AI tools for small business
Things a team of one to ten can actually afford and run without an IT department. Enterprise platforms are deliberately excluded — they need a procurement process you don't have.
16 tools · checked by hand · no paid placement in this list
Canva Magic Studio
Free plan
Generative design tools for people who don't design for a living.
ChatGPT
Free plan
OpenAI's general assistant with browsing, files and image input.
Claude
Free plan
Anthropic's assistant for long-context reasoning, writing and code.
Notion AI
Paid
Writing, search and Q&A inside your Notion workspace.
Zapier
Free plan
The default glue between SaaS apps, now with AI steps and agents.
Make
Free plan
Visual automation builder connecting thousands of apps.
PhotoRoom
Free plan
Background removal and product photography for ecommerce sellers.
Fathom
Free plan
Free meeting recorder that writes the notes and follow-ups.
Grammarly
Free plan
Grammar, tone and rewrite suggestions everywhere you type.
Looka
Paid
Logo and brand kit generation for new businesses.
Gamma
Free plan
Decks, docs and sites generated from an outline.
Apollo.io
Free plan
Contact database plus sequencing for outbound sales.
Buffer AI Assistant
Free plan
Repurposes and schedules social posts across channels.
Otter.ai
Free plan
Live meeting transcription with summaries and action items.
Descript
Free plan
Edit video and podcasts by editing the transcript text.
Fliki
Free plan
Script or blog post in, narrated video with stock footage out.
At a glance
| Tool | Pricing | Best known for |
|---|---|---|
| Canva Magic Studio | Free plan | Generative design tools for people who don't design for a living. |
| ChatGPT | Free plan | OpenAI's general assistant with browsing, files and image input. |
| Claude | Free plan | Anthropic's assistant for long-context reasoning, writing and code. |
| Notion AI | Paid | Writing, search and Q&A inside your Notion workspace. |
| Zapier | Free plan | The default glue between SaaS apps, now with AI steps and agents. |
| Make | Free plan | Visual automation builder connecting thousands of apps. |
| PhotoRoom | Free plan | Background removal and product photography for ecommerce sellers. |
| Fathom | Free plan | Free meeting recorder that writes the notes and follow-ups. |
| Grammarly | Free plan | Grammar, tone and rewrite suggestions everywhere you type. |
| Looka | Paid | Logo and brand kit generation for new businesses. |
| Gamma | Free plan | Decks, docs and sites generated from an outline. |
| Apollo.io | Free plan | Contact database plus sequencing for outbound sales. |
| Buffer AI Assistant | Free plan | Repurposes and schedules social posts across channels. |
| Otter.ai | Free plan | Live meeting transcription with summaries and action items. |
| Descript | Free plan | Edit video and podcasts by editing the transcript text. |
| Fliki | Free plan | Script or blog post in, narrated video with stock footage out. |
Still deciding?
This list is editorial — placement in it cannot be bought. Pricing models change; confirm on the vendor's own site. Some outbound links earn a commission, which never affects what appears here. See the disclosure.