricing.
8. Rytr
Budget-friendly AI writing tool for short-form content: emails, bios, taglines, and blog intros.
- Easy UI, presets for tone and format.
- Free tier with generous limits; Premium is $9/month.
- Good starter tool, but limited customization or depth.
9. Surfer AI
Designed for SEO-focused writing—auto-generates blog posts based on keyword data.
- Integrates with Surfer’s keyword research and optimization tools.
- Pricing: Starts at $29/article (credit-based).
- Less about creativity, more about ranking in search.
10. HyperWrite
A productivity-focused assistant that acts as a real-time writing copilot.
- Offers suggestions as you type, plus tools for rewriting, summarizing, and autocomplete.
- New feature: "Agents" that can browse the web or complete multi-step tasks.
- Free plan available; Pro starts at $19.99/month.
11. BlogSmith
SEO-focused content workflow tool designed for agencies and freelancers.
- Emphasizes keyword strategy, content outlines, and optimization checklists.
- Offers AI-assisted writing + formatting guidance for blog-ready output.
- Pricing: Custom/agency-level—usually bundled into client retainers.
12. Scalenut
An AI-powered content planning and writing platform that blends SEO, research, and writing tools.
- Includes keyword clustering, content briefs, and full article generation.
- Popular with content marketing teams looking to scale production.
- Starts around $39/month with tiered plans.
13. INK Editor
Combines AI writing with SEO scoring and optimization, ideal for bloggers and small teams.
- Features a distraction-free editor and real-time content scoring.
- Also offers AI Shield, a tool for AI content detection and rewriting.
- Free tier available; Pro starts at $39/month.
14. SEOWriting.ai
A lesser-known but growing tool focused on SEO article generation with AI-assisted structure.
- Offers bulk content tools and outlines tailored to keywords.
- Interface is clean, though less flexible than larger platforms.
- Affordable, starting at around $15–$20/month.
15. Frase
One of the most popular AI + SEO platforms for SERP-driven blog content.
- Built-in SERP analysis, competitor comparison, and content briefs.
- Strong research tools with AI writing layered in.
- Plans start at $15/month with add-ons for AI credits.
16. QuillBot
Primarily a paraphrasing and rewriting tool used by students, academics, and casual writers.
- Offers grammar correction, summarization, and citation tools.
- Very effective for polishing and rephrasing.
- Free plan available; Premium is $19.95/month.
17. Wordtune
AI writing enhancer aimed at improving tone, clarity, and sentence flow.
- Works great as a browser extension for emails, documents, or messaging.
- Offers rewrite suggestions, tone shifts, and summarization.
- Free tier available; Premium at $24.99/month.
18. Grammarly Go
Long-established grammar tool now integrated with AI writing via GrammarlyGO.
- Great for editing, drafting, and improving tone across apps.
- Trusted for real-time proofreading with added AI enhancements.
- Free version remains strong; Premium starts at $12/month, AI features included.
19. Shortly
Minimalist AI writing tool built for long-form writers, like bloggers and novelists.
- Owned by Jasper, with limited updates but still popular for focused drafting.
- Simple interface: just write and expand.
- No free tier; included with Jasper’s higher-tier plans.
The Best Video Generation Tools
20. Akool
Akool is an innovative tool for instant video translation, avatar broadcasting, virtual onboarding and video editing.
We use it for so many purposes, but the AI avatar feature is one of our favorites. You can easily make unique virtual avatars that will echo your video scripts to a tee. We also love the video translation tool, where you can translate into over 150+ languages and get realistic lip-syncing.
It’s even great for less glamorous types of video editing work. You can use Akool to touch up your existing video content with AI background changes.
21. Runway
One of the most advanced platforms for AI video editing and generation.
- Runway’s Gen-2 model can generate videos from text, images, or existing clips.
- Also includes green screen removal, style transfer, and editing tools.
- Free tier available with watermarks; Pro plans start at $15/month.
- Best for creators and experimental visuals, not polished corporate videos.
22. OpusClip
Turns long-form video into short clips using AI that detects “viral moments.”
- Great for repurposing podcasts, webinars, or interviews into vertical content.
- Features include auto-subtitling, speaker tracking, and highlight scoring.
- Free trial with limited exports; Pro starts around $19/month.
- Ideal for social media teams and content repurposing.
23. Pictory
Transforms text or long-form content into videos using stock visuals, voiceover, and AI editing.
- Good for turning blogs or scripts into quick explainer videos.
- Offers branded templates and subtitle automation.
- Pricing from $23/month with tiered export limits.
- Simple UI, best for marketers and course creators.
24. Synthesia
Leader in AI avatar-based video creation for corporate, training, and eLearning use.
- Choose from dozens of avatars (or create custom ones) and add voice in 120+ languages.
- Easy for making talking-head explainer videos without filming.
- Plans start at $29/month; Enterprise offers custom avatars and branding.
25. D-ID
Focuses on AI avatars and face animations, turning text or audio into speaking videos.
- Also allows photo-to-video animation (e.g. historical figures, custom avatars).
- More flexible and expressive avatars than some competitors.
- API and studio plans available; pricing starts around $25/month.
26. HeyGen
Another strong player in AI avatar video, with realistic lip sync and a growing library of avatars.
- Used for sales, training, and multilingual content.
- Allows avatar cloning, screen recording, and audio dubbing.
- Free plan with watermark; Pro starts at $29/month.
27. Lumen5
An AI-powered video creation platform for marketers and brands, focusing on repurposing blog or social content into video.
- Auto-matches visuals, adds captions, and maintains brand tone.
- Not avatar-based—best for slideshow-style videos with strong design.
- Free plan available; Pro plans from $29/month.
The Best AI Image Generators & Designers
28. Midjourney
Midjourney remains a favorite for stylized, high-quality AI art with strong aesthetic control. Still Discord-based, though a web version is in limited rollout. Popular among designers for concept art, fashion, and branding visuals. No free plan; starts at $10/month.
29. Ideogram
Focused on AI-generated images with accurate text rendering, Ideogram excels at posters, logos, and typographic visuals. Its clean UI and easy prompt styling make it accessible for creators who need on-brand graphics. Free with optional Pro upgrade.
30. DALL-E 2
Now integrated into ChatGPT (Pro users), DALL·E 2 supports inpainting and editing inside the chat UI. While less detailed than Midjourney or SD, it’s useful for quick prototyping and visual brainstorming, especially with GPT-4o assistance. Included in $20/month Plus plan.
31. Stable Diffusion
Open-source and highly customizable, Stable Diffusion powers many third-party apps. Ideal for users who want fine-tuned control or local generation. Models like SDXL 1.0 offer great quality with adjustable styles, though setup requires some tech skill. Free to use; hosting tools often charge.
32. Leonardo.ai
A fast-growing image generator tailored to game design and concept art. Known for its style presets, easy training of custom models, and consistent output quality. Web-based with generous free tier; paid plans from $10/month.
33. Adobe Firefly
Built into Creative Cloud, Firefly is ideal for commercial-safe image generation, text effects, and style transfer. Designed for brand-safe use, with native Photoshop/Illustrator integration. Included in most Adobe CC plans; also available via standalone web app.
34. Fotor
An accessible, lightweight tool for generating portraits, illustrations, and avatars. Offers one-click image enhancement, background removal, and art styles for casual users. Freemium model with paid plans starting around $8/month.

The Best AI Graphic Design Tools
35. Canva Text-to-Image
Built into Canva’s design suite, the text-to-image tool makes it easy to generate visuals and drop them directly into presentations, social posts, or marketing assets. Ideal for non-designers and quick creative iterations. Available in free and Pro versions.
36. Microsoft Designer
A design-focused AI tool within Microsoft 365 that turns prompts into polished social graphics, flyers, and brand assets. Includes DALL·E-based image generation and smart layout suggestions. Free preview available; deeper access with Microsoft 365 plans.
The Best AI Animation Tools
37. Animoto
A drag-and-drop video creation tool geared toward marketing and social content. Uses templates and automation, but less “AI” than others—best for assembling video from photos and clips. Plans start at $16/month.
38. DeepMotion
Turns 2D characters or human videos into animated 3D avatars using motion capture. Often used in gaming, metaverse, and virtual production. Real-time body tracking and face animation make it a top choice for creators. Paid plans start around $17/month.
The Best AI Video Editing Tools
39. Runwayml
A full creative suite for AI-powered video, image, and audio generation. Known for Gen-2 video-to-video and text-to-video tools, with editing features like motion tracking and inpainting. Free tier available; paid from $15/month.
40. Topaz Video AI
An AI-powered video enhancement tool that improves resolution, sharpness, and frame rate. Used by filmmakers and restoration pros to upscale footage or clean up visual quality. One-time license (around $299), no subscription.
The Best AI Research Tools
41. ResearchRabbit
A research discovery tool that maps papers, authors, and citations visually. Helps academics and students find related work and build literature graphs. Not an AI summarizer, but a smart research navigator. Free to use.
42. Deep Research
An AI assistant designed for summarizing papers, reports, and web content. Combines citation tracking, note-taking, and natural language querying to support deep dives. Typically used by students, analysts, and researchers. Pricing varies; often bundled with institutional access.
The Best AI Code & Development Tools
43. GitHub Copilot
AI coding assistant built into VS Code and GitHub, trained on open-source code. Autocompletes code, writes functions, and explains snippets. Subscription-based; $10/month for individuals, $19/month for businesses.
44. Tabnine
Code completion tool focused on privacy and team models. Supports local models and custom training for enterprise use. Good for companies needing secure AI coding help. Free and Pro versions; team plans available.
45. Mutable
AI dev environment that enhances code with inline explanations, doc generation, and refactoring. Integrates with VS Code. Still early-stage but promising for team workflows. Paid plans for premium features.
46. Warp
A reimagined terminal with built-in AI commands, autocomplete, and shared workflows. Geared toward devs who want a more modern, collaborative CLI experience. Free with Pro tier for teams.
The Best AI App Building Tools
47. Cursor
An AI-first code editor based on VS Code with integrated ChatGPT assistance for explaining, debugging, and generating code. Popular with solo developers and startups. Free with optional Pro plans.
48. Bolt
Lightweight AI assistant that lives in your macOS menu bar. Offers quick access to GPT-based answers without switching tabs. Great for daily productivity. Freemium with upgrade options.
The Best Low-Code/No-Code AI Tools
49. Akkio
No-code AI for business analysts. Lets users build predictive models and dashboards from spreadsheets or databases—no Python required. Used in ops, finance, and marketing. Paid plans from $49/month.
50. Bubble
A visual web app builder with growing AI features. Still strong for no-code development—especially SaaS MVPs, dashboards, and internal tools. Offers AI assistant and auto-layouts. Free to start, paid plans scale.
The Best AI-Powered SaaS & Productivity Tools
51. Notion AI
Built into Notion’s docs and project tools, this AI helps with writing, summarizing, idea generation, and database updates. Seamless for existing Notion users. Included in Notion Plus and up ($10–$15/month).
52. Delve
AI-powered knowledge management tool that summarizes meetings, extracts tasks, and builds shareable briefings. Good for async teams and internal reporting. Pricing varies; typically used by orgs and startups.
The Best AI Search Engines
53. Perplexity
An AI-powered search engine that provides concise, cited answers from across the web. Known for accuracy and source transparency. Free to use; Pro version offers larger models and file/chat features at $20/month.
54. ChatGPT Search
GPT-4o with web browsing enabled (for Pro users). Can pull current information and summarize pages in real time. Ideal for research-heavy tasks where citations aren’t strictly required. Included in ChatGPT Plus ($20/month).
55. Brave
Privacy-first search engine with AI summaries and real-time answers built-in. Doesn’t track users, and the "Summarizer" shows sourced info. Free, integrated with Brave browser.
The Best AI Project Management Tools
56. ClickUp
Project management platform with AI-assisted task writing, summaries, and progress reporting. Strong integration with docs, timelines, and goals. AI available on higher-tier plans from $7–$12/user/month.
57. Asana
Enterprise-grade task and project tracking with growing AI features for task prediction, smart fields, and workflow suggestions. AI available on Premium and Business tiers ($10.99+/user/month).
58. Motion
AI-powered time and task management that auto-schedules your day. Ideal for solo operators and small teams managing dense calendars. Plans start at $19/month; team features at higher tiers.
The Best Meeting & Transcription Tools
59. Fireflies.ai
Meeting assistant that records, transcribes, and summarizes calls across Zoom, Meet, and Teams. Integrates with CRM and task tools. Free limited plan; paid tiers from $10/month.
60. Fathom
Free AI meeting assistant for Zoom that auto-summarizes and generates action items. Highly rated for ease of use and accuracy. 100% free with no hidden upgrades.
The Best Sales & Customer Support Tools
61. Gong
AI-driven sales call analysis and revenue intelligence platform. Records conversations, scores deal health, and provides coaching insights. Enterprise only; widely used in sales ops.
62. Forethought
AI support platform that helps teams automate ticket triage, draft replies, and suggest answers. Used by CX and help desk teams. Custom pricing; integrates with Zendesk, Salesforce, etc.
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