Hundreds of AI tools launch every month. These 30 are the ones we actually use at Beginners in AI — opinionated picks across writing, coding, video, audio, automation, and research. For each one, we’ve written a sentence on why we picked it, not just what it does.
Looking for the comprehensive list? Browse all 429+ tools across 14 categories in our full directory →
AI Assistants
The four AI chat models that cover 95% of what most people need. Pick by job, not brand.
- Claude — Our daily-driver and the one we lead with for writing, careful reasoning, and document analysis. Quietly the best at long-form work. Free; Pro $20/mo.
- ChatGPT — All-in-one assistant: search, file analysis, image gen, voice mode. Strongest free tier of the four; the right pick if you can only have one. Free; Plus $20/mo.
- Gemini — Best when integrated with Gmail, Docs, Drive, and YouTube. Generous free tier and the cleanest experience inside the Google ecosystem. Free; Advanced $20/mo.
- Perplexity — Best for live-web research with inline citations. We use it whenever we need a quick fact-check with sources. Free; Pro $20/mo.
AI Coding
- Claude Code — Anthropic’s terminal-native coding agent. Where we send people who can read instructions and want a serious AI pair programmer. Included with Claude Pro.
- Cursor — VS Code-style editor with AI built in. Most popular AI editor in 2026 for a reason. Free tier; Pro $20/mo.
- GitHub Copilot — The original AI code completion. Strong free tier in 2026 and the lowest-friction onramp for anyone already using GitHub. Free; Pro $10/mo.
AI Voice & Audio
- Wispr Flow — Voice-to-text dictation that lives in your menu bar. The single biggest productivity unlock we recommend to anyone who’d rather talk than type. Free; Pro $15/mo.
- Otter.ai — Meeting transcription that actually catches the important parts. Our standard for interview write-ups and post-call summaries. Free; Pro $17/mo.
- ElevenLabs — Best AI voice and TTS in the market. The realism gap closed in 2025 and it shows. Free tier; Starter $5/mo.
- Suno — AI music generation. Type a description, get a song with vocals. Surprisingly good for podcast intros and quick demos. Free; Pro $10/mo.
AI Video
- Synthesia — Talking-head AI video from text. The default for corporate training, internal comms, and multilingual content. From $22/mo.
- HeyGen — Synthesia’s main alternative. Slightly more flexible avatar customization and translation features. Free tier; Creator $24/mo.
- Descript — Edit video by editing the transcript. The single tool every podcaster and creator we know runs on. Free; Pro $24/mo.
AI Image Generation
- Midjourney — Best image quality overall in 2026. Where we go for any image we’d actually publish. From $10/mo.
- Stable Diffusion — Open-source image generation you can run locally or on a service. The right pick when you need control or volume. Free (self-host); various services.
- Adobe Firefly — Commercially-safe image gen trained on licensed content. The pick when you need to use AI-generated images in client work without rights questions. Included with Adobe CC.
AI Writing
- Grammarly — Final-pass proof for every email, post, and document. The AI rewrite features are now genuinely useful, not just bandaids. Free; Premium $30/mo.
AI Research & Notes
- NotebookLM — Google’s research notebook: upload your sources, ask questions grounded only in those documents. The most reliable AI for “summarize this material I gave you.” Free.
- Notion AI — AI inside the workspace where you already write. Best for inline drafts, summaries, and meeting notes you’ll actually find later. $10/mo on top of Notion.
Automation
- Zapier — The easiest way to connect apps without code. Where we send anyone new to automation. Free; Starter $20/mo.
- Make (Integromat) — Visual automation builder with 2,000+ apps and powerful branching logic. The right pick once you outgrow Zapier. Free tier; Core $11/mo.
- n8n — Self-hostable open-source automation. For technical users who want to own their workflows end-to-end. Free (self-host); Cloud €20/mo.
Productivity
- Calendly — Scheduling without the back-and-forth, now with AI suggestions for slot priority. Worth it for anyone with even occasional meetings. Free; Standard $12/mo.
- Canva — Design with AI built in: Magic Edit, background remover, brand voice. Replaces 80% of what a junior designer used to do. Free; Pro $15/mo.
- Loom — Async screen recording with AI summaries and chapters. The best alternative to “this could’ve been a meeting.” Free; Business $15/mo.
Local & Open-Source AI
- Ollama — Run open-source LLMs (Llama, Mistral, Qwen) on your own laptop. Privacy-first AI without sending your data anywhere. Free.
- Mistral — Leading European open-weight model family. Strong performance, transparent licensing, and a real alternative to U.S. labs. Free tier; Le Chat from $14.99/mo.
Video Editing & Browser-First
- DaVinci Resolve — Our editorial pick for video editing. Free professional editor from Blackmagic Design with built-in AI (Magic Mask, Voice Isolation, scene detection, smart reframe), Hollywood-grade color, Fairlight audio, and Fusion VFX. Pair it with the free official training library (16+ hours of tutorials). Free; Studio $295 one-time.
- Replit — Browser-based AI coding agent. Build and deploy without leaving the page. The fastest way to go from “idea” to “working app” without setup. Free; Core $20/mo.
Want the Full List?
These 30 are the picks we actually use. For the comprehensive index — 429+ tools across 14 categories, with affiliate disclosures and reader advisories — see our full AI Tools Directory. New picks featured every dayday in the Beginners in AI newsletter.