Alphabetical order, not a ranking. Information is based on the linked provider sources; free allowances may change.
1. Adobe Firefly
Generative tools for creative image and media work.
Creatives who integrate AI output into a design workflow.
What is free?
Selected generative features with a limited allowance. Premium models may require a paid plan.
Things to consider
Usage rights depend on features, content and applicable terms.
2. AUTOMATIC1111
Create Stable Diffusion images locally and edit them with inpainting.
For advanced creators.
What is free?
Local open-source application without a purchase price. Models, extensions and cloud services may have separate terms or costs.
Things to consider
Technical understanding is needed; review unfamiliar extensions before installation.
Try it yourself
Read the official installation guide and check compatible hardware and model licensing. Start with a simple subject and record model, seed and settings.
3. Canva AI
Develop visual content with AI and a design workspace.
Marketing teams that edit layouts and content together.
What is free?
Selected AI features with limited usage. Premium features and higher allowances require a paid plan.
Things to consider
Check licensing, brand rights and AI quotas for your intended use.
4. ChatGPT
Work on writing, ideas and files in a conversation.
Varied tasks for freelancers and small teams.
What is free?
Available without a subscription. Messages, uploads and other features have separate limits. API access is separate.
Things to consider
Verify answers and sources; capabilities depend on plan and settings.
5. Claude
Understand documents, develop writing and discuss code.
People who refine drafts and documents through conversation.
What is free?
Free provides limited usage. Higher allowances require a subscription.
Things to consider
Long inputs do not guarantee complete or error-free analysis.
6. ComfyUI
Build AI image workflows from connected processing steps.
For advanced creators.
What is free?
Local open-source application without a purchase price. Models, extensions and cloud services may have separate terms or costs.
Things to consider
Technical understanding is needed; review unfamiliar extensions before installation.
Try it yourself
Use the official guide and a simple example workflow. Check model licensing and memory requirements before running it.
7. Descript
Edit audio and video in a text-oriented editor.
Teams editing interviews, podcasts or explanatory videos.
What is free?
Free provides text-based media editing. Media time, AI usage and exports have plan-specific limits.
Things to consider
Review transcripts, edits and exported media before publishing.
8. Duck.ai
Chat with different AI models through DuckDuckGo.
For everyday questions and drafts.
What is free?
Selected models are free. Additional models and higher usage limits are part of subscriptions.
Things to consider
Check answers; model availability and limits can change.
Try it yourself
Open Duck.ai and select an available model. Ask a specific question and check important claims against original sources.
9. ElevenLabs
Create AI voices and audio for spoken content.
Producers of explainers and narrated drafts.
What is free?
Free includes 10,000 credits. Check commercial usage rights and credit consumption separately before publishing.
Things to consider
Obtain voice rights and consent; commercial usage depends on plan.
10. Elicit
Search academic literature and check claims against papers.
For an initial literature review.
What is free?
Basic offers paper search, summaries and chat with accessible full texts. Research Agent and reports have limits.
Things to consider
Read original studies and assess their quality yourself.
Try it yourself
Write a research question. Find relevant papers, open the original sources and compare study designs and results.
11. Fooocus
Local SDXL image generation focused on prompts rather than many settings.
For advanced creators.
What is free?
Local open-source application without a purchase price. Models, extensions and cloud services may have separate terms or costs.
Things to consider
Limited long-term support: the project plans bug fixes only, with no planned integration of new model architectures. Based on SDXL.
Try it yourself
Read the official installation guide and check compatible hardware and model licensing. Start with a simple subject and record model, seed and settings.
12. Grammarly
AI assistance for drafting and revising writing.
People who want to improve text during the writing process.
What is free?
Basic writing assistance and 100 AI prompts per month according to the pricing page. Advanced rewrites are paid.
Things to consider
Check supported languages, applications and privacy before use.
13. Ideogram
Generate image drafts for visual ideas and designs.
For visual concepts and design variations.
What is free?
Eligible free accounts receive weekly credits when signing in through Google, Apple or Microsoft. The allowance may vary.
Things to consider
Features depend on the plan; check rendered text and usage rights.
Try it yourself
Check your credits. Describe the subject and format, generate a draft and correct inaccurate details.
14. InvokeAI
Generate and edit images on a creative canvas and organize workflows.
For advanced creators.
What is free?
Local open-source application without a purchase price. Models, extensions and cloud services may have separate terms or costs.
Things to consider
Technical understanding is needed; review unfamiliar extensions before installation.
Try it yourself
Read the official installation guide and check compatible hardware and model licensing. Start with a simple subject and record model, seed and settings.
15. Leonardo.Ai
Generate image ideas and develop visual variations.
For moodboards and image concepts.
What is free?
Free includes 150 tokens per day. Free creations are public; private generations require a paid plan.
Things to consider
Avoid confidential material in public free mode; check usage rights.
Try it yourself
Define a subject and style. Generate a small selection and review composition, details and rights before use.
16. LM Studio
Use local language models through a desktop interface.
For exploring local models.
What is free?
Free includes local LLMs. Cloud inference and additional services are offered separately. You supply the hardware.
Things to consider
Check memory requirements, model licences and whether local or cloud mode is active.
Try it yourself
Download the official application. Choose a small compatible model and check the active execution mode.
17. Make
Model automations between applications visually.
Teams that want to map multi-step workflows explicitly.
What is free?
Free includes 1,000 credits per month. Connected AI providers may charge separately for APIs.
Things to consider
Loops, retries and external costs need limits.
18. Microsoft Copilot
Discuss questions and explore writing or image ideas.
For everyday questions and drafts.
What is free?
Free access is available. Higher usage and features in Microsoft 365 applications depend on additional plans.
Things to consider
Web Copilot and Copilot in Office are different offerings.
Try it yourself
Open the web assistant and describe a small task. Review the suggestion and plan conditions for your desired application.
19. Napkin AI
Turn text into diagrams and visual explanations.
For explaining processes in presentations.
What is free?
Free: 500 AI credits per week, PNG/PDF export and Napkin branding. Other export formats depend on the plan.
Things to consider
Check generated diagrams for factual accuracy.
Try it yourself
Paste a short paragraph. Generate a visual, correct its labels and export a suitable version.
20. Ollama
Run language models on your own computer.
For technical users.
What is free?
Local execution without metered provider fees. Hardware, electricity and storage are still required. Cloud usage is separate.
Things to consider
Speed and model size depend on hardware; check model licences separately.
Try it yourself
Follow the official installation guide. Choose a model that fits your memory and start with a small local request.
Interfaces, models and plans may have changed since the video was recorded.
Learn Ollama in 15 Minutes - Run LLM Models Locally for FREE
Tech With Tim · English
Pressing Play connects to YouTube and transmits your IP address and device information.
Watch on YouTube21. QuillBot
Rephrase short passages and compare wording alternatives.
For your own drafts.
What is free?
The free paraphraser allows up to 100 words with Standard and Fluency according to the pricing page. More modes require Premium.
Things to consider
Rewrites can change meaning; attribution remains necessary.
Try it yourself
Start with your own paragraph. Compare the original and suggested version sentence by sentence.
22. Upscayl
Upscale images locally with AI.
For small illustrations and image drafts.
What is free?
The open-source desktop software is free. Cloud offerings are separate; local execution needs compatible hardware.
Things to consider
Upscaling does not reliably recover true details.
Try it yourself
Open an image copy. Choose a model and compare the full-size result with the original, especially text and faces.
23. Whisper
Convert speech recordings to text with an open model.
For technical users with their own recordings.
What is free?
Code and model weights use the MIT licence. Local transcription needs compute; hosted APIs may charge fees.
Things to consider
Recognition errors and invented passages are possible.
Whisper: model memory requirements
Relative speed
| Model | Relative speed |
|---|---|
| tiny | ~10× |
| base | ~7× |
| small | ~4× |
| medium | ~2× |
| large | ~1× |
| turbo | ~8× |
Try it yourself
Follow the official setup including audio dependencies. Start with a short recording and compare transcript and audio.
24. Zapier
Connect AI and applications into workflows.
Teams with recurring handoffs between applications.
What is free?
Free includes 100 tasks per month and basic automations. AI providers and premium apps may charge separately.
Things to consider
Check app access, failure paths and ongoing task limits first.