From generating custom visuals to automating content creation, artificial intelligence has broken free from science fiction to become a daily productivity driver. Whether you’re a solo freelancer or leading a growing startup, the right AI tools can shave hours off your routine and open up new opportunities. Below, we’ve compiled a selection of the top AI tools across different use cases.
1. ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Best for: Brainstorming, quick content drafts, coding assistance
Why it stands out:
Intuitive conversational interface
Multimodal features: paste images or code snippets and get insights
Great for creative ideation, summarization, translation, and more
If you’re just dipping your toes into AI, ChatGPT’s user-friendly approach makes it a must-try. It can draft emails, generate social copy, answer questions, or explain complex concepts in plain language. They also have the best domain in the industry: https://chat.com/.
The outline for this article was prompted with ChatGPT.
2. Grammarly
Best for: Grammar, spelling, and style enhancement
Why it stands out:
Real-time writing corrections (punctuation, tone, clarity)
Integrates with Gmail, Google Docs, Word, and more
AI-driven tone detection for polished communication
Even if you’re using other content generation tools, Grammarly is often the final pass to ensure your writing is error-free. Its new generative features help refine drafts into polished copy.
The final editing of this article was done with Grammarly.
3. Midjourney
Best for: Artistic, painterly images and creative visuals
Why it stands out:
Stunning, painterly aesthetics and nuanced detail
Perfect for fantasy, sci-fi, or surreal designs
Great for storyboarding, marketing concepts, or even album covers
Midjourney has long been the darling of digital artists looking to generate imaginative scenes. If you want an otherworldly or unique touch to your visuals, Midjourney should be on your radar.
I am personally not a huge fan of AI art, so we don’t use it in our blog.
4. DALL·E 3 (OpenAI)
Best for: Photorealistic images with seamless details
Why it stands out:
Integrated directly into ChatGPT (easy to use)
Excellent for grounded scenes, product mockups, and “real-life” visuals
Reads detailed prompts well and captures subtle variations
When realism is a priority—like mockups, packaging designs, or interior concepts—DALL·E 3 often edges out other image models. You can fine-tune prompts within ChatGPT’s text conversation to precisely get the look you want.
5. Synthesia
Best for: Professional AI video creation with avatars
Why it stands out:
Rapid video production without cameras or microphones
230+ avatars, 140+ languages
Ideal for internal training modules, marketing explainers, or website intros
Synthesia turns your script into a polished video with a lifelike avatar speaking your lines. Great for quickly spinning up tutorials or high-level overviews without needing full video production.
6. Runway
Best for: AI-driven video editing, text-to-video experimentation
Why it stands out:
Powerful features like Inpainting and Motion Brush
A growing library of creative effects to transform raw clips
Perfect for marketing snippets or cinematic explorations
Suppose you need advanced AI video manipulation (like removing elements, changing camera angles, or generating short clips from a prompt). In that case, Runway offers cutting-edge capabilities that used to require a pro editor.
7. Rytr
Best for: Short-form content—product descriptions, social posts, emails
Why it stands out:
Dozens of templates for various writing needs
Built-in plagiarism checker
Simple, budget-friendly pricing
Rytr keeps it lean, focusing on quick, polished text. It might not be ideal for long articles, but it’s a time-saver for small business owners cranking out social captions, email pitches, and product blurbs.
8. Claude (Anthropic)
Best for: Coding reviews, customer service flows, deep conversation
Why it stands out:
Warm, friendly “chat” style
Excels at spotting subtle issues in code and structured data
Quick to generate multiple versions of text for A/B testing
Claude is often cited for being highly accurate in technical scenarios, making it a great option if you frequently work with code or complex logic.
9. Wordtune
Best for: Rewriting, rephrasing, or adjusting the tone of text
Why it stands out:
One-click toggles to shorten, expand, or adapt formality
Real-time suggestions for synonyms or alternate wording
A great companion to your main content editor
If you already have the bones of your copy but want to level up the readability or shift style, Wordtune is a must-have sidekick.
10. Perplexity
Best for: Research with automatic citation links
Why it stands out:
Pulls from multiple search engines
Provides direct answers with citations for easy fact-checking
Strong at multi-step or complex questions
Perplexity is your best bet when you need quick data points and reliable references (e.g., academic citations).
11. Heygen
Best for: AI-generated videos with customizable avatars and voices
Why it stands out:
Quickly turn scripts into videos with lifelike virtual presenters
Wide range of avatars, languages, and accents to choose from
Great for personalized sales pitches, internal updates, and short marketing clips
Heygen takes a similar approach to tools like Synthesia, helping you transform text into dynamic video content. With just a script, you’ll have a professional-looking video perfect for newsletters, customer training, or social posts.
12. ClickUp
Best for: Project management with AI text drafting
Why it stands out:
One-stop shop for tasks, docs, and collaboration
AI features help you draft project plans, meeting notes, or outlines
Highly customizable for workflows of all shapes and sizes
Whether you’re a solo operator or lead an entire team, ClickUp’s AI can help build quick outlines or summarize project updates so you can focus on strategic decisions.
13. Gamma
Best for: Fast, AI-powered presentations
Why it stands out:
Generative slides built from a text prompt
Sleek design templates that require minimal tweaking
Efficient for quick pitch decks or internal briefings
If you’ve got a last-minute presentation or need a starting template fast, Gamma automates most of the design heavy lifting so you can refine content rather than fuss with layout.
14. Norman
Best for: Automating accounting and taxes, especially for freelancers, solopreneurs, and SMBs
Why it stands out:
Simple interface designed for entrepreneurs, not tax advisors
AI eliminates manual input, extracts data from receipts and invoices, helps with categorization and overdue invoice follow-ups.
It helps you stay on top of tax obligations without hours spent on admin
A rising star in the AI space, Norman offers entrepreneurs a suite of automation features. Rather than juggling multiple apps, you can let Norman handle recurring to-dos, data logging, and more. Norman is definitely worth trying if you’re looking to cut admin time and keep your business running smoothly.
15. Zapier
Best for: Connecting AI tools to thousands of other apps
Why it stands out:
Automate repetitive tasks using no-code workflows
AI by Zapier is built in, letting you do text generation or data extraction on autopilot.
Build “AI assistants” that handle multiple steps across platforms
Even the best AI tools can’t do it all alone. Zapier makes it a breeze to link your AI apps with your CRM, email marketing software, or productivity suites, creating unstoppable workflows.
Final thoughts
AI tools are moving from futuristic add-ons to everyday must-haves. They can spark creativity, handle administrative grunt work, or help you polish your writing. The top tools—like ChatGPT, Midjourney, Heygen, and Norman—excel at specific tasks, so it’s all about finding the right fit for your business.
Experiment with a few of these solutions, incorporate the ones that feel intuitive and watch as you reclaim time to do what truly matters—growing your brand, building relationships with customers, and launching new ideas into the world.