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No hype, just habit. We test dozens of AI apps every month, but only a few survive the calendar. Below are the nine that stayed in our daily and weekly workflows—where they shine, where they stumble, and simple setups you can copy.
How we judge “keeps using”
- Saves real time: measurable minutes per task, not theoretical demos.
- Low friction: fast input, predictable output, easy edits.
- Private enough: clear data controls and an off switch for training where possible. See our Privacy Policy.
- Works offline or degrades gracefully: when networks flake or APIs change.
- Price that earns its keep: the tool must replace an equal or higher cost elsewhere.
The nine tools
1) ChatGPT (for structured drafts & refactoring)
Still the most consistent for first drafts, outlines, and code refactors when you provide a clear role, constraints, and examples. Our template is a three‑parter: role (what it is), guardrails (what to avoid), examples (two short samples). It takes longer up front and saves time later.
Best for: turning messy notes into a clean brief, converting prose to bullet points, and rewriting code comments or commit messages.
Watch for: hallucinated sources. Ask for citations or none and verify facts before publishing.
2) Claude (for long context & tone)
When we need a patient editor with a long memory, we switch to Claude. It handles lengthy transcripts, policy docs, or product manuals without losing the thread and is good at keeping a consistent voice across sections.
Best for: summarizing meetings, keeping tone neutral, turning a 30‑page brief into an executive digest.
Watch for: occasional over‑cautiousness in technical steps; nudge with concrete examples.
3) Perplexity (for research with linked sources)
For quick market scans and “what changed since last year,” Perplexity’s answer‑plus‑citations format reduces tab chaos. We use it as a starting point, not an end point, then click through to primary sources.
Best for: fast backgrounders, competitive lists, discovering original PDFs.
Watch for: duplicate sources or thin blogs in results—prune aggressively.
4) GitHub Copilot (for routine code & tests)
Copilot speeds up boilerplate: unit tests, interface stubs, repetitive transforms, and “show me three variations” when exploring. It doesn’t replace design or architecture, but it erases a lot of typing.
Best for: test scaffolding, regex, and turning comments into small functions.
Watch for: silently importing inefficient patterns—review diffs like you would a junior PR.
5) Notion AI (for cleanup inside docs)
Notion’s inline tools—rewrite, summarize, action‑item extraction—are perfect for shared docs. Instead of copy‑pasting into a chat window, we fix tone or structure in place and move on.
Best for: turning meeting notes into tasks, summarizing a long page into a brief.
Watch for: style over substance; keep the original document nearby for details.
6) Microsoft Copilot in Office (for spreadsheets & decks)
Inside Excel and PowerPoint, Copilot shines at first pass work: trend descriptions from a table, draft charts, or a slide outline from headings. We always human‑edit charts after, but as a kickoff it’s a timesaver.
Best for: “Explain this dataset,” slide headlines, quick pivot suggestions.
Watch for: misleading visual defaults—check axes, units, and filters.
7) Runway (for fast video edits, B‑roll, and cleanup)
For social clips and product demos, Runway’s background cleanup and text‑to‑B‑roll are good enough to move faster without hiring motion graphics for every small task. Export, trim, publish.
Best for: removing clutter, quick titles, and short cutaways.
Watch for: uncanny textures on long segments—keep AI shots short.
8) ElevenLabs (for voiceover scratch tracks)
We use synthetic voiceovers as scratch narration to test pacing and script length before a human re‑records. It’s also handy for last‑minute changes when a voice actor isn’t available.
Best for: draft voiceovers, accessibility variants, multilingual previews.
Watch for: licensing: use your own voices or ones you have rights to.
9) Midjourney / image models (for art direction drafts)
We don’t replace real product photography, but we do use image models to explore style, lighting, and compositions before shooting. It’s like a visual sketchbook that helps briefs land faster.
Best for: storyboards, thumbnail concepts, mood boards.
Watch for: brand and trademark look‑alikes; keep prompts generic for public work.
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Simple workflows that actually save time
1) Research ➜ Outline ➜ Draft (60–90 minutes to 20–30)
- Search with citations in Perplexity for a backgrounder. Open 4–6 primary sources only.
- Paste notes into ChatGPT with a role (“technical editor”), guardrails (“no fluff”), and a short example.
- Ask for a section‑by‑section outline with estimated word counts. Approve or tweak.
- Draft sections one by one; check each claim as you go. Add links manually.
2) Code chore crusher (2 hours to 40 minutes)
- Write comments for the function you want, then let Copilot sketch it.
- Prompt for tests: “Generate Jest tests covering edge cases A/B/C.”
- Run tests, fix failures, then refactor with ChatGPT for clarity.
3) Meeting to action items (15 minutes to 5)
- Paste notes into Notion; highlight the block and “Extract action items.”
- Ask Claude for a one‑paragraph decisions summary with owners and dates.
- Paste to your task manager; keep the raw notes below for context.
What we pay vs. what we save
Across a small team, the monthly cost of these tools is justified if each member saves even 2–3 hours. The trick is picking one tool per job and avoiding overlapping subscriptions. If a tool doesn’t eliminate real steps in your week, it goes.
Privacy & data notes
- Turn off data sharing/training where you can. Use workspaces with org controls.
- Never paste secrets, API keys, or PII into prompts. Use placeholders.
- For regulated data, consult your compliance team and your Privacy Policy.
Good alternatives we still like
- Google Gemini for Google Docs/Sheets users who live in Google Drive.
- QuillBot for quick paraphrases with strong plagiarism controls.
- Descript for podcast transcripts + edits by text.
FAQ
Q: Can I replace multiple tools with “one AI app to rule them all”?
A: Not yet. The fastest teams pick one best tool for each job—drafting, research, docs, code, media—and connect them.
Q: How do I avoid generic output?
A: Give concrete constraints (tone, length, audience) and two short examples of the style you want. Specificity in, specificity out.
