Evergreen Library · Updated Continuously

Tools We Use.

The AI, productivity, and business tools we actually recommend — picked for real people, not for influencer points. Free options first, paid where it's worth it.

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AI Chat

ChatGPT

Freemium

The most widely used AI assistant. Strong general reasoning, image input, voice mode, and built-in web search.

Best for: Daily questions, writing, learning, and getting unstuck fast

Claude

Freemium

Anthropic's assistant. Strong long-document reading, careful writing, and code work.

Best for: Long PDFs, careful drafts, and nuanced reasoning

Google Gemini

Freemium

Google's assistant, integrated with Gmail, Docs, and Drive on paid plans.

Best for: Google Workspace users

AI Writing

Grammarly

Freemium

Real-time grammar, tone, and clarity suggestions in your browser and apps.

Best for: Cleaning up email and everyday writing

Notion AI

Paid

AI writing and summarization built into Notion docs.

Best for: Drafting and summarizing inside your notes

AI Research

Perplexity

Freemium

AI answer engine with cited sources. Great for fast research with receipts.

Best for: Looking things up without 12 open tabs

NotebookLM

Free

Google's research notebook. Upload sources and ask grounded questions about them.

Best for: Working through long documents or course material

AI Video

Descript

Freemium

Edit video and audio by editing the transcript. AI cleanup, filler removal, and voice cloning.

Best for: Podcasts and talking-head video on a budget

Runway

Freemium

Generative video creation and editing tools.

Best for: AI b-roll and short creative clips

AI Images

Midjourney

Paid

High-quality AI image generation with a strong creative aesthetic.

Best for: Polished images for content and design

Canva

Freemium

Design tool with built-in AI image, text, and layout generation.

Best for: Social posts, slides, and quick graphics

Productivity

Notion

Freemium

Docs, wikis, and lightweight databases in one workspace.

Best for: Personal knowledge base and project tracking

Obsidian

Freemium

Local-first Markdown notes with backlinks and a strong plugin ecosystem.

Best for: Long-term private notes you fully own

Business

Stripe

Paid

Payments, subscriptions, and invoicing for online businesses.

Best for: Accepting money online without the legacy headaches

Beehiiv

Freemium

Newsletter platform with built-in growth, ad network, and monetization tools.

Best for: Growing a paid or sponsored newsletter

Learning

Coursera

Freemium

University and industry courses, many with free audit options.

Best for: Structured learning on AI, business, and tech

YouTube

Free

Free video on virtually any topic — if you know what to search for.

Best for: Quick how-tos and tool walkthroughs