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25 Best Free AI Tools in 2026 — For Writing, Design, Coding & More.
The AI tool landscape has exploded — and the good news is that some of the most powerful tools available are completely free. We’ve tested and curated 25 of the best free AI tools across writing, design, video creation, coding, translation, and transcription — so you don’t have to wade through hundreds of mediocre options. Here’s what actually works in 2026.
1. ChatGPT
What it is: ChatGPT is an AI language model developed by OpenAI. It’s like having a super-smart chatbot that can help you with writing, brainstorming, and even answering tricky questions.
Why you’ll love it: It’s user-friendly and can be incredibly handy for drafting emails, creating content, or just having a chat to get your creative juices flowing.
Where to get it: You can access ChatGPT on OpenAI’s website or through various apps and integrations, including custom AI integration for your business.
2. Google Colab
What it is: Google Colab is a cloud-based tool that lets you write and execute Python code in your browser. It’s great for data analysis, machine learning, and just mucking around with code.
Why you’ll love it: It’s easy to use, doesn’t require any installation, and offers free access to GPUs, which can speed up your computations.
Where to get it: Head over to Google Colab’s website and you’re good to go.
3. Hemingway Editor
What it is: The Hemingway Editor is an AI-powered writing tool that helps you make your writing clear and concise. It highlights complex sentences, passive voice, and more.
Why you’ll love it: It’s brilliant for polishing your writing and ensuring your message is easy to understand. Plus, it’s free to use for basic functions.
Where to get it: Visit the Hemingway Editor’s website to start refining your text.
4. Canva
What it is: Canva is an online design tool that uses AI to help you create stunning graphics, presentations, and social media posts with ease.
Why you’ll love it: Even if you’re not a design whiz, Canva’s AI-powered features can help you make professional-looking designs quickly. And there’s a free version that’s pretty robust.
Where to get it: Go to Canva’s website to explore its features and start designing.
5. Grammarly
What it is: Grammarly is an AI-powered writing assistant that checks your spelling, grammar, and style. It’s like having a personal proofreader right at your fingertips.
Why you’ll love it: It’s super handy for catching mistakes you might miss and can help improve your writing skills over time. The basic version is free and covers most of what you need.
Where to get it: Download the Grammarly browser extension or use it via their website.
6. Pexels
What it is: Pexels is a free stock photo and video website that uses AI to help you find high-quality images and videos for your projects.
Why you’ll love it: You get access to a vast library of visual content without any cost. The AI search feature makes it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Where to get it: Check out Pexels online and start downloading.
7. DeepL Translator
What it is: DeepL Translator is an AI-driven translation tool that’s known for its high-quality translations between multiple languages.
Why you’ll love it: It’s highly accurate and easy to use, making it a great choice for translating text or understanding foreign languages. The basic version is free.
Where to get it: Visit DeepL’s website to start translating.
8. Otter.ai
What it is: Otter.ai is an AI-driven transcription tool that converts spoken words into written text. It’s like having a personal note-taker that never misses a word.
Why you’ll love it: Ideal for students, journalists, or anyone who needs to transcribe meetings or interviews quickly. The free version offers a substantial number of transcription minutes each month, and the AI accurately captures speech, making it a real time-saver.
Where to get it: Simply head to Otter.ai’s website to start transcribing your audio files or recordings.
9. Runway
What it is: Runway offers a suite of AI tools for creative professionals, including video editing, image generation, and more. It’s designed to simplify complex processes with the help of AI.
Why you’ll love it: Even if you’re not a professional video editor, Runway’s tools can help you enhance your projects with ease. The free tier gives you access to several powerful AI features, perfect for dabbling in creative tasks.
Where to get it: Visit Runway’s website to explore its range of tools and start experimenting.
10. Jasper
What it is: Jasper is a professional AI content generation platform built specifically for marketing teams and businesses. It helps create on-brand blog posts, social media copy, email campaigns, and ad content at scale.
Updated free plan status: Jasper no longer offers a permanent free plan. A 7-day free trial is available on the Creator and Pro plans, but after the trial ends you are charged — $49/month for Creator or $69/month for Pro on monthly billing — unless you cancel.
Why it’s still worth knowing about: Jasper remains one of the most capable AI writing platforms for businesses that produce high volumes of marketing content. Over 100,000 businesses use Jasper and rate their experience 4.8/5 stars across more than 10,000 reviews. Its Brand Voice feature trains the AI on your specific tone and style — something most free tools don’t offer.
Where to get it:
Visit jasper.ai to start a 7-day free trial. No commitment required during the trial period.
11. Lumen5
What it is: Lumen5 is an AI-powered video creation tool that turns text into engaging videos. It’s particularly useful for creating promotional or educational videos from articles and blog posts.
Why you’ll love it: It’s user-friendly and automates much of the video creation process. The free plan allows you to create and share videos, making it a great option for small businesses or personal projects.
Where to get it: Head to Lumen5’s website to start turning your text into dynamic videos.
12. Kuki AI
What it is: Kuki AI (formerly Mitsuku) is an award-winning conversational AI chatbot created by Steve Worswick using Pandorabots’ AIML technology, designed primarily for entertainment and open-domain conversation.
Updated status: Kuki has seen a significant drop in relevance since 2022. Kuki AI experienced a 9.5% decline in traffic, and without recent product updates or significant market activities, this decline likely reflects increased competition from more capable AI chatbots. While Kuki is still technically accessible, it has been largely overtaken by far more capable tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google Gemini for general conversation use cases.
13. Hostinger AI Website Builder
What it is: Hostinger AI Website Builder is a comprehensive web hosting and site creation platform that combines AI-powered design automation with professional hosting infrastructure, enabling users to launch complete websites in under 60 seconds without technical knowledge or coding experience.
Why you’ll love it: Hostinger’s suite of AI tools, fast loading speeds, and integrations make it a great option for beginners. You simply describe your business idea and the AI does the rest — generating layouts, images, SEO-optimised content, and more. The platform also includes an AI logo maker, AI Writer for blog content, and an AI heatmap tool to predict where visitors will look on your page. A 14-day free trial is available with no credit card required. To publish your site, paid plans start from $2.99/month.
Where to get it: Visit hostinger.com/ai-website-builder to start your free trial.
14. Scribe
What it is: Scribe is an AI tool that automatically documents your workflows by capturing every step you take on your computer. It creates step-by-step guides that you can use or share.
Why you’ll love it: Perfect for creating training materials or documenting procedures without manually writing everything down. The free version allows you to generate a limited number of guides each month.
Where to get it: Check out Scribe’s website to start documenting your processes.
15. Speechmatics
What it is: Speechmatics offers AI-powered speech-to-text services. It’s great for transcribing audio from meetings, interviews, or videos.
Why you’ll love it: It provides high-quality transcriptions with support for various languages. The free plan lets you transcribe a few hours of audio each month, making it ideal for light use.
Where to get it: Visit Speechmatics’ website to start transcribing your audio.
16. Pixlr
What it is: Pixlr is an online photo editing tool that uses AI to enhance your images. It offers a range of editing options from basic adjustments to more advanced features.
Why you’ll love it: It’s perfect for quick photo edits without needing a professional software suite. The free version is robust and gives you access to many useful editing tools.
Where to get it: Head over to Pixlr’s website to start editing your photos.
17. Copy.ai
What it is: Copy.ai is an AI tool designed to generate marketing copy, blog ideas, and social media content. It helps you brainstorm and create copy in a flash.
Why you’ll love it: It’s excellent for overcoming writer’s block and generating ideas quickly. The free plan gives you access to several useful features, making it a valuable resource for marketers and content creators.
Where to get it: Visit Copy.ai’s website to start generating copy.
18. Mailchimp
What it is: Mailchimp is an email marketing platform with AI features that help you design, send, and analyse email campaigns. It’s great for small businesses and personal use.
Why you’ll love it: The free plan offers essential tools for creating and managing email campaigns, including automation and reporting features. It’s user-friendly and integrates well with other platforms.
Where to get it: Check out Mailchimp’s website to start setting up your email campaigns.
19. AIVA
What it is: AIVA (Artificial Intelligence Virtual Artist) is an AI composer that creates original music based on your preferences. It’s a fascinating tool for musicians and content creators.
Why you’ll love it: You can generate custom music tracks without needing to be a professional composer. The free version allows you to create and download tracks, perfect for adding unique audio to your projects.
Where to get it: Visit AIVA’s website to start creating your own music.
20. ChatSonic
What it is: ChatSonic is an AI conversational tool that can generate text, chat with you, and even create content based on your instructions. It’s designed to be versatile and interactive.
Why you’ll love it: It’s great for a variety of tasks, from generating content to engaging in conversation. The free version provides access to many of its features, making it a handy tool for different needs.
Where to get it: Go to ChatSonic’s website to start exploring its capabilities.
21. CopySmith
What it is: CopySmith is an AI tool that helps generate high-quality marketing copy, product descriptions, and more. It’s tailored for businesses and content creators.
Why you’ll love it: It can speed up the content creation process and help you come up with compelling copy. The free plan offers a limited number of features, which is great for testing it out.
Where to get it: Head to CopySmith’s website to start creating copy.
22. Trello with Butler
What it is: Trello is a popular project management tool, and with its Butler automation feature, you can automate tasks and workflows. The AI helps streamline project management.
Why you’ll love it: It makes organising and managing tasks easier by automating repetitive actions. The free version includes basic Butler features that can significantly boost your productivity.
Where to get it: Visit Trello’s website to start managing your projects with AI automation.
23. VistaCreate
What it is: VistaCreate (formerly Crello) is a graphic design platform that allows anyone to create striking visual content. It joined the Vista group of companies in October 2021 and rebranded completely — the Crello name is no longer used.
Why you’ll love it: The free Starter plan includes 100,000+ professionally made templates, 85 design formats for digital and print, photo editing tools, unlimited downloads, direct posting to Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, a post scheduler, and a Brand Kit to store your own logo, colours, and fonts. It’s a strong free alternative to Canva, particularly for social media content and animated designs.
Where to get it: Head to create.vista.com to start designing for free. A 14-day Pro trial is also available if you want to test premium features like background removal, 70M+ royalty-free assets, and team collaboration.
24. Tabnine
What it is: Tabnine is an AI-powered code completion tool that helps developers write code faster by predicting and suggesting completions as you type.
Why you’ll love it: It supports multiple programming languages and can improve coding efficiency. The free plan offers basic features that are perfect for getting started with AI-assisted coding.
Where to get it: Visit Tabnine’s website to integrate it into your coding environment.
25. Fotor
What it is: Fotor is a photo editing and graphic design tool with AI features that enhance images and create stunning designs. It’s easy to use and versatile.
Why you’ll love it: It offers a range of editing tools and design templates, making it ideal for both casual and professional use. The free version includes many features for editing and designing.
Where to get it: Go to Fotor’s website to start enhancing your photos and designs.
Wrapping Up
There you have it – a list of some of the best free AI tools out there. Whether you’re into writing, design, coding, or just need a bit of help with everyday tasks, these tools can make life a bit easier without costing you a cent. If you’re looking to take things further, StepSharp also offers expert AI consulting and AI development in Adelaide to help businesses integrate the right tools and strategies for long-term success. Give them a go and see how they can boost your productivity and creativity. Cheers to tech that’s both smart and wallet-friendly!