The best AI writing tools we have reviewed
Four tools, all reviewed in full. Ranked by one question: does it earn its subscription for someone writing for money?
This roundup only includes tools with a full review on this site. Each was researched from its documentation, current pricing and what working writers consistently report. The ranking is by our score, which measures value for someone earning from writing, not raw capability.
One thing to know before the list: for most people, the answer is one of the first two, and the free tier of the other. Nobody needs all four.
1. Claude
Claude
Consistently rated the strongest drafter and editor among the chat assistants, with usage limits on Pro that users complain about most.
The best first draft and the best editor. Drafts come out at the length you asked for, without the stock phrases, and the Projects feature keeps a client's voice attached to every chat. The usage limits on Pro are the only real complaint. Full review.
2. ChatGPT
ChatGPT
Covers more jobs than any other single subscription. Writers consistently rate its drafts a step behind Claude.
The all-rounder. Writing is a step behind Claude in most published comparisons, and it needs a banned-phrases list to stay out of its own habits, but you also get images, voice and strong research in the same $20. If you only pay for one thing, it is a defensible choice. Full review.
3. Perplexity
Perplexity
Sourced answers fast enough to replace a tab of Google searches. Check the sources before you publish.
Not a writing tool. The research tool that sits before writing, with every claim linked to a source. The free tier covers a weekly writer. We put it here because a writer with Claude and Perplexity has the whole workflow for $20 a month. Full review.
4. Jasper
Jasper
Polished templates and brand-voice tools on top of models you can rent directly for a third of the price.
Good software for a marketing team that needs shared brand voices. For a solo writer it is two to three times the price of Claude for output that comparisons find hard to tell apart. It is on this list because people ask, and it is last because of the price. Full review.
What we would buy
Claude Pro, plus Perplexity's free tier, plus ChatGPT's free tier for images. Total, $20 a month. See the freelance writing guide for how they fit together.