Let’s be real: the internet is drowning in AI tools.
Every day, there’s a new Chrome extension, chatbot or promise that “this one will change everything.” For freelancers, it’s overwhelming — and a lot of it is junk.
So, I’ve filtered the noise. These are five genuinely useful AI tools I’ve tested myself. They’ll help you save time, get unstuck, or land more work — without replacing what makes you valuable.
1. Wordtune
Use it for: Rewriting sentences, rewording emails, improving tone
Think of Wordtune as a clever assistant that helps you say what you meant — better. You can paste in a sentence and instantly get rewrites that sound more natural, punchier, or formal depending on what you need.
No hallucinated facts. No rewriting your whole voice. Just solid suggestions.
✅ Great for proposal emails or rewriting dry LinkedIn posts.
2. Claude
Use it for: Brainstorming, outlining, researching, drafting copy
Claude is a super-fast, super-friendly AI chatbot. It’s particularly good at taking on big prompts (like PDFs or detailed instructions) and giving you usable first drafts — without sounding like a robot.
It’s the tool I reach for most when I’m stuck starting something.
✅ Best of the free options for chatting with documents.
3. Leonardo.ai
Use it for: Creating blog header images, illustrations, client mock-ups
Leonardo is a powerful AI image generator that’s beginner-friendly and free to use (within limits). Great for those of us without the time or budget to commission custom artwork.
Pro tip: Create a consistent visual style using one of the presets — makes your blog look more pro.
✅ It’s what created the image at the top of this post.
4. Magai
Use it for: Organising your AI chats and prompts
If you’re using ChatGPT or Claude regularly, Magai gives you a better way to manage them. You can save prompts, label chats by client or project, and even compare responses side-by-side.
✅ Time-saver once you’re juggling multiple clients or content streams.
5. Tactiq
Use it for: Capturing meeting notes from Zoom, Google Meet, or MS Teams
Tactiq automatically pulls transcripts and summaries from your calls, so you can stay present in client meetings without scrambling for notes.
✅ Useful even if you don’t use AI for anything else.
A quick word of warning
None of these tools will magically run your freelance business. But when you treat them like teammates — not shortcuts — they’ll help you do your work better, faster, and with more headspace.
Keep experimenting. And trust your gut.
Got a tool you swear by? Drop it in the comments — I’d love to test it.