Tools We Use.
The AI, productivity, and business tools we actually recommend — picked for real people, not for influencer points. Free options first, paid where it's worth it.
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AI Chat
ChatGPT
The most widely used AI assistant. Strong general reasoning, image input, voice mode, built-in web search.
Best for: Daily questions, writing, learning, getting unstuck
Claude
Anthropic's assistant. Strong long-document reading, careful writing, and code work.
Best for: Long PDFs, careful drafts, nuanced reasoning
Google Gemini
Google's assistant, integrated with Gmail, Docs, and Drive on paid plans.
Best for: Google Workspace users
DeepSeek
Free consumer chat with no paid consumer tier. Strong at reasoning and code. The hosted app runs on servers in mainland China and is subject to Chinese data law — fine for general questions, not for anything private.
Best for: Free capable chat, non-sensitive work
Mistral (Vibe)
Paris-based, GDPR-governed, and publishes open weights you can run yourself. Its assistant is called Vibe.
Best for: European data rules, or wanting an open-weights company
AI Writing
Grammarly
Real-time grammar, tone, and clarity suggestions in your browser and apps.
Best for: Cleaning up email and everyday writing
Notion AI
AI writing and summarization built into Notion docs.
Best for: Drafting and summarizing inside your notes
AI Research
Perplexity
AI answer engine with cited sources. Fast research with receipts.
Best for: Looking things up without 12 open tabs
NotebookLM
Google's research notebook. Upload sources and ask grounded questions about them.
Best for: Working through long documents or course material
AI Video
Descript
Edit video and audio by editing the transcript. AI cleanup and filler removal.
Best for: Podcasts and talking-head video on a budget
Runway
Generative video creation and editing tools.
Best for: AI b-roll and short creative clips
AI Images
Midjourney
High-quality AI image generation with a strong creative aesthetic.
Best for: Polished images for content and design
Canva
Design tool with built-in AI image, text, and layout generation.
Best for: Social posts, slides, quick graphics
Productivity
Notion
Docs, wikis, and lightweight databases in one workspace.
Best for: Personal knowledge base and project tracking
Obsidian
Local-first Markdown notes with backlinks and a strong plugin ecosystem.
Best for: Long-term private notes you fully own
Business
Stripe
Payments, subscriptions, and invoicing for online businesses.
Best for: Accepting money online without legacy headaches
Beehiiv
Newsletter platform with built-in growth and monetization tools.
Best for: Growing a paid or sponsored newsletter
Run It Free On Your Own Computer
Ollama
Downloads and runs open-weight models directly on your machine. No account, no subscription, nothing leaves your computer.
Best for: Private work, or cutting the subscription entirely
LM Studio
A desktop app for running open models with a normal interface instead of a terminal.
Best for: Trying local AI without command-line work
Learning
Coursera
University and industry courses, many with free audit options.
Best for: Structured learning on AI, business, and tech
YouTube
Free video on virtually any topic — if you know what to search for.
Best for: Quick how-tos and tool walkthroughs