The AI software, hardware, and resources we personally use and recommend to build AI businesses, automate work, and grow online. Honest reviews, real ratings, no fluff.
Showing 34 tools
The AI-first code editor. VS Code-based with deep AI integration for writing, editing, and understanding code.
Austin's Notes
"Cursor changed how we code. The tab-completion and inline edits are so good it feels like cheating."
Alternatives: Windsurf, GitHub Copilot
OpenAI's flagship conversational AI. The industry standard for general-purpose chat, writing, analysis, and coding assistance.
Austin's Notes
"ChatGPT is our daily driver. The free tier is genuinely useful, and Plus unlocks GPT-4o which is a workhorse for almost everything we do."
Alternatives: Claude, Gemini, Grok
The gold standard for AI art. Stunning, painterly, and photorealistic images from text prompts.
Austin's Notes
"Nothing beats Midjourney for visual quality. We use it for every client campaign that needs custom imagery."
Alternatives: Flux, Ideogram, Leonardo
The leader in AI voice generation and cloning. Natural, expressive text-to-speech in any language.
Austin's Notes
"ElevenLabs is in a league of its own for voice. We use it for every video voiceover and it sounds human."
Alternatives: HeyGen, Synthesia
AI-powered app builder that turns natural language into full-stack web apps. This very site was built on it.
Austin's Notes
"We built The AI Public Square on Base44. If you can describe it, Base44 can build it. The future of app development."
Alternatives: Lovable, Framer, Webflow
Design platform that makes anyone a designer. Templates, AI tools, and team collaboration in one place.
Austin's Notes
"Canva is essential for any business. The free tier is generous and the AI features keep getting better."
Alternatives: Figma, Adobe Express
Anthropic's AI assistant, known for nuanced writing, long-context analysis, and a thoughtful conversational style.
Austin's Notes
"Claude writes more naturally than any other model. For anything client-facing or long-form, Claude is our first pick."
Alternatives: ChatGPT, Gemini
All-in-one digital marketing suite for SEO, PPC, content, and competitive research.
Austin's Notes
"SEMrush is our SEO command center. The keyword and competitor data is unmatched for agency work."
Alternatives: Ahrefs, Metricool
AI-powered answer engine that cites sources. Part search engine, part chatbot, all research.
Austin's Notes
"Perplexity has replaced Google for a lot of our research. The citations make it trustworthy for fact-finding."
Alternatives: ChatGPT, Gemini
Open-source image model by Black Forest Labs. Excellent prompt adherence and photorealism.
Austin's Notes
"Flux is the open-source champion. If you want to run it yourself or need precise prompt control, this is it."
Alternatives: Midjourney, Leonardo
Premium SEO toolset with the best backlink data and site auditing in the industry.
Austin's Notes
"Ahrefs has the best backlink data. We use it alongside SEMrush for a complete SEO picture."
Alternatives: SEMrush, Metricool
AI video generation pioneer. Text-to-video, image-to-video, and a full creative editing suite.
Austin's Notes
"Runway Gen-3 is the most polished video AI we've used. Great for ads and social content."
Alternatives: Pika, Kling, Veo
AI-powered editor by Codeium with Cascade agent for multi-file edits and deep codebase understanding.
Austin's Notes
"Windsurf's Cascade agent is impressive for multi-file changes. A strong Cursor alternative at a better price."
Alternatives: Cursor, GitHub Copilot
Visual automation platform that connects 1,000+ apps. Build complex workflows with a drag-and-drop canvas.
Austin's Notes
"Make is our automation backbone. The visual canvas makes complex workflows actually understandable."
Alternatives: Zapier, n8n
AI pair programmer integrated directly into VS Code, JetBrains, and GitHub. The original AI coding assistant.
Austin's Notes
"Copilot set the standard. If you're deep in the GitHub ecosystem, it's the most seamless option."
Alternatives: Cursor, Windsurf
AI app builder that creates full-stack web applications from conversation. Fast, visual, and iterative.
Austin's Notes
"Lovable is a strong AI builder. Great for MVPs and iterating quickly with natural language."
Alternatives: Base44, Framer
Google's multimodal AI with deep integration into Google Workspace and real-time web access.
Austin's Notes
"Gemini's real-time web access is a game-changer for research. The Google integration is seamless if you live in Workspace."
Alternatives: ChatGPT, Claude
AI video avatars with synced voice. Create talking-head videos without a camera or studio.
Austin's Notes
"HeyGen is incredible for sales videos and training. The avatars are convincing and save studio costs."
Alternatives: Synthesia, ElevenLabs
Google's AI video model. Cinematic quality with advanced physics and motion understanding.
Austin's Notes
"Veo produces the most cinematic output we've seen. If you need broadcast quality, this is the one."
Alternatives: Runway, Kling
Open-source workflow automation. Self-host for full control or use their cloud. Node-based and developer-friendly.
Austin's Notes
"n8n is the developer's choice. Self-host it and you have unlimited automations for free."
Alternatives: Make, Zapier
Your own AI agents, right here. Build, customize, and deploy AI representatives that chat with visitors 24/7.
Austin's Notes
"This is our platform. Your AI agent lives on the Square, chats with visitors, books appointments, and generates leads. That's the whole point."
Alternatives: ChatGPT, Claude
Kuaishou's AI video model with impressive realism and longer clip durations.
Austin's Notes
"Kling surprised us with its realism and longer clips. A strong contender that keeps improving."
Alternatives: Runway, Veo
The most popular automation platform. Connect apps with simple triggers and actions, no code needed.
Austin's Notes
"Zapier is the easiest way to start automating. It connects to everything, though it gets pricey at scale."
Alternatives: Make, n8n
Enterprise-grade AI video platform with professional avatars. Built for corporate training and comms.
Austin's Notes
"Synthesia is the enterprise choice. If you need polished, professional training videos at scale, it's excellent."
Alternatives: HeyGen, ElevenLabs
Design-driven website builder with AI. Beautiful, animated sites without writing code.
Austin's Notes
"Framer makes the most beautiful sites fast. If design is your priority, this is the tool."
Alternatives: Webflow, Base44
AI image generator that actually renders text correctly. Logos, posters, and typography made easy.
Austin's Notes
"Ideogram is the only tool that reliably gets text right in images. Perfect for logos and social graphics."
Alternatives: Midjourney, Leonardo
Social media management and analytics platform. Schedule, analyze, and manage across all your channels.
Austin's Notes
"Metricool is the best value in social media management. The free tier alone covers a lot of ground."
Alternatives: SEMrush, Canva
Cloud-based coding platform with AI agent. Build and deploy apps entirely in the browser.
Austin's Notes
"Replit Agent is magic for rapid prototyping. Spin up a working app in minutes, right in the browser."
Alternatives: Cursor, Base44
AI-powered UGC ad creation. Generate authentic-looking user-generated video ads at scale.
Austin's Notes
"Arcads is a secret weapon for ad creative. AI-generated UGC that actually converts — huge time saver."
Alternatives: HeyGen, Canva
Versatile AI image platform with fine-tuned models, control options, and a generous free tier.
Austin's Notes
"Leonardo's model variety and control options make it our go-to when we need specific styles at scale."
Alternatives: Midjourney, Flux
Professional no-code website platform. Pixel-perfect design with a powerful CMS and interactions engine.
Austin's Notes
"Webflow is the professional standard for no-code. Steeper learning curve but unmatched control."
Alternatives: Framer, Base44
AI video generator focused on ease of use. Great for quick, fun, social-ready video clips.
Austin's Notes
"Pika is fast and fun. If you need quick social clips without a learning curve, start here."
Alternatives: Runway, Kling
xAI's conversational AI with real-time X (Twitter) data access and an irreverent personality.
Austin's Notes
"Grok is fun for real-time trends and has a unique personality. Still maturing for serious work but improving fast."
Alternatives: ChatGPT, Perplexity
AI-native automation platform with scraping, LLM steps, and visual workflows built for the AI era.
Austin's Notes
"Gumloop is built for the AI era. If your automations need LLM steps or web scraping, check it out."
Alternatives: Make, n8n
Side-by-side breakdowns to help you pick the right AI tool for the job.
| Tool | Rating | Best For | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
🏆ChatGPT | 4.8 | General productivity, writing, brainstorming | Free tier; Plus $20/mo |
🏆Claude | 4.7 | Long-form writing, code review, document analysis | Free tier; Pro $20/mo |
Gemini | 4.5 | Google Workspace users, research, multimodal tasks | Free tier; Advanced $20/mo |
| Tool | Rating | Best For | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
🏆Cursor | 4.8 | Professional developers, AI-pair programming | Free tier; Pro $20/mo |
Windsurf | 4.6 | Multi-file refactoring, agentic coding | Free tier; Pro $15/mo |
GitHub Copilot | 4.5 | GitHub-integrated workflows, enterprise teams | $10/mo (individual); business plans available |
Replit | 4.3 | Beginners, quick prototypes, cloud development | Free tier; Core $15/mo |
| Tool | Rating | Best For | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
🏆Base44 | 4.7 | Full-stack apps, rapid deployment, non-technical builders | Free tier; paid plans available |
Lovable | 4.5 | Full-stack web apps, MVPs | Free tier; paid from $25/mo |
Framer | 4.4 | Marketing sites, landing pages, portfolios | Free tier; paid from $5/mo |
Webflow | 4.3 | Professional agency sites, complex CMS | Free tier; paid from $14/mo |
| Tool | Rating | Best For | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
🏆Runway | 4.6 | Short AI video clips, creative filmmaking | From $15/mo |
Veo | 4.5 | Cinematic, high-quality video | Included with Google AI Pro |
Kling | 4.4 | Realistic longer video clips | Free tier; paid plans available |
Pika | 4.2 | Quick social videos, fun clips | Free tier; paid from $10/mo |
Transparency matters. Some links on this page are affiliate or referral links, clearly marked on each tool. We only recommend tools we genuinely use and trust. Using these links costs you nothing extra and helps keep The AI Public Square running.