Tools
The best starting point for most people. Great for writing, research, planning, and everyday questions. The free version is powerful enough for most tasks.
Tools I've personally tested and recommend. Updated regularly.
My personal go-to for thoughtful, nuanced responses. Excellent at explaining complex topics clearly and working through longer documents. Also free to start.
Best tool for organizing notes, tasks, and projects in one place. Now has solid AI built right in. Free tier is generous.
⚠️ Slight learning curve at first — but worth it.
Wispr Flow lets you speak naturally into your computer, and it instantly converts your voice into text in almost any application, such as email, Word, or ChatGPT. It's a fast and easy way to write without typing, making it especially helpful for longer messages or anyone who finds typing difficult or not practical at the time.
⚠️ Voice recognition is very accurate, but it isn't perfect—always take a quick look at the text before sending or saving it to catch any mistakes.
OpenAI's official add-in that brings ChatGPT directly into Excel (and Google Sheets) — describe what you want in plain English and it builds the formulas, formatting, and analysis for you.
⚠️ No API key, no separate account, no cost beyond whatever ChatGPT plan you already have.
A free scam checker from Norton, the security company. Paste in a suspicious email or text (or a screenshot) and it tells you what kind of scam it looks like, checks the links against known threats, and says what to do next. On a computer, turn it on inside ChatGPT (chatgpt.com/apps, search Norton, click Connect), then type “@Norton, is this a scam?” There’s also a free phone app.
⚠️ Take out your name and account numbers first. And “unknown” doesn’t mean “safe” — never click links in a suspicious message.
Turns a written description into a real image — no design skills or stock photos needed. I used it to make the couple on our homepage. Free to start, with a daily limit on how many images you can generate.
⚠️ It's for pictures that don't exist yet, not a real photo of someone you know.
Google AI Mode
Google Search you can have a conversation with. Instead of a page of links, you get a written answer with the sources listed alongside, and you can ask follow-up questions. Go to google.com/ai, or open the Google app on your phone and tap AI Mode. It’s free, and if you use Google, you already have it.
⚠️ It’s still AI, and it can still be wrong. Open the sources for anything that matters. The higher the stakes, the more you verify.
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