There are thousands of “free” AI tools out there. Most aren’t worth your time. Here’s a tight, human-tested starter stack you can use today — with practical tips and tiny workflows.
1) ChatGPT (Free)
ChatGPT is still the fastest way to draft, brainstorm, or debug.
Tip: Give it a role + constraints. Example prompt:
Act as my editor. Rewrite the text to be shorter, punchier, and keep all facts intact.
2) Google Gemini (Free tier)
Gemini is great for quick research and bullet summaries.
Tip: Ask for outputs in tables to paste directly into docs.
3) Notion AI (Free credits)
Notion AI shines inside wikis/notes.
Workflow: Paste meeting notes → “Summarize action items with owners and deadlines.”
4) Poe (Free hub of models)
Poe lets you try multiple models and build bots.
Tip: Compare outputs across models for critical tasks.
5) Perplexity (Free)
Perplexity = research with citations.
Workflow: Ask for 5 sources + a 1-minute summary.
6) Leonardo AI (Free tier)
Leonardo generates images for thumbnails & posts.
Tip: Save your best prompt as a template for consistent style.
7) Pika / CapCut (Free)
Pika and CapCut are ideal for short edits and motion.
Workflow: Turn one blog paragraph into a 20–30s short with captions.
8) TTSMaker / ElevenLabs (Free tier)
TTSMaker (free) and ElevenLabs (free tier) add voiceovers for faceless videos.
Tip: Keep sentences short. Pace wins.
9) Zapier / Make (Free tier)
Zapier or Make automate boring work.
Workflow: New blog post → auto tweet + send to newsletter draft.
10) Canva (Free)
Canva makes fast thumbnails/banners/carousels.
Tip: Save a brand kit with your blue (#0077FF) and purple (#A65EFF) once — reuse forever.
Quick Setup Checklist
- Pick 3: writer, visual, automation. Don’t add more for a week.
- Make a 30-minute weekly routine: plan → create → schedule.
- Keep a living prompt library (Notion or Google Docs).
What’s Next
Each week at AITools Genie, we test new tools and share simple workflows. Follow us on X and YouTube.