Which AI to use for what
An honest table. No marketing, no get-rich-quick promises.
Reviewed on 2026-08-21
Everyone claims their AI does everything. In practice each one is good at something and mediocre at something else, and choosing well is the difference between a tool that helps and one that gets in the way. This table tells you which to use for each task, why, and what you can get without paying.
| For this | Use | Why | Free tier gets you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing and editing | Claude or ChatGPT | Both write well. Claude tends to hold a requested tone better across long pieces; ChatGPT is quicker at giving you several versions to pick from. | Normal daily use, with a message cap per window. |
| Coding | Claude or Cursor | What matters for code is holding large files without losing the thread. If you code seriously, an AI-native editor (Cursor) saves more time than copy-pasting into a chat. | Questions and small functions. Whole projects need a paid plan. |
| Summarising documents and studying | NotebookLM | It is the only one that sticks to the documents you give it and cites the page each claim came from. That matters when being wrong is expensive. | Yes, and generously. It is the best free option on this list. |
| Research with sources | Perplexity | It answers with the links up front so you can check. A normal chat will invent references with unsettling confidence. | Several searches a day; deeper research is paid. |
| Translating | DeepL | Still sounds more natural than general-purpose chats, especially for technical and formal text. | A few thousand characters at a time. |
| Making images | Midjourney or ChatGPT | Midjourney wins on aesthetics. ChatGPT wins on understanding your request first time and putting readable text inside the image. | Midjourney no longer has a free tier. ChatGPT has a low daily limit. |
| Transcribing audio | Whisper | Free, works well across languages, and never sends your audio anywhere if you run it on your own machine. | Completely, if you can install it. Some sites run it for you with limits. |
| Working with spreadsheets | ChatGPT | It takes the file, runs code over the data and hands back the answer — rather than explaining the formula you should have written. | Limited uploads per day. |
Three things nobody tells you
The free tier is enough for most people
If you use AI a few times a week, free is fine. Paying is worth it only once you hit the ceiling several times in the same week — and then pay for one, not three.
The answer improves with what you give it
The gap between a useless answer and a good one is rarely the tool. It is saying who the reader is, what the text is for, and giving one example of what good looks like.
Always check numbers, dates and names
All of them get these three wrong, and they do it convincingly. For anything with consequences, check the source.
This area moves fast: prices and limits change month to month. Check each tool's own site before deciding to pay.