Knowledge work automation
7 best free AI Tools for businesses in 2024
14 min read
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Jun 10, 2024
Discover the best AI tools for your business, from chat-bots to content creation, coding, and more.
Heather Stritch
Senior Content Marketing Manager
AI tools have become a trusted partner in content creation, coding, project management, and more. However, with thousands of tools being released each week, it can be tricky to unearth the best of the best.
As a business known for AI automation and turning data into trustworthy training data, we live and breathe new tech releases, with a keen eye for those destined to stand the test of time.
Over the years, we’ve learned to navigate the hype and successfully pinpoint the tools set to become must-haves for your toolkit.
In this article, we’ve put together our top picks for AI tools in 2024, with a focus on tools that are either completely free or offer viable free packages. From use case-specific tooling, through to end-to-end agnostic automation, we’ll reveal our top picks, what makes them so great, and the key features you can start taking advantage of today.
In this article, we’ll cover:
What are generative AI tools?
Generative AI tools use advanced AI models, like LLMs and foundation models, to generate new content, action bespoke triggers, and automate repetitive tasks. Their output can span text, images, video, audio, and more.
In simple terms, a generative AI tool will convert data inputs (like text prompts) into a desired outcome made possible by AI, (like an image that represents the text prompt).
Pro tip: Keen to get the most out of your prompts? Keep an eye out for our soon to be released 2024 Guide to Prompt Engineering.
Benefits of using AI tools
The benefits of AI software is far-reaching, with the technology’s impact already being demonstrated in increased worker satisfaction, rising productivity rates, and a sizeable boost to the global economy. Worth $454.12 billion worldwide in 2022, the global AI market is now set to reach $2, 575.16 billion by 2032.
So, what are the key benefits of AI platforms that keep users coming back for more?
Complete repetitive tasks
AI can’t, and won’t, experience fatigue. In contrast, countless studies show humans experience mental fatigue from repetitive tasks, which in turn increases the likelihood of workplace errors and accidents. AI tools are perfect for completing tasks, reducing the mental load of workers, and reserving time for valuable, stimulating, and worthwhile work.
Cost reduction
AI apps have become increasingly useful when it comes to cost reduction, whether that’s accelerating the rate at which tasks are completed, or optimizing the use of existing resources - spanning man-hours through to the effectiveness of existing technologies. And, as AI tools continue to advance, those cost reductions are set to simply increase.
Increase productivity
With the right AI platform, you can achieve more, with less. You might use ChatGPT to research material while you draft a pitch deck, or use Asana AI to intelligently project manage your team while you get into the weeds - whatever the use case, AI has become synonymous with fast-paced work, and working smarter - not harder.
Reduce human error
Human error is costly, and yet, it’s challenging to predict and mitigate. In one recent study from IBM, 95% of data breaches could be attributed to human error - a mistake that, under the GDPR, could cost a business up to £17.5 million (or 4% of annual turnover, whichever is higher).
In another study, comparing automated data entry to human data entry, for every 10, 000 data entries, the automated system would make between 1 and 4.1 errors, while humans would commit between 100 and 400 errors.
While human thinking drives change, human error slows progress.
With AI and people combined, we can expect progress to accelerate tenfold.
What are the best AI tools?
Below, we’ve reviewed the best AI tools of 2024, paying special attention to chatbots, coding, project management, content creation, and the must-have AI tools for business. Before we explore specialized tooling, let’s start with the best all-in-one AI tooling: V7 Go.
Best Overall: V7 Go
V7 Go is a generative AI platform for automating multi-modal tasks, reliably at scale. Powered by the best frontier models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Gemini, V7 Go users can automate repetitive tasks with a reasoning engine that digests documents, images, and videos, with greater accuracy than calling a model provider directly.
Equipped for thousands of use cases, the platform has been used for document processing, OCR scanning, automated know-your-customer checks (KYC), content generation, and more.
Features and Benefits
Chain of thought reasoning: V7 Go breaks down complex tasks into reasoning steps, column by column, allowing AI to reflect on parts of a problem, rather than the whole. The result? Fewer errors, and more scalable automation.
Index knowledge: V7 Go allows models to develop a data extract plan, much like a human analyst would. Documents become databases for AI to reason with, which allows the AI to write its own querying code.
Customizable task automation workflows: V7 Go users can power models like GPT-4, Claude 3, or Gemini to perform data pre-processing, branching off into AI-powered assembly lines for edge cases like tasks that require human review. You can even chain models together, allowing users to solve multiple complex tasks in the same project.
Scalability: V7 Go is the most scalable workflow automation tool on the market, launching with the capacity for 10 million fields per project. And, the platform capabilities continue to evolve every day.
Security: V7 is SOC2 Type 2 compliant, SSO enabled, and for enterprise clients, can run entirely on-prem via the Google Cloud marketplace. Thanks to our collaboration with OpenAI and Google, your data remains private, and exclusively yours to use.
Visual grounding: V7 Go users will soon be able to verify the location in a document or image where an LLM has sourced its information to exert a decision, increasing its explainability. This feature, coming soon to V7 Go, will be particularly useful for use cases like law, allowing the user to pinpoint the source of information in notoriously long contract reviews.
Below, you can see the platform in action, with one V7 Go user using GPT 4 to unearth discrepancies between packing lists and bills of lading for the logistics sector.
Here you can see another V7 Go user, this time powering their automated KYC process with Gemini Pro, extracting data, classifying documents, and verifying information at scale.
Finally, this V7 Go user has linked models (GPT-4 and Gemini Pro Vision) to generate book summaries and create classification tags, that can be fed to a store's recommendation engine through CSV export or API.
How to access
V7 Go can be used for free, with 50K Go Tokens (Standardized units obtained by converting tokens from various model providers into a single measure), 20 properties, 250 fields, and 10 seats. For those looking for a bit more juice, the pro package starts at $249 a month, with 25K fields, 1M Go tokens, and unlimited properties.
Worthy mentions
Honorable mentions in this category include Baseplate, Vellum, and Stack AI, each with their own strengths in AI workflow automation.
Chatbots: ChatGPT
Chatbots have been the driving force behind much of AI’s domination in recent years, triggered firstly by the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT back in November 2022. While competing chatbots have made their mark since then, the virality of ChatGPT’s 2022 launch, alongside its steady stream of improvements and advanced releases has positioned it firmly in the top spot.
Features and Benefits
Natural language processing (NLP): GPT-4 excels at understanding and generating human-like text, making interactions smooth and coherent.
Contextual awareness: It maintains context over long conversations, allowing for more meaningful and relevant responses.
Extensive training data: Trained on diverse and extensive datasets, ChatGPT can provide information on a broad range of topics.
Multiple languages: Capable of understanding and responding in various languages, making it accessible to a global audience.
Adaptability: Can be fine-tuned for specific industries or applications, enhancing its relevance and utility for different users.
API access: Can be integrated into various platforms and applications, such as customer service, virtual assistants, and more.
Image and text generation: Beyond text, it can generate images and assist with creative tasks.
Code understanding: Useful for developers, as it can understand and generate code snippets, debug, and provide explanations.
How to access
You can get started with ChatGPT for free, with access to the GPT-3.5 model, and limited access to GPT-4o. The free version will provide support on writing, research, problem-solving and more - with limited access to data analysis, file uploads, and custom GPTs. For those looking for something a bit more advanced, OpenAI provides a number of tiers, right up to enterprise-level support.
Worthy mentions
Anthrophic’s Claude is a close runner-up, thanks to its advanced natural language processing which delivers human-like interactions and context-aware responses. Similarly, Bing AI possesses robust search capabilities, offering accurate and up-to-date information thanks to Microsoft's search engine technology.
Content Creation: Jasper AI
When it comes to commercially focused content creation, Jasper AI is widely considered to be the best on the market. The platform caters to a range of content requirements, spanning marketing and sales enablement, articles, social media posts, and more. It's best known for converting company knowledge into viable content - by being trained on your brand’s voice, style, and positioning, guaranteeing on-brand outputs.
Jasper AI also integrates seamlessly with SEO tools like Surfer SEO, helping users create optimized content that ranks well on search engines. This comprehensive functionality makes it an invaluable tool for marketers, writers, and businesses aiming to enhance their productivity.
Features and Benefits
Content generation: The platform can quickly generate quality content, tweaked to align with your company's voice and positioning.
Multiple languages: JasperAI supports multiple languages, allowing users to target global audiences.
Plagiarism tooling: With a built-in plagiarism detector, the platform is designed to keep content outputs high, without inviting legal issues.
Easy to integrate: Designed to integrate with your existing tool stack, JasperAI can link to tools like SurferSEO to ensure outputs are primed to rank.
Analytics and insights: Beyond accelerating the rate of content outputs, Jasper AI will also allow you to track creation, tweak for optimizations, and deliver higher-performing marketing overall.
How to access
Jasper AI offers a 7-day free trial, with tiers for individual creators at $39 a month, collaborative teams starting at $59 a month, and personalized packages in the Business tier.
Worthy mentions
Loved by the industry at large, Copy.ai earns an honorable mention for its intuitive UI and particular strength with diverse copy outputs. Other runner-ups include Writesonic, ContentBot, and Rytr.
Video Generation: Runway
When it comes to Video Generation, there are several contenders. However, Runway scoops the top spot, thanks to a comprehensive suite of AI features, from removing key objects in videos, to creating AI-based lip-syncing.
Features and Benefits
Intuitive UI: One of Runway’s greatest strengths lies in its user-friendly interface, which makes video generation and editing a breeze for users.
Collaborative: Runway facilitates real-time collaboration, making it a competitive tool for teams working on large-scale projects with lots of moving parts.
Cloud-based: Thanks to running on the cloud, Runway doesn’t require heavy-duty hardware, making it accessible to the masses.
Easy to integrate: Runway can integrate with your video tooling suits, from Photoshop to Adobe After Effects.
Quality: Runway has become particularly known for its high-quality video outputs, particularly when compared to its competitors.
How to access
Runway is free to use, with a few limitations, such as credit and model usage. For those looking for greater access and export options, Runway packages start at $12 a month and range up to bespoke enterprise-focused tiers.
Worthy mentions
Notable runners-up include Descript (best for overdubbing and transcription), and Adobe Premier Pro with Adobe Sensei (Adobe’s AI offering).
Image Generation: Midjourney
Image AI tooling has become phenomenally popular in recent years, thanks to the rise of DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, and Craiyon. However, the industry-wide favorite is undoubtedly Midjourney, which returns high-quality images from simple text prompts.
Features and Benefits
Best in class output: MidJourney earns the top spot thanks to its outstanding image quality accredited to the extensive training data MidJourney pulls from.
Easy to use UI: The platform’s interface is simple and easy to use, making it a friendly option for both AI amateurs, and advanced users.
Prompt-based approach: Users can easily generate AI images with simple text prompts, avoiding the need for code, and making creative inputs an intuitive part of the process.
Simple integration: MidJourney can be linked to platforms in your existing toolkit.
How to access
While MidJourney pricing starts at $10, you can access free credits via Discord to try the platform out. From there, plans range from basic, with a series of limitations, right up to the “Mega Plan”, which includes general commercial usage rights, unlimited relaxed GPU time, and 60 hours a month of fast GPU time.
Worthy mentions
While the AI image generation market is densely populated, honorable mentions have to go to DALL-E and Stable Diffusion, which follow closely behind MidJourney’s image quality.
Coding: GitHub CoPilot
Perhaps unsurprisingly, GitHub CoPilot is our top pick when it comes to AI tools for coding. Self-described as the “world’s most widely adopted AI developer tool”, the platform packs quite a punch, promising to increase coding rates by 55%, bolstered by a robust approach to security and privacy.
Features and Benefits
Code suggestions: The platform provides code suggestions based on the context of your current file and project by leaning on extensive training data that returns accurate suggestions.
Language support: GitHub Copilot supports many programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Go, and more.
Integration: The platform easily integrates with existing workflows and development environments, making it a simple addition to your overall toolkit.
Code documentation: Let GitHub manage your documentation! Thanks to AI, this tool can help with documentation, alongside providing explanations for specific snippets of code.
Great for beginners: This AI tool is particularly useful for beginners, due to providing examples of code and suggestions that allow users to learn as they type.
How to access
GitHub Copilot offers a free 30 day trial for all users, however, it also provides free access for students, teachers, and contributors of popular open-source repositories on GitHub. Pricing remains competitive for those looking to add a bit more firepower, with packages starting at $4 a month.
Worthy mentions
Just behind GitHub CoPilot are Tabnine and Kite, which offer a similar suite of features, including AI-code completion, documentation support, and simple integration.
Project management: Asana
Securing first place for AI-fuelled project management is Asana, thanks to the combination of its intuitive UI, advanced AI features, and productivity-improving analytics. Asana AI automates routine workflows, estimates project timelines, and provides task prioritization recommendations for its users.
Features and Benefits
Task automation: The platform is set up to automate routine tasks and workflows, allowing team members to focus on more important tasks.
Project insights: Asana AI will provide AI-driven insights and recommendations designed to improve decision-making with data.
Easy integration: Asana AI integrates with popular business tools like Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, and more - ensuring project management is org-wide.
How to access
Individuals or small teams can use Asana AI for free, with a number of unlimited features (like tasks, projects, messages, and file storage). Packages then range from the starter plan (at £9.9 a month), right up to enterprise-level packages, which provide flexibility, precise controls, and airtight security.
Worthy mentions
Resemble AI and Synthesys AI studio
What are the best AI tools for business?
To boost the productivity of your business, a holistic approach to AI tools can be particularly advantageous. Pay attention to platforms that:
Adhere to stringent security standards
Integrate with your existing stack
Prioritize reliable and scalable results.
At a top level, we’d recommend:
V7 Go: For GenAI-powered multi-modal task automation, that uses frontier models to safely and securely turn company data into automations.
Jasper AI: For content creation, generating high-quality marketing copy, blog posts, and social media content tailored to your brand’s voice.
Runway: For AI-powered video generation and editing that streamlines the process of creating high quality commercial videos.
Midjourney: For an image-focused platform that excels at creating visually stunning images from text prompts, ideal for marketing and design teams.
Asana AI: Best for project management automation and timeline predictions, streamlining project workflows, and improving team coordination.
How to boost your productivity with AI tools
With human expertise and AI efficiency combined, users will benefit from dramatic productivity improvements, cost reductions, and a better use of manhours that accelerates innovative projects overall.
Not sure where to start? V7 Go is a free platform that automates tasks with a reasoning engine that can digest documents, images, and videos. Try V7 Go now, and see what happens when you really put AI to work.
