The big AI tools catalog

There is an ocean of tools and it shifts every week. This rundown tells you which to reach for depending on what you need to do. Most have a free tier - start there.

Writing, chat and assistants

• ChatGPT - the all-rounder for text, images and files. Free and paid.
• Claude - long texts and working with documents. Free and paid.
• Gemini - wired into Google (Gmail, Docs). Free and paid.
• Copilot - AI right inside Microsoft Office. Paid (with a free tier).

Images

• Midjourney - the prettiest results, style and atmosphere. Paid.
• DALL·E - built into ChatGPT, the easiest place to start.
• Ideogram - the only one that handles text inside an image decently. Free and paid.
• Canva AI - graphics you can tweak yourself right away. Free and paid.

Video

• HeyGen - a talking avatar from text. Paid (free trial).
• Runway, Kling - generative video from text. Paid.
• CapCut - editing with AI features and subtitles. Free and paid.

Voice and audio

• ElevenLabs - natural voice from text, dubbing. Free and paid.
• Whisper - turning recordings into text. Free (and built into many tools).

Slides and documents

• Gamma - a whole deck from a short brief. Free and paid.
• Canva - decks and company documents. Free and paid.

Automation

• n8n - automation without code, open source. Free / self-hosted.
• Make, Zapier - ready-made alternatives. Paid (with a free tier).

Code and small projects

• Cursor, GitHub Copilot - AI for coding. Paid.
• Replit - an environment for small projects and experiments. Free and paid.

Search and research

• Perplexity - answers with links to sources. Free and paid.

How to choose

Do not start by collecting tools. Start with the job: what do I need to get done? Then pick one from the table, learn it properly and add another when you hit its ceiling. Three tools you know well beat ten open tabs.

Do not look for the best AI tool. Look for the one that solves today's job - and swap it for a better one next month if you like.