There are thousands of AI tools, but most fall into a few categories. Choosing the right one saves time and frustration.
Text and thinking: chat assistants
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot handle writing, research, analysis, coding help, planning and learning.
Images: image generators
Midjourney, DALL·E, Flux and Stable Diffusion create illustrations, photos, logos concepts and graphics.
Video: video generators and editors
Runway, Sora, Veo and Kling generate clips; AI features in editors handle captions, cuts and reframing.
Audio: music and voice
Suno and Udio create songs; ElevenLabs and similar tools create voiceovers, dubbing and sound effects.
Actions: agents and automations
Agents and automation platforms complete multi-step tasks across apps.
Questions to ask
- What's the output: text, image, video, audio or an action?
- Do I need it to be accurate and current? (Use search-connected tools.)
- Will I use it commercially? (Check license terms.)
- Does it handle my data safely?
- Is the free tier enough to test it?
Start simple
One good chat assistant plus one image tool covers most people's needs. Add specialised tools when a real task requires them.
Browse prompts by tool in our prompt library.