Best Free AI Tools in 2026: 50+ Tools That Cost Nothing
You do not need to spend money to start using AI. Many of the most powerful AI tools offer generous free tiers that are more than enough for personal use, freelancers, and small businesses. Bookmark this page and start saving money while boosting your productivity.
Free AI Chatbots and Assistants
The core AI assistants that can help with almost any task.
ChatGPT
FREE TIERFree tier includes: GPT-3.5 model (still very capable), limited GPT-4 access during off-peak hours, unlimited conversations, mobile app access.
Limitations: No image generation (DALL-E), no code execution, no custom GPTs creation.
Best for: General writing, brainstorming, coding help, questions. See our best ChatGPT prompts to get started.
Claude
FREE TIERFree tier includes: Access to Claude base model, long context understanding, web interface, Artifacts feature.
Limitations: Message limits (resets daily), no priority access during peak times.
Best for: Long documents, nuanced writing, analysis. Compare with ChatGPT in our comparison guide.
Google Gemini
FREE TIERFree tier includes: Gemini Pro model, image understanding, Google search integration, Gmail and Docs integration.
Best for: Users in Google ecosystem, research with current info.
Microsoft Copilot
FREE TIERFree tier includes: GPT-4 powered responses, image generation with DALL-E 3, web search integration, no account required.
Best for: Quick questions with current information, image generation.
Perplexity
FREE TIERFree tier includes: Unlimited basic searches, source citations, follow-up questions, mobile app.
Best for: Research with verified sources.
Free AI Writing Tools
Create better content without spending a dime.
Grammarly
FREE TIERFree tier includes: Grammar and spelling checks, tone detection, browser extension, basic suggestions.
Best for: Error-free professional writing.
Copy.ai
FREE TIERFree tier includes: 2,000 words/month, 90+ copywriting tools, blog post wizard.
Best for: Marketing copy, social posts, product descriptions.
Hemingway Editor
FREE (WEB)Free tier includes: Full web app access, readability scoring, sentence structure analysis. Forever free.
Best for: Making writing clearer and more readable.
Maximize Your Free AI Tools
Our prompt packs help you get better results from any AI tool - free or paid. Works with ChatGPT, Claude, and more.
Browse Prompt PacksFree AI Image Tools
Create stunning visuals without design skills or budget.
Canva (with AI features)
FREE TIERFree tier includes: Magic Design (AI layouts), background remover (limited), photo editing, thousands of templates, text-to-image (limited).
Best for: All-purpose graphic design.
Leonardo.ai
FREE TIERFree tier includes: 150 tokens/day, multiple AI models, image generation, basic fine-tuning.
Best for: Artistic images, game assets.
Playground AI
FREE TIERFree tier includes: 500 images/day, multiple models, high quality outputs, commercial use allowed.
Best for: High-volume image generation.
Remove.bg
FREE TIERFree tier includes: Unlimited low-res downloads, instant results, API access (limited).
Best for: Quick background removal for web use.
Free AI Video and Audio Tools
Create professional video and audio content for free.
CapCut
FREEFree tier includes: Full video editor, AI captions, background removal, effects and filters, speech-to-text.
Best for: Social media video editing.
Descript
FREE TIERFree tier includes: 1 hour transcription/month, basic editing, screen recording, one watermarked export.
Best for: Podcast editing, basic video.
ElevenLabs
FREE TIERFree tier includes: 10,000 characters/month, multiple voices, high-quality output, speech synthesis.
Best for: Voiceovers, narration.
Otter.ai
FREE TIERFree tier includes: 300 minutes/month, live transcription, 30-minute meeting limit.
Best for: Meeting notes, transcription.
Free AI Coding Tools
Level up your development without paying.
GitHub Copilot
FREE FOR STUDENTS/OSSFree for: Verified students, open source maintainers.
Includes: Code completion, chat, full IDE integration.
Codeium
FREE TIERFree tier includes: Unlimited code completions, 40+ language support, all IDE extensions, chat feature.
Best for: Free alternative to Copilot.
Cursor
FREE TIERFree tier includes: 2,000 completions/month, 50 slow premium requests, full editor features, codebase understanding.
Best for: AI-native development experience.
Free AI Productivity Tools
Work smarter every day. Learn more in our guide on how to use AI for work.
Notion AI
LIMITED FREEFree tier includes: Limited AI responses (20), writing assistance, summaries, brainstorming.
Best for: Notion users who want to try AI.
Gamma
FREE TIERFree tier includes: 400 AI credits, unlimited presentations, AI design, export options.
Best for: Quick professional presentations.
Free AI Research Tools
Find and synthesize information faster.
Consensus
FREE TIERFree tier includes: Basic search, paper summaries, citation access.
Best for: Academic research.
Semantic Scholar
FREEFree tier includes: Unlimited search, AI paper summaries, citation graphs, research feeds.
Best for: Finding academic papers.
Free AI Marketing Tools
Market your business without the budget. For more tools, see our AI tools for small business guide.
Mailchimp
FREE TIERFree tier includes: 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/month, subject line helper, basic automation.
Best for: Small email lists.
Buffer
FREE TIERFree tier includes: 3 social channels, 10 posts per channel queue, AI caption suggestions.
Best for: Basic social scheduling.
HubSpot CRM
FREE TIERFree tier includes: Unlimited contacts, basic AI writing, deal tracking, email templates.
Best for: Sales and marketing CRM.
Getting the Most from Free Tools
Strategy 1: Combine Free Tiers
Use different free tools for different tasks: ChatGPT for writing drafts, Grammarly for editing, Canva for graphics, Buffer for scheduling. Together, they form a complete toolkit.
Strategy 2: Daily Limit Rotation
When you hit daily limits, switch between ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Use different image generators. Spread usage across tools.
Strategy 3: Focus on What Matters
Free tiers often have everything you need for core tasks. You only need premium when you hit consistent usage limits, need team features, require premium integrations, or want to remove branding.
When to Upgrade
Signs You Should Upgrade:
- Constantly hitting limits - Time wasted waiting for resets
- Need team features - Collaboration requires paid tiers
- Professional deliverables - Removing watermarks/branding
- Higher quality outputs - Premium models produce better results
Best Value Paid Upgrades:
- ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) - Most versatile upgrade
- Canva Pro ($13/month) - Unlocks massive design library
- Grammarly Premium ($12/month) - Better writing everywhere
Start Using AI Today
Today
- Sign up for ChatGPT and Claude
- Install Grammarly browser extension
- Create a Canva account
This Week
- Try one tool from each category
- Identify your biggest time sinks
- Find free tools that address them
Get More From Free AI Tools
Our prompt packs maximize the effectiveness of any AI tool. Get better results without upgrading to paid plans.
Get the Complete Bundle - $97