Your Complete AI
Tools Arsenal
Curated collection of 30+ AI tools with detailed analysis on when to use each. From development to research, automation to content creation - find the perfect tool for every task.Quick Start: Top 5 Essential Tools
Complete Tools Directory
Each tool analyzed for specific use cases, with honest pros and cons to help you choose the right one
Browse tools by category or search for your specific use case. Each recommendation includes real-world analysis of when to use it, when to skip it, and how much productivity it adds to your workflow. Based on 100+ hours of hands-on testing and production implementations across development, research, and content creation workflows.
OpenAI's flagship conversational AI with GPT-4o for daily tasks and o3 for deeper, structured thinking.
General AI assistant, daily tasks, brainstorming, coding help
- • Fast, multi-purpose responses
- • Integrates well with GPT-4o
- • Limited memory across sessions
- • API cost for heavy use
Quick answers, drafts, or structured thinking
AI-first web browser with automation and powerful shortcuts. Everything in one place - if you have nothing else, this is enough.
AI-first web browsing with automation & shortcuts
- • Everything in one place
- • Saves content automatically
- • Limited browser extension ecosystem
- • New product, may lack some features
Daily browsing + workflow automation
Research-focused AI with real-time web access for competitive analysis, feature breakdowns, and project insights.
Research, fact-finding, competitor analysis
- • Cites sources with up-to-date info
- • Great summaries
- • Sometimes over-summarizes
- • Can miss nuance
In-depth research, market scans
Anthropic's AI assistant with superior context handling, natural writing style, and code analysis capabilities.
Long-form writing, tone-matched output, doc analysis
- • Handles long context windows
- • Natural writing style
- • Limited real-time data access
- • No direct code execution
Reports, proposals, blog posts
X's real-time AI with access to live social data and trending topics.
Real-time trend monitoring
- • Live social data from X
- • Real-time information
- • Limited to X platform data
- • Requires X Premium subscription
Stay ahead on breaking topics
AI-powered IDE for turning MVPs into production builds with intelligent code completion.
AI-powered IDE
- • Great for code completion
- • Multi-model support
- • Steep learning curve for beginners
- • Subscription required for full features
Turning MVPs into production builds
Mobile-optimized coding IDE that works anywhere, fast and efficient.
Mobile coding IDE
- • Works anywhere
- • Fast performance
- • Limited on small screens
- • Less features than desktop IDEs
Code changes on the go
Best for logical, multi-step coding tasks with complex reasoning and heavy debugging.
Multi-step coding + logic tasks
- • Handles reasoning-heavy debugging
- • Excellent for complex logic
- • No direct code execution
- • Limited IDE integration
Complex refactors & bug fixing
Rapid MVP prototyping tool for testing skeleton apps with clients before full development.
MVP skeleton creation
- • Lightning-fast prototypes
- • Great for client demos
- • Limited customization
- • Not for production use
Early client demos
AI pair programming in terminal - perfect for developers who prefer CLI workflows.
AI pair programming in terminal
- • Direct code edits
- • Version control aware
- • Command line only
- • Steep learning curve
Building or extending codebases
Ready-to-use configurations and templates for Claude Code projects.
Ready configs for Claude projects
- • Saves setup time
- • Best practices included
- • Limited template selection
- • Claude-specific only
Kickstarting new coding projects
Open-source automation engine with visual workflow builder and AI templates.
Automation workflows & integrations
- • Open-source
- • AI templates
- • Complex for beginners
- • Requires technical knowledge
Complex multi-step automations
Meeting notes and summaries tool with automated capture capabilities.
Meeting notes & summaries
- • Simple, clean interface
- • Works offline
- • Limited features
- • Being deprecated
Lightweight meeting capture
Specialized audio recording device for conferences with AI transcription.
Audio recording + transcription
- • High-quality capture
- • Portable device
- • Requires physical device
- • Additional cost for hardware
Conferences, interviews
Google's AI integrated with Workspace for seamless productivity within Google ecosystem.
Google Workspace AI
- • Natively in Google Docs, Sheets, Gmail
- • Seamless integration
- • Google ecosystem locked
- • Less powerful than competitors
Existing Google suite users
AI-powered presentation builder for creating clean, professional slides quickly.
Fast AI-built presentations
- • Clean output
- • Minimal edits needed
- • Limited design customization
- • Template-based approach
Pitches, quick client decks
Platform for hosting, testing, and deploying open-source AI models and datasets.
Model hosting & testing
- • Huge model library
- • Community support
- • Technical knowledge required
- • Complex for beginners
Testing niche or custom AI models
Experiment with OpenAI models using different parameters and configurations.
Prompt testing & fine-tuning
- • Easy to tweak parameters
- • Direct API testing
- • Costs add up quickly
- • No built-in version control
Experimenting with prompt styles
Track and compare trending AI models across different categories and use cases.
Compare trending AI models
- • Quick benchmark snapshots
- • Category-specific rankings
- • Surface-level comparisons
- • Limited testing capabilities
Picking models to try
Discover new AI tools daily with categorized search and recommendations.
AI tool discovery
- • Huge directory
- • Daily updates
- • Information overload
- • Limited depth on tools
Finding tools for new ideas
AI video generation with realistic avatars for presentations and training content.
AI video creation
- • Realistic avatars
- • Quick updates possible
- • Can feel artificial
- • Expensive for volume
Training, product explainers
Video editing and summarization tool with AI-powered features for content creators.
Video editing & summarization
- • Easy interface
- • AI captions
- • Limited advanced features
- • Watermark on free tier
YouTube breakdowns, social clips
Advanced AI video generation and editing with Gen-2 and Gen-3 models for creative professionals.
AI video generation
- • State-of-the art Gen-2 visuals
- • Creative tools
- • Expensive for regular use
- • Steep learning curve
Creative ads, concept videos
AI-powered PR agent for code review, outreach, and visibility automation.
PR & outreach automation
- • Niche focus
- • Time-saving for PR
- • Limited use cases
- • New product
Media pitching & visibility pushes
No-code chatbot builder with RAG capabilities for customer support automation.
Website AI chatbot w/ RAG
- • Easy setup
- • Uses own data
- • Limited customization
- • Template-based
Customer FAQ & onboarding
No-code LangChain UI for building custom AI pipelines visually.
No-code AI pipelines (LangChain)
- • Fast prototyping
- • Visual flow builder
- • Limited by visual interface
- • Performance overhead
Building custom agents fast
Quick Comparison: Top 5 Essential Tools
| Tool | Best For | Pricing | Key Strength | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comet Browser | All-in-one browsing | Free with Perplexity | Automation shortcuts | Daily workflow |
| ChatGPT | General AI tasks | Free/$20 | Versatility | Quick answers & coding |
| Claude | Long-form content | Free/$20 | Context handling | Writing & analysis |
| Cursor | Code development | Free/$20 | AI-powered IDE | Building production apps |
| Perplexity | Research | Free/$20 | Real-time web access | Market research & facts |
Battle-Tested AI Workflows
Step-by-step workflows used by successful teams. Choose your use case and follow the proven path.
Full-Stack Developer
Build production apps from idea to deployment
Content Creator
Create viral content with AI assistance
Startup Founder
Launch your startup with AI efficiency
Data Scientist
Build ML pipelines and analyze data
Digital Marketer
Create campaigns that convert
Researcher
Deep dive into any topic efficiently
Pro Tips for All Workflows
Start Simple: Begin with 2-3 tools and expand gradually
Browser First: Comet Browser can handle 60% of tasks alone
Mix & Match: Combine tools for powerful workflows
Free Tiers: Most workflows work with free versions
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn about the best AI tools and how to use them effectively
Stackly is a curated guide to the best AI tools for development, research, automation, and productivity. It helps you understand when and how to use each tool effectively, with detailed comparisons, pros/cons, and recommendations based on real-world usage.
Consider your use case: For coding, use Cursor or GitHub Copilot. For research, try Perplexity or Claude. For content creation, ChatGPT or Claude excel. For automation, explore tools like n8n or Make. Stackly provides detailed breakdowns to help you match tools to your specific workflows.
ChatGPT (OpenAI) excels at general tasks, creative writing, and has a vast plugin ecosystem. Claude (Anthropic) is known for longer context windows, nuanced reasoning, and handling complex documents. Both are excellent - your choice depends on specific needs like context length, coding ability, or integration requirements.
For AI coding: Cursor is excellent for full-project context and inline editing. GitHub Copilot integrates seamlessly into VS Code. Claude and ChatGPT are great for explaining code and debugging. The best choice depends on your IDE preference, project complexity, and coding style.
Most AI tools offer free tiers: ChatGPT has a free version, Claude offers free access with limits, Perplexity has a free tier. Premium features typically require subscriptions ($20-50/month). Stackly notes pricing for each tool to help you budget effectively.
AI tools can accelerate your startup by: automating code generation and debugging, creating marketing content at scale, conducting market research, building MVPs faster, automating customer support, and reducing operational overhead. The right AI stack can help you operate like a much larger team.
Girish's daily stack includes: Claude for complex reasoning and long documents, Cursor for AI-powered coding, Perplexity for research, ChatGPT for quick tasks and brainstorming, and various automation tools. The specific recommendations depend on your role and workflow needs.
The Stackly AI tools directory is regularly updated as new tools emerge and existing tools evolve. The AI landscape changes rapidly, so we track major updates, new features, and emerging tools to keep recommendations current and actionable.
Your AI Stack Journey
Start with the essentials and expand as you grow. Every successful team follows this proven path.
Foundation
Start with the essentials
Development
Add power tools
Scale
Expand your toolkit