How to automate HR paperwork with AI: letters, certificates and templates
Guide to people administration with AI: templates with variables, batch drafting with review and automation of the repeated flows.
The best AI tools for asking, searching and researching
The general-purpose assistants you ask anything, the search engines that answer citing their source, and the tools that work over your own documents. We compare real pricing, usage limits and what each one does better than the rest.
Updated on
What exactly do you want to do
There is no single «best AI» in this category, because it holds tools nobody would put side by side to choose between. Each block below is a different decision, and that is where we compare.
7
AI assistants
Which general-purpose assistant suits my day to day, and why pay for one?
See comparison →
1Search enginesTaking shape
What do I search the web with, ad-free and with answers that cite their source?
1 of 5
1Document researchTaking shape
What lets me hand my own documents to an AI and ask questions about them?
1 of 5
Comparison table
| Tool | Price | Free trial | Platforms | Rating | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kagi | Free trial · from $5 | Yes | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Chrome | VisitKagi (opens in a new tab) | |
| Claude | Free + from $17 | No | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows | VisitClaude (opens in a new tab) | |
| Gemini | Free + from $4.99 | No | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Chrome | VisitGemini (opens in a new tab) | |
| NotebookLM | Free + from $4.99 | No | Web, iOS, Android | VisitNotebookLM (opens in a new tab) | |
| ChatGPT | Free + from $20 | No | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows | VisitChatGPT (opens in a new tab) | |
| DeepSeek | Free | No | Web, iOS, Android | VisitDeepSeek (opens in a new tab) | |
| Z.ai (GLM) | Free + from $18 | No | Web | VisitZ.ai (GLM) (opens in a new tab) | |
| Kimi | Free + from $19 | No | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows | VisitKimi (opens in a new tab) | |
| YesChat | Free + from $8 | No | Web | VisitYesChat (opens in a new tab) |
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Practical guides on Assistants
How to research your competitors with AI in one morning
Guide to AI competitor research: noise-free search with Kagi, source-verified extraction and synthesis grounded in your notes with NotebookLM, in one morning.
How to run engagement surveys with AI and turn them into changes
Guide to climate surveys with AI: questions that inform, open-answer analysis with real anonymity and the close that prevents cynicism.
How to prepare your products for marketplace selling with AI
Guide to selling on Amazon, Etsy and similar with AI: compliant images, titles and bullets, competitor research and post-launch listing fixes.
How to run a weekly AI-assisted newsletter people actually open
Guide to producing a weekly newsletter with AI: research with Kagi, drafting in your own register with Claude and header images with Getimg.ai.
How to measure patient satisfaction with AI and act on it
Guide to patient surveys with AI: the short questionnaire that gets answered, free-text analysis and the circuit that turns complaints into improvements.
How to analyze your customer reviews with AI to sell more
Guide to analyzing reviews with AI: gathering opinions with Kagi, grouping patterns with their citation in NotebookLM and turning them into decisions.
How to value properties with AI: comparables, range and honesty
Guide to property valuation with AI: building the comparables base, calculating the reasoned range and presenting it without promising magic numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth paying for an AI assistant?
It depends on how you use it. If you open it several times a day for work, the paid plan removes the limits that get in the way and unlocks the better models. For occasional use, the free tiers cover it comfortably.
How is an AI search engine different from an assistant?
A search engine hits the web on every query and cites where each claim comes from, so it works for facts that change. An assistant answers from what it knows and holds a better conversation about what you already have in front of you.
Can I give an AI my own documents?
Yes, and it is a different job with tools built for it. You upload your files and ask about them, with the advantage that answers lean on your material rather than on what the model happens to remember.
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