Materials

AI Tool Selector

Build your stack for outcomes, not hype. Choose your goal and constraints, then get a practical set of AI tools to test first.

What This Is

A practical stack picker that recommends first tools to test based on real constraints.

Who It Is For

Solo builders, teams, consultants, and businesses building AI workflows.

When To Use

When you have too many tool options and need a fast shortlist by goal, budget, and skill level.

Stack Inputs

Build and deliver AI services for paying clients.

Recommended tools

8

Estimated stack cost / month

$235

Priority categories

Chatbots & Agents + Automation & Workflows

Recommended Stack

Perplexity AI

Free tier — $20/mo Pro

AI-powered search engine that provides sourced answers with citations from the web in real time.

Chatbots & AgentsFor: Researchers, knowledge workers, students

CustomGPT

Free trial — $99/mo Standard

Build custom ChatGPT-powered chatbots trained on your own business data for customer support and sales.

Chatbots & AgentsFor: Businesses needing custom AI chatbots

Make (Integromat)

Free tier (1,000 ops/mo) — $9/mo Core — $16/mo Pro

Visual automation platform for building complex multi-step workflows with branching, error handling, and AI integrations.

Automation & WorkflowsFor: Power users, agencies, technical marketers

Bardeen

Free tier — $10/mo Pro

AI-powered browser automation that scrapes data, automates repetitive tasks, and connects web apps without code.

Automation & WorkflowsFor: Sales reps, recruiters, growth hackers

Rytr

Free tier — $9/mo Saver — $29/mo Unlimited

Budget-friendly AI writing assistant for generating content in 30+ languages with multiple tones.

Writing & ContentFor: Freelancers, solopreneurs on a budget

QuillBot

Free tier — $9.95/mo Premium

AI paraphrasing and grammar tool for rewriting, summarizing, and improving existing text.

Writing & ContentFor: Students, academics, non-native English writers

Lavender

Freemium ($29/mo)

AI sales email coach that scores and improves outbound emails in real-time

Sales & CRMFor: SDRs, sales reps, account executives

Apollo.io

Freemium ($49/mo)

AI-powered sales intelligence and engagement platform with B2B contact database

Sales & CRMFor: Sales teams, SDRs, account executives