AI Tools Directory

A short, hand-picked list of widely used AI tools, grouped by what you want to do. Pricing and free tiers change often, so check each tool's own site. Some links are affiliate links: if you sign up through them we may earn a commission at no cost to you, and it never affects what we recommend (details).

• AI API Cost Calculator

  Our free calculator: estimate monthly API spend for GPT, Claude and Gemini models from your token usage.

  Coding · Business

• AI Tool Finder

  Our free quiz: answer four questions about your task, budget and skill level to get matching AI tools, with the reasons each one fits.

  Students · Research

• ChatGPT

  General assistant for drafting, brainstorming, analysis and image generation.

  • ChatGPT's New "Writing Style" Feature Wants to Sound Like You, Explained
  • OpenAI Canvas: How the Side-by-Side Workspace in ChatGPT Works
  • ChatGPT's Free Back-to-School Offer: 4 Months of Plus, Explained
  Writing · Research · Business

• Claude

  Assistant strong at long documents, careful writing and code.

  • Claude Opus 5.5 Explained: Anthropic's New Model Does Fable 5.1 Work at 40% Less Cost
  • Claude Sonnet 5.5 Is Here: 30% Faster at the Same Price. But Do You Still Need Opus 5.5?
  • Claude Docs & Slides Explained: Anthropic's New AI Workspace
  Writing · Coding · Research

• Gemini

  Google's assistant, integrated with Gmail, Docs and Search.

  • Google Gemini 4 Argon Is Here: What's New
  • Nano Banana Prompts: How to Edit Photos with Gemini AI
  • Gemini 3.8 Flash, Explained Simply
  Writing · Research · Business

• Perplexity

  Answer engine that cites the web sources behind each answer.

  • Perplexity's Hybrid Compute Keeps Your Private Files Off the Cloud, Explained
  Research · Students

• NotebookLM

  Upload your own sources and ask questions grounded only in them.

  • NotebookLM Guide: How to Study and Research With Your Sources
  Research · Students

• GitHub Copilot

  Code completion and chat inside your editor.

  • GitHub Copilot Explained: Completions, Chat and Agent Mode
  Coding

• Cursor

  AI-first code editor that edits across multiple files.

  • How to Use Cursor: A Beginner’s Guide to the AI Code Editor
  Coding

• Claude Code

  Terminal coding agent that reads and changes your codebase.

  • Claude Code Cloud Sessions: Claim Your $100 or $250 Credit
  • Claude 3.7 Sonnet: Hybrid Reasoning & Claude Code Explained
  Coding

• Lovable

  Chat-based app builder that turns a description into a working web app you can preview and publish.

  • Lovable Guide: How to Build a Web App by Describing It
  Coding · Business

• Kling AI

  Text-to-video and image-to-video generator for short clips.

  • Kling AI Video Guide: Text and Image to Video Explained
  Design

• Midjourney

  Text-to-image generator known for stylised artwork.

  • Midjourney Guide: How to Write Prompts and Use Parameters
  Design

• Canva

  Design suite with AI image, text and layout tools.

  • Canva AI Guide: Magic Studio Tools and How to Use Them
  Design · Business

• Gamma

  Generates slide decks and web pages from a prompt.

  Design · Business · Students

• Runway

  AI video generation and editing.

  Design

• ElevenLabs

  Realistic text-to-speech, voice cloning and dubbing.

  • Universal Music & ElevenLabs Launch Licensed AI Music Remix Platform
  Design · Business

• Otter.ai

  Records and transcribes meetings with searchable summaries.

  Business · Students

• Notion AI

  Writing, summaries and Q&A inside your Notion workspace.

  • Notion AI Guide: Agents, Q&A, Meeting Notes and Autofill
  Business · Writing

• Zapier

  Connects apps and builds automations, with AI agent steps.

  Business

• Grammarly

  Grammar, tone and rewriting suggestions as you type.

  Writing · Students

How to choose an AI tool

Start with the job, not the brand. For writing and research, a general assistant such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini covers most needs, and Perplexity or NotebookLM are better when you need answers tied to sources. For code, an editor-based tool like Cursor or GitHub Copilot suits people who already write code, a terminal agent like Claude Code suits people who review changes in git, and a prompt-to-app builder like Lovable suits people who want a working prototype without writing most of the code.

Before paying, try the free tier on a real task from your own work. Check what the tool does with your data, whether it cites sources, and what happens when you hit usage limits. Keep a human in the loop for anything involving money, personal data or published claims. Each guide linked above explains one tool in more depth, including setup and common mistakes.

Want a deeper walkthrough? Browse our AI explainers and guides.