Best AI assistants and AI writing tools in 2026

AI assistants answer questions, write and edit text, summarise documents and help with research and code. Specialist tools focus on marketing copy, grammar or meeting notes.

1. 1
   chatgpt.com Freemium

   ChatGPT: OpenAI general-purpose AI assistant for writing, research, analysis and images

   Key features: Chat and writing, Web search, File and data analysis, Image generation, Custom GPTs.

   Best for: Almost anyone wanting a versatile AI assistant. / Web, Desktop, iOS, Android
2. 2
   claude.ai Freemium

   Claude: Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, coding and long documents

   Key features: Chat and writing, Long document analysis, Projects, Artifacts, Coding help.

   Best for: Writing, analysing long documents and coding. / Web, Desktop, iOS, Android
3. 3
   gemini.google.com Freemium

   Google Gemini: Google's AI assistant, integrated with Gmail, Docs and Search

   Key features: Chat and writing, Google app integration, Deep research, Image and video generation, Large context.

   Best for: Google users who want AI inside their Google apps. / Web, iOS, Android
4. 4
   copilot.microsoft.com Freemium

   Microsoft Copilot: Microsoft's AI assistant across Windows, Edge and Microsoft 365

   Key features: Chat with web search, Microsoft 365 integration, Image generation, Windows integration.

   Best for: Microsoft 365 users who want AI in Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams. / Web, Desktop, iOS, Android
5. 5
   perplexity.ai Freemium

   Perplexity: AI answer engine that searches the web and cites its sources

   Key features: Answers with citations, Follow-up questions, Pro search, File analysis, Spaces.

   Best for: Research and fact-finding with sources. / Web, Desktop, iOS, Android
6. 6
   grammarly.com Freemium

   Grammarly: Writing assistant for grammar, clarity and tone everywhere you type

   Key features: Grammar and spelling, Clarity and tone suggestions, Works across apps, AI rewriting, Plagiarism check (paid).

   Best for: Anyone who writes emails, documents and posts. / Browser extension, Desktop, iOS, Android
7. 7
   jasper.ai Free trial

   Jasper: AI content platform for marketing teams

   Key features: Brand voice, Marketing templates, Campaign workflows, Image generation, Team collaboration.

   Best for: Marketing teams producing on-brand content at scale. / Web, Browser extension
8. 8
   otter.ai Freemium

   Otter.ai: AI meeting notes, transcription and summaries

   Key features: Live transcription, Meeting summaries, Joins Zoom, Meet and Teams, Action items, Search.

   Best for: Professionals who want automatic meeting notes. / Web, iOS, Android
9. 9
   descript.com Freemium

   Descript: Edit video and podcasts by editing the transcript

   Key features: Text-based editing, Filler word removal, Studio Sound, Screen recording, AI voice.

   Best for: Podcasters and talking-head video creators. / Windows, macOS, Web
10. 10
    github.com Freemium

    GitHub Copilot: AI coding assistant that suggests code and answers questions in your editor

    Key features: Code completion, Chat in the editor, Coding agent, Pull request summaries, Multiple AI models.

    Best for: Developers using popular IDEs and GitHub. / VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Web