AI tools change daily. Often they are overhyped and overrated. Here is a curated list of AI tools that I work with on a daily basis.
With paid tools you often have faster results, more possibilities, better data security, the option for stealth private modes. This is important, especially for client work under NDA.
If you are an Art Director & Designer I recommend as super basic setup:
-> ChatGPT Pro
-> Midjourney
-> Replicate (for all the additional image models like Flux, Stable Diffusion, Recraft, Ideogram, etc. as well as video)
-> Topaz Gigapixel
With video the tool race is pretty close. Try different models on replicate or krea.ai, then get a (unlimited) subscription on your favorite tool for a month. RunwayML has a good range of additional tools like Generative Audio, Lipsync, Frame Interploation, Depthmap, etc.
If you are not an Art Director or Designer but you need images here and then
-> poe.com
or
-> Freepik
If you have any questions or you need AI education training, please contact me.
Transparency: I don’t gets paid by any of these tools. I pay my own subscriptions 💸.
Right now it’s about $350/Mt. – more if I need additional video tools or have to test new applications.
Text & Writing
-> Writing
-> Search
-> Possibilitiy to build your GPTs
-> Advanced Audio
-> Data Analysis
-> Dall-E (but I never use this)
-> Sora Video (not abvailable in Switzerland)
-> Tipp: Learn, when to use which version
-> $25 (Plus Team)
-> $200 (Pro)
-> Free
-> Writing (very good in “creative” writing with a “human touch”
-> Organisation in Projects
-> Can build and run little programs direct in the app
-> $30 (Pro Team)
-> Free
-> “App Store” for different AI agents
-> Perfect to use multiple LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Llama, Mistral, etc) and even Image, Video & Audio AI models)
-> Billing system based on token
-> Possibility to build own bots
-> Works best, if you know the difference between the different models, so you can choose the right partner
Recommended 01/25:
Claude 3.5 Sonnet, ChatGPT 4o (everyday task), o1 (task that need deep logic thinking), Grok, Gemini 1.5 Pro)
-> Attention: Lots of “trashbots” build my the community
-> $20
-> Free (without the premium AI models)
-> AI optimized Search
-> Pro model has more functions and a selection of top LLMs (Claude, GPT 4o, Grok) as well as Flux as image AI
I have a subscription, but since ChatGTP has integrated Search, I rarely use Perplexity
or You.com
-> $20 (Pro)
-> https://you.com
Translation &
Text Optimization
-> extremly helpful for translations & text optimization
-> available as app
-> €9 (Starter, max 5 User)
Transcription
-> For Swiss German & German best use Large V3
-> Works local, no data are send to the cloud
-> Mac only (sorry PC peeps)
-> Be careful! There are some other Tools around, that sound similar, but sell you a subscription. Mac Whisper is a tool from Jordi Bruin (https://bento.me/jordi)
One-time-Payment
https://goodsnooze.gumroad.com/l/macwhisper
Research & Insights
-> Upload your data (text, pdf, website) and your questions and the Notebook LM delievers a podcast with one or two hosts, talking in depth about your topic.
Image
-> Lots of art direction possibilities with the Midjourney Parameter (Learning curve)
-> Image Blends
-> Style References & Character References
-> Moodboards
-> Edit your own images (with a annual sub)
-> Video Function (planed)
-> $30 (unlimited without Stealth Mode, 15h Fast GPU)
-> $60 (unlimited with Stealth Mode, 30h Fast GPU)
-> $120 (unlimited with Stealth Mode, 60h Fast GPU)
Some functions only available for users with an annual subscription (Full Editor, Retexture)
-> I almost never use Adobe Firefly in the standalone web application
-> but in Photoshop the AI function “Magic eraser” and “Generative Fill” for image extension are really helpful
-> Flux & Ideogram Images Models
-> Styles & Possibility to make own styles
-> Realtime drawing to image (Stable Diffusion based)
-> Edit your own images
-> Enhance & Upscale
-> Variety of Video Models (more for shorter tests and quick results)
-> $35 (Pro)
-> $60 (Max)
-> Free (Limited)
-> different Flux Models
-> Styles & Possibility to make own styles & characters
-> different AI tools
-> Real Time Drawing (Stable Diffusion based)
-> Enhance & Upscale
-> more AI Tools like Edit, Reimagine, Background Remover, etc.
-> AI Video
-> Additional Non-AI Stock Assets (Images, Video, Mockup, etc)
-> Good value for Money
-> Good addition to Midjourney
-> Perfect for “Non-Designers” who just need images for smaller everyday tasks, like internal presentations, etc.
-> $17 (Premium)
-> $39 (Premium+)
Differences in the included Token
-> Collection of different AI model (text, image, video, speech, etc)
-> Replicate: Playground (possibility to use different image models (different Flux and Flux Tools Version, Stable Diffusion, Ideogram, Recraft)
-> more technical interface
-> Good addition to Midjourney
-> https://fal.ai
-> Tools for (product & industrial) designers
-> Scribble-to-image
-> Style Palettes
-> 3D-Model from image
-> $49
-> Made for Designers and Art Director
-> Good Presets
-> Enhance & Upscale possibilities
-> Private Mode expensive
tested it, but don’t use it
-> $20 (Standard)
-> $60 (Pro, Private Mode)
-> $120 (Ultra, Private Mode)
-> Good Presets
-> Integrated in the Runway video Workflow
-> It feels a bit limited
-> Pretty expensive (inly available with the $95 Unlimited subscription from Runway)
Good if you already have a Unlimited Runway subscription. Otherwise you can do the same with other tools for less $$$
-> Stable Diffusion & Flux based Leonardo Models
-> Style & Character References
-> Controlnet Features
-> Lots of Presets
-> Realtime Drawing
-> Enhance & Upscale
-> AI Video
-> Texture Generation
-> Often you get the typical “AI (slop) look”
-> Ugly interface
I have a subscription, but don’t use it on a daily basis
-> $12 Apprentice)
-> $30 (Artisan)
-> $60 (Maestro)
-> Rebranded as Platform for Designers in Nov 2024
-> I had a yearly subscription as an early supporter before (11/23-11/24) and never really used it
-> can’t say anything about the new interface
-> their models Recraft V3 and Recraft V3 SVG can be also used via replicate and fal without a subscription
Don’t use the tools, but sometimes their models on replicate
-> $12 (Basic)
-> $33 (Advanced)
-> $60 (Pro)
-> Ideogram https://ideogram.ai/
-> Google Imagen 3 https://deepmind.google/technologies/imagen-3/
Image Upscaling
-> Stable Diffusion-based Upscaler
-> Different Presets (Film, Landscape, 3D)
-> Additional Features like Relighting, Style Transfer & Image Generation (Flux-based)
-> Very expensive, but just the best tool out there
-> Can “save” generated MJ images with strange faces
-> $85 (Premium)
-> $260 (Enterprise)
Tokenbased Pricing System
-> Runs on your hardware, not in the cloud
-> Perfect for the everyday upscaling tasks
-> Different Upscaling Models
-> No subscription
-> Optional: Subscription for future Features & Updates
Video
The quality of the video tools is very similar. It really depends on the topic and it’s a lot of try & error.
Google Veo 2 is called best in class, but its not available in Switzerland & EU.
-> Different Video, image and Audio Tools
-> Video-to-Video
-> Text-to-Video
-> Image-to-Video
-> Act-One
-> Frame Interpolation
-> 4K Upscaling
-> New Image AI: Frames (only in Unlimited)
-> $15 (Standard)
-> $35 (Pro)
-> $95 (Unlimited)
-> Text-to-Video
-> Image-to-Video
-> $10 (Standard)
-> $37 (Pro)
-> $92 (Unlimited)
-> Text-to-Video
-> Image-to-Video
-> $10 (Standard)
-> $35 (Pro)
-> $95 (Unlimited)
-> Text-to-Video
-> Image-to-Video
-> $10 (Lite)
-> $30 (Plus)
-> $95 (Unlimited)
-> New Ingriediences Mode
(drop assets in and make a video)
-> different presets
on my test list
-> $10 (Standard)
-> $30 (Pro)
-> $95 (Fancy)
-> Best in class, based on test of creatives who have access to all the tools
no access
no access
Video Upscaling
-> up to 16K Upscale
-> 16K Frame Interpolation
-> Denoising
-> easy to use video editor with lots of functionalities & different AI tools
-> $100/Year (Pro tools)
Video Avatars
-> Synthesia https://www.synthesia.io
-> Hey Gen https://www.heygen.com
-> D-ID https://www.d-id.com
AI Audio
-> Best voice tool
-> big voices library in different languages
-> Text-to-speech
-> Text-to-SoundFX
-> Voice Changer
-> Voice Cloner
-> $5 (Starter)
-> $22 (Creator)
-> $99 (Pro)
AI Music
-> AI Music Generation
-> $10 (Standard)
-> $30 (Pro)
-> AI Music Generation
-> $10 (Pro)
-> $30 (Premier)
AI Local
Be careful with downloading & installing.
There were already a few malware attacks.
-> LM Studio https://lmstudio.ai
Image AI Local
-> Draw Things (Mac only) https://drawthings.ai
-> Pinokio.Computer https://pinokio.computer
(different Tools & Model)
-> Stability Matrix https://lykos.ai
Comfy UI
-> Comfy UI https://www.comfy.org
Comfy UI runs not very well on Macs. If you are on mac and you wanna use it, better search for a cloud solution like Runpod https://www.runpod.io or Google Collab (https://stable-diffusion-art.com/comfyui-colab/)
AD AI Helpers
Additional Tools, I rarely use myself but often get asked about...
-> Huemint https://huemint.com
-> Colormagic https://colormagic.app
Moods / Moodboards
-> Flim https://flim.ai
-> Kive.ai https://kive.ai/features/boards
-> Mooed.ai https://www.mooed.ai/
-> Cosmos https://www.cosmos.so
Storyboards
-> Boords https://boords.com
-> Storyboarder.ai https://storyboarder.ai
-> LTX Studio https://ltx.studio
Other
-> SVG Patternmaker https://svg.designcode.io
-> AI Backgrounds https://www.maground.ai