I've tried dozens of AI tools. I use six daily. Here's each one, what it does in my workflow, what it costs, and what I'd cut if I had to reduce to three. No affiliate links, no sponsored picks — just the tools I actually have open right now.
The Daily Six
| Tool | Use Case | Cost | Would I Cut? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Plus | Code, data analysis, quick tasks | $20/mo | Never |
| Claude Pro | Writing, documents, deep analysis | $20/mo | Last to go |
| Perplexity | Research, fact-checking | Free | Never (free) |
| Granola | Meeting notes | $10/mo | Maybe |
| Cursor | AI-assisted coding | $20/mo | Never (if you code) |
| GitHub Copilot | Inline code suggestions | Free tier | First to go |
Total spend: $70/month. If I had to cut to $20/month, I'd keep ChatGPT Plus and use free tiers of everything else. The paid tier of ChatGPT provides the most breadth per dollar.
What I Tried and Dropped
Notion AI ($10/mo): Good but not essential. ChatGPT does the same things if I paste content manually.
Jasper ($40/mo): Replaced entirely by ChatGPT with good prompts. Couldn't justify the price.
Otter.ai ($17/mo): Replaced by Granola which costs less and produces better notes.
Raycast AI ($8/mo): Loved it but I switched to Windows. Mac-only deal breaker.
Every 3 months, audit your AI subscriptions. For each one, ask: "Did I use this more than 10 times this month?" If not, cancel it. You can always resubscribe.