I’ve tested hundreds of AI tools. Most are forgotten within a week.
These five have become essential. I use them every single day.
1. Claude (Research & Writing)
Daily use: 2-3 hours
Claude is my thinking partner. Not for quick questions — for deep work.
What I use it for:
- Drafting anything important
- Analyzing long documents
- Debugging complex problems
- Getting unstuck on hard decisions
Why Claude over ChatGPT for this:
- Better at following complex instructions
- More natural writing output
- Longer context window
- Feels like talking to a thoughtful person
Monthly cost: $20
2. ChatGPT (Quick Tasks)
Daily use: 30-60 minutes
ChatGPT is my quick assistant. Simple questions, fast answers.
What I use it for:
- Quick research questions
- Code snippets
- Email drafts
- Image generation (DALL-E)
- Voice conversations while driving
Why ChatGPT for this:
- Faster for simple tasks
- Web browsing for current info
- DALL-E integration
- Voice mode is excellent
Monthly cost: $20
3. Perplexity (Research)
Daily use: 30 minutes
When I need facts with sources.
What I use it for:
- Research where citations matter
- Current events and news
- Fact-checking
- Technical documentation
Why it’s essential:
- Shows sources for everything
- Current information
- Academic and professional credibility
- Saves verification time
Monthly cost: $20
4. Otter.ai (Meetings)
Daily use: Runs during every call
I never take meeting notes anymore.
What I use it for:
- Auto-transcribes all calls
- Extracts action items
- Searchable meeting archive
- Quick summaries
Why it’s essential:
- Focus on the conversation
- Never miss details
- Search past meetings
- Share summaries easily
Monthly cost: $17
5. Raycast (System-wide AI)
Daily use: Countless times
AI available anywhere on my Mac.
What I use it for:
- Quick calculations
- Text transformation
- Grammar checks
- Clipboard management
Why it’s essential:
- Available instantly anywhere
- No context switching
- Keyboard-first
- Integrates with everything
Monthly cost: $8
What I Don’t Use Daily
Tools I use occasionally:
- Midjourney (weekly for images)
- GitHub Copilot (when coding)
- Notion AI (sometimes)
Tools I’ve abandoned:
- Most specialized writing tools
- AI scheduling assistants
- Various “AI-powered” productivity apps
The pattern: general-purpose tools used well beat specialized tools used rarely.
Total Monthly Cost
| Tool | Cost |
|---|---|
| Claude Pro | $20 |
| ChatGPT Plus | $20 |
| Perplexity Pro | $20 |
| Otter.ai Pro | $17 |
| Raycast Pro | $8 |
| Total | $85 |
Is $85/month a lot? Compare it to:
- Hours saved: 20-30/month
- Value of those hours: Significantly more than $85
The Stack Philosophy
My AI stack follows simple rules:
- Use the best tool for each job — Claude for depth, ChatGPT for speed
- Pay for quality — Free tiers are fine for trying; paid for productivity
- Fewer tools, used well — Better than many tools used poorly
- Daily value or delete — If I don’t use it daily, I probably don’t need it
Your Stack
You probably don’t need all five. Start with:
Just starting: ChatGPT Free Getting serious: ChatGPT Plus + Perplexity Free Power user: Add Claude + Otter Mac user: Add Raycast
Build up as your needs justify it. The best stack is the one you actually use.
Related Articles
- Claude vs ChatGPT - Detailed comparison
- AI Tools Save Time, Not Money - ROI reality
- How I Use AI Daily - Full workflow