AI is transforming how we work - from writing emails to scheduling meetings to summarizing documents. The right AI tools save hours every week. We tested 20+ AI productivity tools to find which actually deliver meaningful time savings.
| Tool | Starting Price | Primary Use | Free Tier | Mobile App | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Free/$20 | General AI | Yes | Yes | 9.5/10 |
| Claude | Free/$20 | Documents | Yes | Yes | 9.4/10 |
| Notion AI | $10/user | Workspace | Trial | Yes | 9.1/10 |
| Otter.ai | Free/$16.99 | Meetings | Yes | Yes | 9.0/10 |
| Grammarly | Free/$12 | Writing | Yes | Keyboard | 8.9/10 |
| Superhuman | $30/mo | Trial | Yes | 8.8/10 | |
| Motion | $19/mo | Scheduling | Trial | Yes | 8.7/10 |
| Mem | Free/$14.99 | Notes | Yes | Yes | 8.5/10 |
| Perplexity | Free/$20 | Research | Yes | Yes | 9.0/10 |
ChatGPT is the most versatile AI assistant. Draft emails, brainstorm ideas, write code, analyze data, and more. The free tier is genuinely useful. GPT-4 adds advanced capabilities.
Claude excels at longer documents and nuanced analysis. Upload PDFs, analyze contracts, and get thoughtful responses. The large context window handles entire documents.
Notion AI brings AI directly into your workspace. Summarize pages, generate content, and improve writing without leaving Notion. Seamless integration.
Otter transcribes meetings in real-time with impressive accuracy. Auto-generates summaries and action items. Integrates with Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet.
Grammarly catches grammar issues and improves writing everywhere you type. The AI features now help with tone, clarity, and even generate content.
Superhuman is the fastest email experience with AI built in. Draft replies instantly, schedule emails, and achieve inbox zero. Premium but worth it for email-heavy roles.
Motion uses AI to automatically schedule your tasks and meetings. Tell it what you need to do, and it finds the time. Reduces scheduling decisions.
Mem is the self-organizing note app. Write notes and Mem's AI finds connections, surfaces relevant info, and helps you remember. Less organizing, more thinking.
Perplexity is AI-powered search that actually cites its sources. Get answers with references, not just generated text. Great for research and fact-checking.
We measured actual time savings and output quality.
ChatGPT is more versatile with plugins and tools. Claude excels at longer documents and nuanced analysis. Most power users have both - ChatGPT for variety, Claude for depth.
If they save you an hour per week and you value your time at $50/hour, a $20/month tool pays for itself 10x. The free tiers are great for trying before buying.
ChatGPT or Claude (general AI) + Otter (meetings) + Grammarly (writing). Add Perplexity for research. Most others are nice-to-have.
