The best AI tool is the one that helps with the work you actually need to do. A general assistant can help you think through an idea; a coding tool can help a developer work in a project; a meeting tool can turn a conversation into notes. For relationship-driven teams, the useful next step may be connecting the conversation to the people and work already in their CRM.
Here are ten AI tools to explore, organized by what they help with. Finta publishes this guide and is included below. The list is an editorial starting point based on providers' published descriptions, not an independent ranking or a claim that we tested every product. Features, access, and pricing can vary by plan and change over time, so check each provider before choosing.
10 AI tools to explore
| Tool | A useful starting job | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Finta Aurora | Prepare relationship work using available CRM and connected context. | Which workspace sources and connections are available to your team? |
| ChatGPT | Discuss a problem, draft, summarize, or explore supported files. | Which tools, models, and data settings are available on your plan? |
| Claude | Work through a question or analyze supported documents. | What file types, connections, and usage limits apply? |
| Google Gemini | Draft and refine writing in supported Google Workspace tools. | Is the feature available in your Workspace edition and enabled? |
| Perplexity | Explore a question with linked sources. | Which search mode and sources are available, and can you verify the claims? |
| Microsoft Copilot | Draft, revise, or summarize in supported Microsoft 365 apps. | Does your subscription or organization enable the relevant feature? |
| Notion AI | Work with notes and supported workspace context. | What sources can it access, and what settings control that access? |
| Canva Magic Design | Generate a design starting point from a description. | Are the feature and the intended use available under your plan and terms? |
| GitHub Copilot | Help developers write and understand code in supported workflows. | Which editor, permissions, and review practices does your team use? |
| Otter | Review meeting transcripts, summaries, and action items. | How will you obtain consent and handle recordings and notes? |
These tools overlap. A general assistant can support several jobs, while a specialist may be built around one workflow. The table is a way to start evaluating, not evidence that any tool is better for every use.
How to choose the right AI tool
1. Start with one job
Describe the work before looking at feature lists. “Prepare for a customer call using our existing notes” is easier to evaluate than “make our team more productive.” Decide what a useful result would look like: a brief, a draft, a source-linked answer, a design concept, or something else.
2. Check the context it can use
An assistant is more useful when it can work with the right information, but the source must be available and you must have permission to use it. Compare what you can provide directly with what a tool can access through supported connections. Availability depends on the product, plan, organization settings, and your permissions.
3. Test with the same small task
Give each candidate the same non-sensitive example and a clear instruction. Compare whether it completes the job, uses the supplied information accurately, and returns a result you can inspect. If the workflow requires an action beyond a draft, verify what the product can actually do in your own setup.
4. Count review time as part of the work
The first answer is not the finished job. Check important facts, sources, names, calculations, and commitments. A tool that creates a polished output but needs extensive correction may not be the best fit for that task.
5. Review permissions, costs, and ownership
Before using customer, company, or personal information, review the provider's terms and your organization's rules. Check who can access the result, what happens to the data, any usage limits, and the total cost for the people who need it. The person using the result remains responsible for deciding what to share or act on.
AI tools by type
There is no universal five-part taxonomy, but these categories make the landscape easier to navigate:
- General assistants help with questions, drafts, explanations, and supported files.
- Research tools help discover, synthesize, or organize information and sources.
- Writing and design tools help prepare text, visuals, and other creative work.
- Developer tools help with code-related work in supported environments.
- Workflow and meeting tools help organize conversations, context, tasks, or follow-through.
One product can fit more than one category. Compare the actual job and available context instead of treating category labels as a guarantee of features.
A copyable AI tool comparison worksheet
Job to complete: [What do you need to produce or decide?]
Inputs: [What information can you share, and what context must be available?]
Output: [Brief, draft, source-linked answer, design, code, or other result]
Candidates: [Two or three tools to compare]
Test: [The same example and instruction for each]
Review: [What facts, sources, permissions, or actions must a person check?]
Decision: [Which result helped most, and what remains unresolved?]
For example, a fictional founder might ask two tools to prepare a short meeting brief from the same approved notes. They compare whether each brief captures the stated objective, identifies open questions, and avoids inventing commitments. If one tool can use additional permitted CRM context, the founder can run a second test and review what that context actually adds.
What are the top 10 AI tools?
The ten options above cover common jobs across general assistance, research, writing, design, development, and relationship work. They are not a universal top-ten ranking. A developer, designer, researcher, and fundraising team can reasonably choose different tools because their tasks and requirements differ.
What AI is better than ChatGPT?
That depends on the job. A specialist coding, design, meeting, or relationship tool may fit a particular workflow better, while a general assistant may be useful across several tasks. Compare candidates using the same task and review criteria rather than relying on a single “better” label.
What is the most widely used AI tool?
Usage rankings depend on the measurement, audience, time period, and whether a report counts a standalone app or AI features embedded in other products. Check a current, clearly defined source before making a popularity claim. Popularity alone also does not tell you whether a tool fits your work.
Put the right context to work
When the work involves people, the next step often depends on the history behind the relationship. Aurora in Finta can work with available Finta workspace context and supported connections to help prepare a relevant next move. Your team reviews the information and decides what to do next.
Pick one job, try a small comparison, and keep the tool that helps you move it forward with confidence. If your work is specifically fundraising, start with our guide to AI tools for venture capital fundraising.