AI Tools · Our shortlist
AI tools worth a look
Widely used tools in three categories, with what each is for, who it fits, and the pricing facts from each vendor's own page. We haven't run formal tests on these. We shortlist them based on what we look at: clear pricing, a usable free tier, privacy terms and education options.
Writing Meetings Images & video For teachers
Writing
AI writing assistants
For drafting emails, posts and reports faster, and for cleaning up what you already wrote.
Worth a look
ChatGPT by OpenAI
A general AI assistant for drafting, rewriting, summarizing and brainstorming.
Who it fits: People who want one assistant for lots of different writing jobs.
Watch for: OpenAI says it may use your conversations to improve its models unless you turn that off in Data Controls.
Pricing
- Free: $0
- Go: $8/month in the U.S. (OpenAI notes this plan may include ads)
- Plus: $20/month, billed monthly only
- Pro: plans at $100, $200 or $500/month
As of Nov 2026, from the vendor's own pricing page. Check the current price before you buy.
Worth a look
Claude by Anthropic
An AI assistant that works well for long documents, drafting and editing.
Who it fits: People who write or review long reports, proposals and policies.
Watch for: Every plan has usage limits that reset every 5 hours and every week, so heavy days can hit a wall.
Pricing
- Free: $0
- Pro: $20/month billed monthly, or $17/month billed annually ($200 up front)
- Max: $100/month
- Ultra: $200/month
As of Nov 2026, from the vendor's own pricing page. Check the current price before you buy.
Worth a look
Grammarly by Grammarly
A writing checker that works inside your browser and apps for grammar, tone and rewrites.
Who it fits: People who want help inside the email and documents they already use, not in a separate chat window.
Watch for: The free plan caps AI writing prompts at 100 a month.
Pricing
- Free: $0, with 100 AI prompts a month
- Pro: listed at US$12, with 2,000 AI prompts per member a month (see the plans page for billing terms)
As of Nov 2026, from the vendor's own pricing page. Check the current price before you buy.
Meetings
AI meeting notes
For recording, transcribing and summarizing calls. Always tell people when a meeting is being recorded.
Worth a look
Otter.ai by Otter.ai
Live transcription and AI summaries for Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet.
Who it fits: Individuals and small teams who want searchable transcripts, and teachers or students with a .edu email.
Watch for: The free Basic plan includes 300 transcription minutes a month.
Pricing
- Basic: free, 300 transcription minutes a month
- Pro: $16.99 per user/month billed monthly, or about $8.33 per user/month billed annually
- Students and teachers with a .edu email: 20% off Pro ($13.59/month, or $79.99/year)
As of Nov 2026, from the vendor's own pricing page. Check the current price before you buy.
Worth a look
Fireflies.ai by Fireflies.ai
A meeting notetaker that records, transcribes and summarizes calls on Zoom, Google Meet, Teams and more.
Who it fits: Teams who want transcripts connected to other apps and a shared meeting library.
Watch for: The free plan has limited AI summaries and 400 minutes of storage per team.
Pricing
- Free: $0, limited AI summaries, 400 minutes of storage per team
- Pro: $10 per seat/month billed annually ($18 billed monthly)
- Business: $19 per seat/month billed annually ($29 billed monthly)
As of Nov 2026, from the vendor's own pricing page. Check the current price before you buy.
Worth a look
Fathom by Fathom
An AI notetaker with a free plan that includes unlimited recordings and transcriptions.
Who it fits: Individuals who meet a lot and want a capable free plan before paying anything.
Watch for: Team plans need at least 2 users.
Pricing
- Free: $0, unlimited recordings and transcriptions
- Premium: $16/month billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
- Team: $15 per user/month billed annually ($19 billed monthly), 2-user minimum
As of Nov 2026, from the vendor's own pricing page. Check the current price before you buy.
Images & video
AI image and video makers
For thumbnails, social graphics and short clips. Check the commercial-use terms of the plan you pick.
Worth a look
Canva by Canva
A drag-and-drop design tool with built-in AI features for graphics, slides and short videos.
Who it fits: Anyone making social posts, flyers or presentations without design training. K-12 teachers can get Canva Education free.
Watch for: Free includes only limited AI use; paid plans add more, and extra AI is a paid add-on.
Pricing
- Free: $0
- Pro: US$144/year for one person
- Business: US$250/year per person
- Canva Education: free for eligible K-12 teachers and their students
As of Nov 2026, from the vendor's own pricing page. Check the current price before you buy.
Worth a look
Adobe Firefly by Adobe
Adobe's AI tool for generating and editing images, video and audio.
Who it fits: Creators who already use Adobe apps, or who want to try AI image and video generation on a free daily allowance.
Watch for: Paid plans run on monthly generative credits, and premium features like video use them up faster.
Pricing
- No plan: free daily generations
- Firefly Standard: US$9.99/month (2,000 credits)
- Firefly Pro: US$19.99/month (4,000 credits)
- Pro Plus: US$49.99/month; Premium: US$199.99/month
As of Nov 2026, from the vendor's own pricing page. Check the current price before you buy.
Worth a look
Descript by Descript
Edit video and podcasts by editing the text transcript, with AI cleanup like filler-word removal.
Who it fits: People making talking-head videos, tutorials or podcasts who don't want a traditional editor.
Watch for: The free plan includes 60 media minutes a month and exports at up to 720p.
Pricing
- Free: $0, 60 media minutes a month
- Hobbyist: $16/month billed annually ($24 monthly), 1080p watermark-free
- Creator: $24/month billed annually ($35 monthly), 4K export
- Business: $50/month billed annually ($65 monthly)
As of Nov 2026, from the vendor's own pricing page. Check the current price before you buy.
Compare and learn
Last checked November 3, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Email contact@superinow.com.
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