Artificial intelligence is now built into thousands of programs, so this page does not attempt to list every piece of software containing an AI feature. Instead, it highlights a manageable selection of AI-first tools that are particularly useful for everyday work, research, education, creativity, meetings, automation and coding.
Begin with the task you want to complete rather than trying to learn every available tool. Most people need only one general AI assistant and perhaps one or two specialist services. Free plans, features and usage limits change frequently, so check the provider’s current information before starting an important project.
Information and plan details checked: September 2026.
Jump to:
Everyday AI Assistants, Research, Learning and Education, Creative AI, Work, Meetings and Automation, Coding and Advanced Tools
Quick Picks
| I want to… | Quick pick |
|---|---|
| Try a versatile general-purpose assistant | ChatGPT |
| Work with lengthy documents and careful drafting | Claude |
| Use AI alongside Google services | Google Gemini |
| Use a free assistant within the Microsoft ecosystem | Microsoft Copilot |
| Research current information with linked sources | Perplexity |
| explore and summarise my own documents and sources | Gemini Notebook |
| Search academic and scientific papers | Elicit |
| Create lesson plans and classroom resources | MagicSchool |
| Use AI while working in documents and webpages | Brisk Teaching |
| Create designs and social-media content | Canva AI |
| Generate polished artistic images | Midjourney |
| Generate or edit AI video | Runway |
| Create a talking avatar video | HeyGen |
| Produce realistic AI voiceovers | ElevenLabs |
| Edit audio or video by editing its transcript | Descript |
| Use AI inside Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams | Microsoft 365 Copilot |
| Record and summarise online meetings | Fathom |
| Automate routine work without coding | Zapier |
| Build advanced or self-hosted automations | n8n |
| Get coding assistance in a familiar editor | GitHub Copilot |
| Build and publish an app through a browser | Replit |
| Use an AI-first code editor | Cursor |
| Run downloadable AI models locally | Ollama |
Before using an AI tool
AI-generated answers, images, audio and code can be convincing without being accurate. Check important claims against reliable sources, review generated work carefully and be transparent when AI has made a meaningful contribution.
Do not enter confidential, commercially sensitive or personally identifiable information unless your organisation has approved the service and its settings. Before publishing generated content, check copyright, licensing, consent and disclosure requirements.
AI-writing detectors can produce incorrect results and cannot prove who wrote a piece of work. They should be treated only as one possible indicator and never as the sole basis for an accusation or penalty.
Everyday AI Assistants
ChatGPT (OpenAI)
ChatGPT is a versatile general-purpose AI assistant that can answer questions, explain unfamiliar subjects, generate ideas, draft and rewrite text, summarise documents, analyse data, create images and help with coding. It can also search the web and work with uploaded files, although the available features and usage limits depend on the chosen plan.
Best for: A broad range of everyday writing, research, creative and analytical tasks
Cost: Free plan; paid personal and business plans available
Works on: Web browsers, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android
Worth knowing: ChatGPT can produce convincing but incorrect information, so check important facts, calculations and sources. Do not upload confidential or personal information unless its use has been approved.
Claude (Anthropic)
Claude is a general AI assistant created by Anthropic. It is particularly good at working with lengthy documents, producing thoughtful summaries and helping to draft, improve or restructure detailed writing. It can analyse uploaded files, help with coding and create interactive content through its Artifacts feature.
Best for: Long documents, careful analysis and well-structured writing
Cost: Free plan; paid individual and organisational plans available
Works on: Web browsers, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android
Worth knowing: Free usage limits can vary according to demand and the complexity of the task. Claude’s polished writing can still contain errors, so verify important claims and references.
Google Gemini
Google Gemini is a general AI assistant for answering questions, brainstorming, writing, planning, analysing files and images and researching information. It is especially useful for people who already use Google services, as selected plans can also provide Gemini features inside applications such as Gmail, Docs, Sheets and Slides.
Best for: General AI assistance within the Google ecosystem
Cost: Free plan; paid Google AI and Google Workspace options available
Works on: Web browsers, Android, iPhone and iPad; selected Google applications depending on the account and plan
Worth knowing: Features differ between personal Google Accounts and managed work or school accounts. Access to integrations may depend on the subscription and settings chosen by the organisation’s administrator.
Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot is a general AI assistant that can answer questions using current web information, draft and rewrite text, summarise subjects, generate ideas and create images. It is available independently through the Copilot website and app and is a convenient starting point for people who regularly use Windows, Edge or other Microsoft services.
Best for: Everyday AI assistance for Microsoft and Windows users
Cost: Free; additional features are included with some Microsoft 365 subscriptions
Works on: Web browsers, Microsoft Edge, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android
Worth knowing: Free Microsoft Copilot is not the same as Microsoft 365 Copilot. Full AI integration within Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams depends on the Microsoft 365 subscription, account type and assigned licence.
Research, Learning and Education
Perplexity
Perplexity is an AI-powered research and search assistant that looks across the web and produces a summarised answer with numbered links to its sources. It is particularly helpful when researching a current subject, comparing different sources or looking for a starting point for further investigation.
Best for: Researching current information with clearly displayed sources
Cost: Limited free plan; paid individual, education and business plans available
Works on: Web browsers, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android
Worth knowing: A cited answer is not necessarily a correct answer. Open the linked sources and check that they are reliable and genuinely support what Perplexity has written.
Gemini Notebook
Gemini Notebook is Google’s AI-powered research and learning tool for exploring information from sources that you choose. You can add documents, PDFs, websites, videos and other material, then ask questions, create summaries and produce resources such as study guides, quizzes, flashcards and audio or video overviews.
Best for: Understanding, summarising and learning from a collection of your own sources
Cost: Free plan; higher limits and additional features are available through eligible Google AI and Workspace plans
Works on: Web browsers, iOS and Android
Worth knowing: Gemini Notebook was previously called NotebookLM. Its answers are grounded in the selected sources, but it can still omit or misinterpret information, so check important points against the original material.
Elicit
Elicit is a specialist AI research assistant for finding, summarising and comparing academic and scientific papers. It can answer research questions, identify relevant studies, produce structured summaries and help extract information from several papers into a table.
Best for: Searching academic literature and comparing evidence across research papers
Cost: Free Basic plan; paid plans available
Works on: Web browsers
Worth knowing: Elicit searches scholarly literature rather than the general web. It can make research considerably faster, but users should still read the original papers and assess their quality, methods and relevance.
MagicSchool
MagicSchool is an AI platform designed specifically for teachers and education professionals. It brings together tools for lesson planning, rubrics, quizzes, worksheets, differentiation, feedback, emails and other everyday teaching tasks. Users can choose a purpose-built tool or ask its education-focused chatbot for help, making it an approachable starting point for teachers who want to explore AI without having to construct detailed prompts from scratch.
Best for: Creating and adapting lesson plans, assessments and classroom resources
Cost: Free plan for individual teachers; paid Plus and institutional plans available
Works on: Web browsers
Worth knowing: Generated resources must still be checked by a teacher. Review terminology, curriculum references, accessibility and factual accuracy, and follow your school or organisation’s rules before entering pupil information.
Brisk Teaching
Brisk Teaching provides AI tools that work alongside documents, presentations, articles, videos and other online teaching material. Teachers can use it to change reading levels, generate questions and presentations, create activities and draft feedback without repeatedly copying material into a separate AI service.
Best for: Using AI directly alongside existing teaching documents and webpages
Cost: Free educator plan; paid individual, school and district plans available
Works on: Web browsers and its Chrome and Microsoft Edge extensions
Worth knowing: The browser extension may need permission to access the document or webpage being used. Check its permissions and your organisation’s data-protection policy, and review AI-generated feedback before giving it to a learner.
Creative AI
Canva
Canva AI brings Canva’s artificial-intelligence features together within its familiar design platform. It can help generate written content, images, design layouts and presentations, as well as resize, translate and edit existing material. It is particularly approachable for people without professional design experience.
Best for: Creating designs, presentations and social-media content quickly
Cost: Free plan with limited AI use; paid plans provide higher allowances and additional features
Works on: Web browsers, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android
Worth knowing: Allowances vary between different AI features. Designs can also contain premium templates, photographs or graphics, so check for the crown symbol before building a project around a particular asset.
Adobe Firefly
Adobe Firefly is a collection of generative AI tools for creating and editing images, video, audio and other creative content. It can generate material from a written description, remove or replace parts of an image, expand a picture beyond its original edges and work alongside applications such as Photoshop and Adobe Express.
Best for: Creating and editing visual content within the Adobe ecosystem
Cost: Free plan with limited generations; paid Firefly and Creative Cloud plans available
Works on: Web browsers, iOS, Android and supported Adobe applications on Windows and macOS
Worth knowing: Different features consume different numbers of generative credits, with video generally using considerably more than image creation. Generated content must still be checked for accuracy, copyright, trademarks and other third-party rights.
Midjourney
Midjourney generates detailed images from written prompts and reference pictures. It is particularly well known for artistic, cinematic and highly stylised results, making it useful for concept art, mood boards, imaginative illustrations and experimenting with different visual styles.
Best for: Producing highly styled, artistic and imaginative images
Cost: Paid subscription; no permanent free plan
Works on: Web browsers and Discord
Worth knowing: A subscription purchases a monthly allowance of processing time rather than a fixed number of images. Plans renew automatically, and advanced privacy options are restricted to selected higher-priced plans.
Runway
Runway is a creative AI platform focused particularly on video generation and editing. It can create video from text or images, add movement to still pictures, transform existing footage and provide effects such as background removal and character animation.
Best for: Experimenting with AI-generated video and creative video effects
Cost: Limited free account; paid plans available
Works on: Web browsers
Worth knowing: The free account provides a small one-off allocation of credits rather than a continuing monthly allowance. Video generation can consume credits quickly, and free exports may carry restrictions or watermarks.
HeyGen
HeyGen creates videos using AI-generated presenters, voices and translated speech. Users can select an existing avatar, supply a script and produce a presenter-led video without filming somebody in front of a camera. It is useful for demonstrations, training content, marketing videos and multilingual communication.
Best for: Creating presenter-led videos with talking AI avatars
Cost: Limited free plan; paid individual and business plans available
Works on: Web browsers and iOS
Worth knowing: The free plan is suitable for testing the service but restricts the number and length of videos. Obtain explicit permission before creating an avatar or cloned voice based on another person, and clearly disclose realistic synthetic presenters where appropriate.
ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs creates realistic speech from written text and provides tools for voice design, dubbing, speech-to-text, sound effects and music. It offers a wide range of ready-made voices and can produce narration in different languages, making it useful for videos, podcasts, presentations and accessibility projects.
Best for: Creating natural-sounding AI voiceovers and multilingual narration
Cost: Free plan for limited personal use; paid plans provide larger allowances and commercial rights
Works on: Web browsers, with selected reader applications available for iOS and Android
Worth knowing: The free plan does not include a commercial licence or instant voice cloning. Never clone, imitate or publish another person’s voice without their knowledge and permission.
Descript
Descript is an audio and video editor built around an automatically generated transcript. Removing or rearranging words in the transcript edits the corresponding recording, making it approachable for people who are uncomfortable with a conventional editing timeline. It also includes screen recording, captions, audio enhancement and AI-assisted editing tools.
Best for: Editing podcasts, interviews and spoken videos by editing their text
Cost: Limited free plan; paid individual and business plans available
Works on: Windows, macOS and web browsers
Worth knowing: The free plan is principally intended for trying the service and restricts transcription, AI use and export quality. Automatically generated transcripts and captions should always be checked, particularly where speakers have strong accents or specialist terminology.
Work, Meetings and Automation
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Microsoft 365 Copilot brings AI assistance into applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams. Depending on the licence, it can help draft documents and emails, analyse spreadsheets, create presentations, summarise meetings and answer questions using information from an organisation’s Microsoft 365 environment.
Best for: Using AI with workplace documents, emails, meetings and organisational information
Cost: Copilot Chat is included with some eligible Microsoft 365 work subscriptions; full Microsoft 365 Copilot requires a qualifying paid plan or add-on
Works on: Web browsers, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, within supported Microsoft 365 applications
Worth knowing: Microsoft Copilot, Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot provide different features. Access depends on the underlying Microsoft 365 plan, the licence assigned to the user and settings controlled by the organisation’s administrator.
Fathom
Fathom is an AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes and summarises online meetings. It can identify key points and action items, create searchable transcripts and produce clips that can be shared with other people. It works with Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.
Best for: Automatically recording and summarising online meetings
Cost: Free plan for individuals; paid individual, team and business plans available
Works on: Windows and macOS, with Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams
Worth knowing: The individual free plan includes unlimited recordings and transcriptions, although some advanced summaries and team features are restricted. Always tell participants that the meeting is being recorded and obtain any consent required by your organisation or local law.
Otter
Otter records speech and produces live transcripts, meeting summaries and action items. Its meeting agent can join supported Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet calls, while recordings and notes remain searchable afterwards. It can also be used to record and transcribe face-to-face conversations.
Best for: Live transcription and creating searchable notes from meetings or conversations
Cost: Free Basic plan; paid individual, business and enterprise plans available
Works on: Web browsers, iOS and Android, with integrations for supported meeting platforms
Worth knowing: The free plan has a monthly transcription allowance and other limits. Transcription accuracy can be affected by background noise, specialist terminology, strong accents and people talking simultaneously, so important records should be checked against the original recording.
Zapier
Zapier connects different online applications so that routine work can happen automatically. A workflow can respond trigger when something occurs in one service and then carry out an action in another—for example, saving an email attachment to cloud storage or adding form responses to a spreadsheet. Its AI tools can also help users describe and construct workflows in everyday language.
Best for: Creating straightforward automations between commonly used online services
Cost: Free plan; paid individual, team and enterprise plans available
Works on: Web browsers
Worth knowing: The free plan currently includes 100 tasks each month and basic two-step workflows. Automated actions can send messages, alter records or move information between accounts, so test each workflow carefully before leaving it to run unattended.
n8n
n8n is a flexible workflow-automation platform for connecting online services, databases, APIs and AI tools. Workflows are constructed visually from individual steps and can include conditions, data processing and AI agents. Users can subscribe to the hosted n8n Cloud service or install its Community edition on their own equipment or server.
Best for: Building advanced, highly customised or self-hosted automations
Cost: Free self-hosted Community edition; paid cloud and business plans available
Works on: Web browsers through n8n Cloud or a compatible self-hosted computer or server
Worth knowing: The self-hosted edition requires considerably more technical knowledge than Zapier. Whoever hosts it becomes responsible for software updates, security, backups, availability and protecting the passwords and account credentials used by its workflows.
Coding and Advanced Tools
GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant that works inside GitHub and supported development tools. It can suggest code as someone types, answer questions about a project, explain unfamiliar code, generate tests and help identify or correct problems. It is designed to support a developer rather than replace their technical judgement.
Best for: AI coding assistance within a familiar development environment
Cost: Limited free plan; paid individual and organisational plans available
Works on: Windows, macOS and Linux through GitHub and supported development tools, including Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio and JetBrains editors
Worth knowing: Generated code may be incorrect, insecure or unsuitable for the project. Developers should understand, test and review everything before using it, particularly in a live or commercially sensitive system.
Replit
Replit is a browser-based development platform for creating, testing and publishing websites and applications. Its AI Agent can turn a written description into a working project, generate and modify code, diagnose problems and help configure elements such as databases and hosting. Users can begin without installing a conventional development environment.
Best for: Building and publishing prototypes, websites and simple applications through a browser
Cost: Free Starter plan; paid plans and usage-based charges available
Works on: Web browsers, iOS and Android
Worth knowing: AI Agent, hosting and other cloud services use credits. Set spending limits before starting a substantial project, keep passwords and API keys secure and inspect the generated code rather than assuming that a working application is automatically safe.
Cursor
Cursor is an AI-first code editor designed to understand and work across an entire software project. It can answer questions about a codebase, suggest changes, complete code and use agents to alter several related files. Its interface is based on Visual Studio Code, making it relatively familiar to many existing developers.
Best for: Working with an existing codebase using an AI-assisted editor
Cost: Limited free Hobby plan; paid individual and team plans available
Works on: Windows, macOS and Linux
Worth knowing: Cursor’s agents can make extensive changes across a project and may run commands as part of their work. Use version control, inspect the proposed changes and test the application before accepting or publishing anything.
Ollama
Ollama provides a relatively approachable way to download and run compatible AI models on a local computer. Models can be used through Ollama’s application or command line and connected to other software and coding tools. Once downloaded, many models can operate without sending each prompt to a commercial AI service.
Best for: Experimenting with downloadable AI models and keeping suitable processing on a local computer
Cost: Ollama is free; individual models have their own licences and hardware requirements
Works on: Windows 10 or later, macOS 14 or later and Linux
Worth knowing: AI models can require substantial storage, memory and processing power, and smaller locally run models may be less capable than leading online services. Check each model’s licence separately, and remember that connecting Ollama to an online service may still transmit information outside the computer.
Tips for Maximising AI Tools
- Rotate between similar tools to maximise free quotas
- Use open-source alternatives when possible for unlimited usage
- Take advantage of free trials strategically for important projects
- Combine multiple tools to create powerful workflows
- Check for educational or non-profit discounts if you qualify
Note…
- Pricing and features are subject to change – Always check the official websites for the most current information
- Free tiers often have usage limits – Consider your needs when choosing tools
- Many tools offer student discounts – Check if you qualify for educational pricing
- Open-source alternatives – Often provide more freedom but require technical expertise
- API access – Most tools offer API access in paid tiers for integration into custom applications
Go to…
Note: please read the disclaimer before downloading , installing or using any software.