I take a look at and overview AI instruments for a dwelling, and someplace alongside the way in which I fell right into a entice that’s develop into weirdly frequent: I went from paying for one premium subscription to paying for a number of. And when you’re juggling a number of AI instruments, the month-to-month charges add up sooner than you count on.
As a result of that’s how subscriptions work. You begin with one. Add one other. Justify a 3rd as a result of it’s “barely higher” at one particular factor. And all of the sudden your AI stack prices as a lot as a streaming bundle — besides you’re not even certain you’re utilizing half of what you’re paying for and wish to cancel.
To be clear, it’s not an identical to paying for the Professional tiers. However actually? It will get you approach nearer than you may suppose. Right here’s the precise stack I take advantage of, what every AI software is greatest at and the prompts that make it really feel like a paid setup.
The “free forever” AI stack
ChatGPT (free): the everyday brain
One of the biggest reasons I paid for ChatGPT Plus for so long as I did was easy: I needed entry to ChatGPT-4o. However after testing the completely different personalities in ChatGPT-5.2, I had a little bit of a shock — the newer mannequin is definitely the higher on a regular basis software.
Even higher? You don’t must pay to get actual worth out of it. Even on the free tier, ChatGPT continues to be among the finest all-around AI assistants for brainstorming, rewriting, outlining and getting unstuck when your mind feels prefer it’s buffering.
What it replaces: a writing coach, a brainstorming accomplice, a productiveness planner
Finest for: concepts, construction, rewrites, readability and planning
Strive these prompts:
- “Take this messy paragraph and rewrite it in a cleaner, extra assured voice with out altering my tone.”
- “Give me 10 headline choices for Google Uncover. Make them curiosity-driven and utility-focused.”
- “Flip this concept right into a step-by-step plan I can truly observe in 20 minutes.”
- Professional tip: For those who’re getting generic solutions, don’t begin over — simply add:
“Be extra particular, add examples and make this really feel like recommendation from a human.”
Perplexity (free): the research engine that actually shows its work
I’ll be honest: I didn’t like Perplexity at first. It felt like an outlier in comparison with the chatbots I used to be used to, and I wasn’t certain I might belief it.
However after giving it a second shot, it rapidly turned probably the most helpful instruments in my stack — particularly after I want fast analysis with out falling right into a 27-tab spiral.
Now it’s my go-to as a result of it doesn’t simply offer you a confident-sounding reply. It provides you one thing higher: sources. It’s not attempting to be a people pleaser — it’s attempting to indicate its work.
What it replaces: infinite Googling and tab chaos
Finest for: quick analysis, citations, comparisons and summaries of present subjects
Strive these prompts:
- “Clarify this like I’m sensible however busy. Give me the important thing info, what modified lately and why it issues.”
- “Give me a fast breakdown of the professionals/cons of X, then cite your sources.”
- “What are the commonest complaints individuals have about [tool]? Checklist them and hyperlink sources.”
- Professional tip: Use it like a fact-checker, not a inventive author. It’s a “get me oriented quick” software, and it’s wonderful at that.
NotebookLM (free): the closest thing to a document superpower
NotebookLM is one of the most underrated free AI tools right now — and easily one of my favorites. If you need to summarize and actually understand anything longer than a few paragraphs, this is the best tool I’ve found.
It’s what I use when I have a pile of information and need to turn it into something usable fast. I can drop in PDFs, notes, transcripts, drafts and research links, and NotebookLM helps me organize the mess and pull out what matters.
What it replaces: manual summarizing, rereading everything twice and the “where did I see that?” spiral
Best for: PDFs, deep summaries, key takeaways and outlining
Try these prompts:
- “Summarize this document in 10 bullet points, then list the 5 most important details I should not miss.”
- “Create a clean outline for a story based on these sources. Add suggested subheads.”
- “What are the key contradictions, disagreements or missing info across these sources?”
- Expert tip: Ask it to format the output the way you’ll actually use it:
“Give me this as a table.” or “Give me a 30-second version and a 2-minute version.”
Canva (free): the tool that polishes your work
Before you start scratching your head, hear me out: Canva is the tool most people skip — not because it isn’t useful, but because they don’t realize how many AI-powered features you can use for free.
Here’s the thing. You can have the best idea in the world, but if you want it to perform online, you need visuals. Even a clean graphic or simple layout can be the difference between something that gets ignored and something that actually gets clicks.
And Canva’s free tier is more than enough to turn raw AI output into something that looks polished and ready to share.
What it replaces: “I guess I’ll post plain text” and last-minute design scrambling
Best for: social graphics, Pinterest pins, simple charts and quick layouts
Try this workflow:
- Use ChatGPT to generate a clean “5 tips” list
- Paste it into Canva
- Turn it into a shareable graphic
- Expert tip: If you want a quick visual template, tell ChatGPT:
“Format this as five short blocks with bold headers and one sentence each.” That structure drops into Canva perfectly.
Google Docs (free): underrated AI productivity move
Stay with me. This one sounds boring but it’s not. Google Docs is the simplest place to maintain your “AI stack” from changing into chaos. It’s the place I retailer my greatest prompts, my story templates, reusable buildings and swipe information. Plus, with the AI-power of Gemini, you possibly can good, edit and brainstorm proper contained in the doc.
What it replaces: shedding your greatest prompts, rewriting the identical codecs
Finest for: repeatable workflows, templates, immediate libraries
Do this setup:
- Create a doc referred to as “My AI Stack Prompts” and add sections like:
- writing + enhancing
- planning
- analysis
- content material concepts
- vibe coding
- private life / parenting shortcuts
Apple Shortcuts (free): the automation super layer
This is the point where your free AI stack starts to feel Pro. Automation sounds intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be.
Even one simple shortcut can prevent time each single day — and when you construct just a few, you’ll surprise why you waited.
Listed below are just a few that make a direct distinction:
- a one-tap “summarize this” immediate
- a shortcut that copies your go-to template to your clipboard
- a workflow that saves concepts straight into Notes or Google Docs
What it replaces: repeating the identical steps every single day
Finest for: one-tap workflows, saving time and lowering friction
Do this immediate to construct your shortcuts: “Give me a one-tap shortcut workflow that helps me do X. Maintain it easy and clarify it step-by-step.”
Riplit ai (free): “I can’t code but I can build” option
Claude Code is one among my favourite vibe coding instruments — nevertheless it isn’t free. So after I’m constructing my “free without end” AI stack, I lean on a free app referred to as Replit AI for fast coding assist with out the month-to-month invoice.
That is the place issues get enjoyable. Even for those who’re not a developer, a free vibe coding software can assist you flip random concepts into actual, usable mini instruments. You possibly can create issues like a guidelines generator, a easy net web page, a “immediate pack” software, a private tracker and even apps for issues like budeting, meal planning and routines.
What it replaces: paying somebody for tiny instruments, or letting good concepts die in your Notes app
Finest for: small builds, fast prototypes, debugging and turning concepts into “actual” issues
Strive these prompts:
- “Construct me a easy net web page that does X. Use clear design and hold it beginner-friendly.”
- “Right here’s my concept. Ask me 5 questions, then generate the code.”
- “Repair this code and clarify what was flawed like I’m not a developer.”
Putting the stack togther: where the magic happens
The real trick isn’t just which tools you use — it’s how you use them together. That’s what makes this stack feel Pro, even though it’s free.
On their own, these apps can feel like random AI tools. But once you put them in the right order, they become a repeatable system you can run anytime you need to get something done.
Here’s the workflow I use constantly:
Step 1: Research fast
Perplexity: sources + quick summary
Step 2: Organize and extract
NotebookLM: key points, outline, contradictions
Step 3: Write and polish
ChatGPT: outlines, structure, voice, rewrites, clarity
Step 4: Package it
Canva: graphic, layout, shareable format
Step 5: Create
Riplit ai: design apps and webpages with zero coding knowledge
Step 5: Save it and repeat it
Google Docs: templates + prompt library
Bottom line
The takeaway here is this: you don’t need a paid AI subscription to get real results.If you’re overwhelmed by AI tools, or you’re trying to be smarter with your money, building a “free forever” stack is one of the easiest upgrades you can make.
Because, it really isn’t about having the fanciest model when it comes to productivity. It’s more about having good tools and using them in the right order with prompts that make sense.
And once you have that? You’ll stop paying for AI features you weren’t even using.
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