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Which AI tool is right for you?

Answer two questions for one clear recommendation, or scroll down for the whole list. Most have a free tier and none need a terminal. (When you’re ready to really build, it all points toward Claude Code, which needs a paid Claude plan from $20 a month.)

1. What do you want to do?

A map of the landscape

Nineteen tools, one picture. Up means made for one job. Down means it does a bit of everything. Left means you can start by just typing. Right means more it can do and more to learn. Hover or tap any name for what it’s for.

← easy to startmore to learn, more it can do →does one job ↑↓ does many things

Hover or tap any name to see what it’s for.

Talk & findCreateBuildposition is a feel, not a score

Every tool, by category

The same nineteen tools as a plain list, grouped by what they’re for. Pick one and try it. You can be using any of these within five minutes.

Chat & reasoning

ChatGPTFreemiumThe household name. Biggest ecosystem of tutorials.ClaudeFreemiumCalm and careful, best at long writing and nuance.GeminiFreemiumLowest friction if you already have a Google account.MistralFreemiumEuropean AI from Paris. GDPR-compliant, data stays in the EU.

Research & learning

PerplexityFreemiumA search engine that actually answers, with citations.NotebookLMFreeDrop in your PDFs and notes, then ask questions about them.

Apps & sites

LovableFreemiumDescribe an app, get a working version. The easiest place to start.Bolt.newFreemiumType a prompt, watch a full-stack app appear.v0FreemiumVercel’s UI generator: pretty interfaces, one-click deploy.Google AI StudioFreeFree from Google. Describe an app and it builds and publishes it.ReplitFreemiumBrowser IDE + Agent: build, or look at the code if you want to.

Code tools

CursorFreemiumAI-native editor: the next step if you want to read code.CodexFreemiumOpenAI’s coding helper, inside the ChatGPT desktop app. Included in every ChatGPT plan.Claude CodePaidPaid. Starts from the Code tab in the Claude desktop app.

Images

MidjourneyPaidThe most beautiful image model. Distinctive, painterly.

Video, voice & music

RunwayFreemiumPro video AI: generate, edit, replace, extend.ElevenLabsFreemiumVoice cloning + text-to-speech that sounds human.SunoFreemiumType a song idea, get a full produced track with vocals.

Notes

Notion AIPaidAI inside your notes: drafts, summaries, structure.

Prefer European tools?

Most major AI tools are US-based and subject to US data law. If that concerns you, Mistral (Paris) is a strong, GDPR-compliant alternative: data stays in the EU, and quality is competitive with the big names.

On environmental impact

AI is energy-intensive. Smaller, focused models use substantially less compute than the big general-purpose ones, so lighter tools and efficient prompts both help if footprint matters to you.

Positioning is judgment. The map is here to help you see groupings, and doesn’t rank tools.

Picked a tool and made something? The Library has free design resources and checked skills for your next build.