In a nutshell: Everyone knows ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Copilot. But the real competitive advantage in 2026 doesn't come from mainstream tools — it comes from the ones that almost no one is using. We analyzed over 100 emerging AI tools and selected the 20 most interesting: from Descript, which lets you edit video like a Word document, to n8n, which is open source and costs 10-20x less than Zapier, to Goblin Tools, completely free and designed for people who struggle with productivity. No hype, just tools that actually work.
Why "Obvious" AI Tools Are No Longer Enough
Let's get this out of the way: if in 2026 your AI strategy is limited to ChatGPT for text and Midjourney for images, you're at least two years behind. Not because they're bad tools — they're excellent. But everyone uses them, which means they give you zero competitive advantage.
According to Foundation Capital (2026), the real value of AI is shifting from generic models to vertical tools: tools built to solve specific problems better than any generalist chatbot. And according to Bloomberg, the most funded AI startups of 2025-2026 aren't chatbots — they're platforms that automate entire workflows.
At Deep Marketing, we test dozens of AI tools every month for our clients. This list is the result of months of real-world experimentation — not yet another recycled list from Product Hunt. For every tool, we offer an honest analysis, with pros and cons.
The Complete Map: 20 AI Tools by Category
Video and Audio: The Quiet Revolution
1. Descript — Edit Video Like a Word Document
Website: descript.com — Price: Free / from $24/mo
Descript did something brilliant: it turned video editing into text editing. You upload a video, the AI transcribes it, and from that point on you edit the video by editing the text. Delete a sentence from the transcript? The video cut happens automatically. Say "um" 47 times? One click and they all disappear.
But the real star is Overdub: you clone your voice and then fix mistakes or add sentences simply by typing them. The AI reads them in your voice. Add automatic eye contact correction (yes, the AI makes you look at the camera even if you were reading) and studio-quality audio enhancement, and you can see why 6 million creators use it.
Our take: This is the tool we recommend most often to clients who produce social media videos. The paradigm shift — editing media as text — isn't a gimmick, it's genuinely faster. The free plan with 1 hour of transcription is enough to test it seriously.
2. HeyGen — Translate Videos with Lip-Sync in 140 Languages
Website: heygen.com — Price: from $24/mo
Take a video in Italian. HeyGen translates it into Japanese, German, or Portuguese while keeping the original speaker's voice and syncing the lip movements. The result is uncanny: it looks like the person is natively speaking another language.
Used by over 85,000 companies, including Fortune 500 clients, HeyGen also offers AI avatars for creating scalable branded videos. The "Video Agent" turns a single sentence into a complete script, voiceover, and presentation.
Our take: For agencies and companies with international clients, this tool eliminates the need for expensive localization studios. A CEO testimonial video translated into 5 languages with lip-sync? That used to cost thousands of euros and weeks of work. Now it takes minutes. The limitation? Quality drops on videos with a lot of movement or noisy backgrounds.
3. ElevenLabs — AI Voices You Can't Tell Apart from Real Ones
Website: elevenlabs.io — Price: Free / from $5/mo
ElevenLabs has won the voice synthesis war. The generated voices are so realistic that over 60% of Fortune 500 teams use their API. It clones a real voice from a sample of just 1 minute and reproduces it in 32 languages.
The use cases are explosive: game developers generating NPC dialogue, audiobook narrators cloning their own voice to work faster, YouTubers creating channels in languages they don't speak. With $80 million in funding and unicorn status, this is no amateur project.
Our take: The quality is genuinely impressive — the gap with competitors is obvious. The API is excellent for custom integrations. The free plan (20 minutes of audio per month) is enough for testing, but for professional use you'll need at least the $5/mo plan. Note: the ethical implications of voice cloning are serious. Only use voices for which you have consent.
4. Suno — Full Songs with Human Vocals from a Text Prompt
Website: suno.com — Price: Free / from $10/mo
Suno doesn't generate "background music." It generates complete songs — lyrics, melody, instruments, and sung vocals that sound human — from a text prompt. Type "a melancholic rock ballad about Milan nights" and in 30 seconds you have a track that could pass on the radio.
The fact that UMG (Universal Music Group) signed a licensing deal with Suno in 2026, while simultaneously Sony sued them over training data, tells you everything: the product is so good it's scaring the music industry.
Our take: For advertising jingles, corporate video soundtracks, or podcast music, Suno is a revolution. The free plan offers about 10 songs per day. The current limitation: little fine-grained control over musical structure. But for 90% of marketing uses, it's more than enough.
5. Wondercraft — Professional Podcasts Without Ever Touching a Microphone
Website: wondercraft.ai — Price: Free / from $25/mo
Feed it a URL, a document, or plain text. Wondercraft generates a complete podcast: script, multiple voices (500+ voices in 50+ languages), background music, professional pacing, and even subtitles. No microphone, no studio.
Our take: The killer use case for agencies: turning client blog posts into podcast episodes without any actual production. The quality isn't on par with a professionally recorded podcast, but for content repurposing and lead nurturing, it's excellent. The free plan (6 credits/month) is too limited — you'll need at least the Creator plan at $25/mo for serious use.
Data and Analytics: Goodbye Excel, Goodbye SQL
6. Julius AI — Chat with Your Data, Zero Code
Website: julius.ai — Price: Free / from $20/mo
Upload a CSV, an Excel spreadsheet, or connect to PostgreSQL, BigQuery, or Snowflake. Then ask in plain English: "Which campaign had the highest ROI in Q3?" and Julius generates charts, tables, and insights without you writing a single line of SQL or Python.
"Notebooks" let you create repeatable analysis workflows — an analysis done once can be re-run with updated data in a single click.
Our take: This is the tool that bridges the gap between the marketing manager and the data analyst. The free plan (15 messages/month) is too limited, but the Plus plan at $20/mo is reasonable. The real value shows up when you connect it to live databases — it becomes a conversational dashboard. 50% discount for students and educators.
7. Pigment — The Tool Fortune 500 CFOs Use Instead of Excel
Website: pigment.com — Price: Enterprise
If you work in finance or FP&A, you know the pain: monstrous Excel models, diverging versions, impossible-to-compare scenarios. Pigment replaces them with a collaborative AI platform for real-time budgeting, forecasting, and scenario planning.
The numbers speak for themselves: clients like Coca-Cola, Unilever, Klarna, Figma, and Airtable. A Forrester study calculated a 306% ROI over 3 years. Bloomberg listed it among the AI startups to watch.
Our take: It's not for everyone — it's an enterprise solution with premium pricing. But if your company still does planning on Excel with 47 tabs and circular formulas, Pigment is the answer. The AI-powered scenario planning ("what happens if raw material costs rise by 15%?") is the real game changer. For SMBs, the cost is likely prohibitive.
Design, 3D, and Presentations: Augmented Creativity
8. UX Pilot — AI Wireframes with Predictive Heatmaps (in Figma)
Website: uxpilot.ai — Price: Free / from $19/mo
Type a prompt like "landing page for a B2B SaaS with hero, social proof, and pricing table" and UX Pilot generates complete wireframes and hi-fi designs. But the feature that sets it apart is the predictive heatmap: it simulates where users will look before you even build anything.
It integrates natively with Figma and is featured in the official Figma AI tools library.
Our take: The predictive heatmap alone is worth the subscription price. For anyone building landing pages, being able to validate layout before investing in development is huge. The free plan (7 screens) is enough for a test. The limitation: generated designs are good starting points, not finished products.
9. Meshy — 3D Models from Text or Images in Under 1 Minute
Website: meshy.ai — Price: Free / from $16/mo
Type "a modern chair in light wood" or upload a 2D photo: Meshy generates a complete 3D model with PBR textures, rigging, and animation, exportable to FBX, GLB, OBJ, STL, USDZ. In under one minute.
Use cases range from e-commerce (3D product visualizations) to gaming, from 3D printing to architecture.
Our take: For anyone in e-commerce, this is gold. Creating 3D product visualizations used to cost hundreds of euros per piece with a modeler. With Meshy, you start at $16/mo for 200 credits. The quality is surprising for simple models, less so for complex geometries. But as a rapid prototyping tool, it has no rivals.
10. Gamma — From Presentation to Website in 60 Seconds
Website: gamma.app — Price: Free / from $10/mo
Gamma creates presentations, rich documents, and publishable websites from a text prompt in under 60 seconds. The "Gamma Agent" (version 3.0) searches the web, rewrites content, changes the style of entire decks, and provides feedback via conversation.
The numbers are impressive: 70 million users, $100M ARR, $2.1 billion valuation. It's one of the fastest-growing AI tools in the world.
Our take: The killer feature is one-click publishing: you create a presentation and publish it as a website. For startups that need landing pages fast or for last-minute pitch decks, it's unbeatable. The free plan (400 AI credits) is generous. The design isn't at a professional designer's level, but for 80% of use cases it's more than enough.
Development and "Vibe Coding": Programming Without (Almost) Programming
11. Lovable — Full Web Apps from Natural Language
Website: lovable.dev — Price: Free / from $25/mo
Describe the app you want in natural language: Lovable generates frontend, backend, database, authentication, and deployment in one click. Not mockups — real, working code that you can export to GitHub and continue developing traditionally.
According to MIT Technology Review, "vibe coding" (programming via natural language) is among the 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2026. Lovable reached $13.5M ARR in just 3 months from launch.
Our take: It's the future of rapid prototyping. For validating an idea or building an MVP in a weekend, Lovable is extraordinary. The real advantage over no-code tools (Webflow, Bubble) is that it generates real code — you're not locked into a proprietary platform. The limitation: for complex applications, the generated code still needs a developer for maintenance.
12. Warp — The Terminal Reinvented with AI
Website: warp.dev — Price: Free
Warp is a terminal built from scratch in Rust with GPU rendering and integrated AI. Type in natural language ("how do I find all .log files larger than 100MB?") and get the command. But the real innovation is block-based output: every command and its result is a discrete block — searchable, shareable.
Warp 2.0 (launched in 2025) became an "Agentic Development Environment" — it doesn't just suggest commands, it autonomously executes multi-step tasks.
Our take: If you're a developer still using the Mac's default terminal, you're wasting hours every week. Warp is free and the productivity difference is immediate. The zero data retention policy for AI features is a significant plus. Only downside: available only on Mac and Linux (no native Windows).
13. n8n — Open Source Automation, 10-20x Cheaper Than Zapier
Website: n8n.io — Price: Free (self-hosted) / from €24/mo (cloud)
n8n is the open source answer to Zapier and Make. Build AI workflows connecting LLMs (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini) with operational tools (Slack, HubSpot, databases). The "AI Agent" nodes create self-correcting workflows that reason about errors. 400+ native integrations.
The cost advantage is brutal: n8n counts entire workflow executions, not individual actions. A 10-step workflow run 1,000 times = 1,000 executions on n8n vs 10,000 tasks on Zapier. Self-hosted is completely free with unlimited executions.
Our take: For agencies and technical teams, n8n is a no-brainer. Self-hosting requires technical skills, but the savings are enormous. For those who don't want to manage servers, the cloud starts at €24/mo — still much less than Zapier for complex workflows. The addition of AI Agent nodes makes it a complete AI automation platform. The limitation: the learning curve is steeper than Zapier's.
Intelligent Automation and AI Agents
14. Gumloop — The Most Underrated AI Automation Tool on the Market
Website: gumloop.com — Price: Free / from $37/mo
Gumloop has been called "the most underrated AI tool on the market" by several independent reviews. It's a drag-and-drop builder that connects any LLM (GPT-4, Claude, Grok) to your internal tools: process documents, scrape the web, update CRMs, extract data, classify — all without code.
Founded by two Canadian developers, it's already used by teams at companies like Instacart.
Our take: For agencies selling AI automation services to clients, Gumloop is the perfect tool. The visual builder is more intuitive than n8n for non-technical users, and the free plan (2,000 credits) is enough for a proof-of-concept. The limitation: the integration ecosystem is still smaller than n8n's or Zapier's, but it's growing fast.
15. Lindy AI — Build Autonomous "AI Employees", Not Workflows
Website: lindy.ai — Price: Free / from $20/mo
Lindy's paradigm shift is subtle but important: you don't build workflows, you build roles. Describe in natural language ("manage incoming support emails, categorize by urgency, draft replies for simple cases, escalate complex ones") and Lindy builds the automation.
With 4,000+ integrations (Gmail, HubSpot, Slack, Google Calendar) and 1,000+ pre-built templates, setup time is minimal.
Our take: The "AI employee" vs "workflow" concept isn't just marketing — it genuinely changes the way you think about automation. Instead of "when email arrives → if it contains X → do Y," you define a goal and Lindy figures out how to achieve it. For meeting notes and email triage, the results are excellent. The free plan (400 credits/month) is generous for testing.
16. AirOps — Scalable SEO Pipelines with AI (Not Just Another AI Writer)
Website: airops.com — Price: Freemium
AirOps is not an AI writer. It's a content operations platform that transforms SEO processes into automated, scalable systems. Create pipelines that research keywords (via Semrush integration), generate briefs, create content, optimize for SEO, and publish to your CMS — all repeatable via "Grids" across hundreds of pages at once.
The current focus is on Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) — optimizing visibility not just on Google, but also on ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
Our take: For SEO agencies managing dozens of clients, AirOps is the leap from craftsmanship to industrial production. The Knowledge Bases for brand consistency are excellent — every client maintains their own tone of voice even at scale. The GEO focus is forward-thinking. The limitation: the initial learning curve is significant.
Productivity: Fewer Meetings, Better Results
17. Granola — The AI That Takes Notes Without the Creepy Bot on the Call
Website: granola.ai — Price: Free / from $20/mo
The problem with Otter, Fireflies, and similar tools: a bot joins your video call, everyone sees it, and the atmosphere changes. Granola solves this elegantly: no bot. It captures audio locally and enhances your notes — it doesn't replace them.
During the call, you jot down keywords or quick bullet points. Afterwards, click "Enhance Notes" and the AI transforms them into structured summaries, action items, and decisions. "Recipes" (launched late 2025) automate post-meeting workflows.
Our take: The "bot-less" approach is brilliant and solves a real etiquette problem on calls. Bloomberg listed it among the AI startups to watch. Privacy is a strong point: they don't sell data and don't let third parties train models on your content. It's become the favorite of Silicon Valley power users, and for good reason.
18. Goblin Tools — Free, Brilliant, Designed for People Who Struggle with Productivity
Website: goblin.tools — Price: Completely free
Goblin Tools is a collection of AI micro-tools: "Magic ToDo" breaks tasks into sub-steps with adjustable granularity (the "spiciness level"), "Compiler" organizes chaotic brain dumps into structured lists, "Judge" analyzes the tone of a text, "Estimator" predicts how long a task will take.
Built specifically for neurodivergent people, but useful for anyone who struggles with task initiation or executive function. Completely free, no ads, no paywall.
Our take: This is the tool on this list that surprised us the most. Not for the technology (it's simple), but for the user-centered design. The "spiciness" slider for task granularity is a brilliantly simple idea. The fact that it's free and mission-driven in an era of extreme AI monetization deserves respect. We recommend it to anyone who feels overwhelmed by to-do lists.
Research and Specialized Industries
19. Elicit — The Research Assistant That Reads 138 Million Papers for You
Website: elicit.com — Price: Free / from $12/mo
Elicit isn't Google Scholar with a chatbot. It's an assistant that automates systematic literature reviews across over 138 million academic papers. It searches, selects, extracts specific data from hundreds of publications into structured tables, and generates synthesis reports.
The LLMs used are specifically trained for scientific reasoning — they know how to distinguish correlation from causation, identify methodological limitations, and compare results across studies.
Our take: For anyone doing evidence-based marketing (like we do at Deep Marketing), Elicit has become indispensable. Finding and synthesizing 50 papers on a topic used to take weeks — now it takes hours. The free plan (5,000 one-time credits) is enough to understand the value. The Pro plan at $49/mo for complete systematic reviews is an investment that pays for itself quickly. Only downside: it works only with academic papers in English.
20. Spellbook — AI Contract Review Inside Microsoft Word
Website: spellbook.legal — Price: ~$179/user/mo
Spellbook is an AI contract review and drafting tool that works directly inside Microsoft Word. It identifies risks, suggests alternative clauses, generates contracts from scratch, and creates templates. It uses GPT-4o with specific training on legal language.
Used by 4,000+ law firms and corporate legal teams. SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and CCPA compliant with zero data retention.
Our take: The price is steep ($179/user/mo), but for law firms and corporate legal teams the ROI is immediate. The choice to integrate into Word (where lawyers already work) instead of a separate platform shows product intelligence. For non-legal companies, the cost is hard to justify — but for those who review contracts daily, it's a must-have.
Comparison Table: Price vs Value
The 5 Tools We Recommend Trying Right Now (For Free)
If you want to test without spending a cent, here are our top 5 picks with meaningful free plans:
- Goblin Tools — completely free, zero limits. Try it for 5 minutes and you'll understand the value.
- Warp — free and full-featured terminal. If you're a developer, install it today.
- n8n (self-hosted) — unlimited free automation. You need a server, but the value is enormous.
- ElevenLabs — 20 minutes of free audio per month. Enough to be impressed.
- Lovable — build a working prototype in 30 minutes without writing code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these AI tools safe to use with business data?
It depends on the tool. Spellbook is SOC 2 Type II certified with zero data retention — the gold standard for security. Warp has a zero data retention policy for AI features. Self-hosted n8n keeps all data on your own servers. For the rest, always check the privacy policy before uploading sensitive data. As a general rule, avoid putting confidential client data into cloud-based AI tools without first verifying their data retention policies.
Which tool offers the best value for money?
Self-hosted n8n is unbeatable: unlimited AI automation at zero cost (excluding the server). For those who don't want to manage servers, Gamma at $10/mo delivers disproportionate value for the price. ElevenLabs at $5/mo for professional AI voices is another bargain.
Can I use these tools if I'm not technical?
Absolutely. Goblin Tools, Gamma, Julius AI, Granola, and Suno require zero technical skills. Gumloop and Lovable are specifically designed for non-technical users. The only ones that require technical expertise are Warp (for developers) and self-hosted n8n (you need to know how to manage a server).
Do these tools replace human professionals?
No, and be wary of anyone who claims they do. These tools empower professionals — a video editor with Descript is faster, not replaced. A lawyer with Spellbook reviews more contracts, not becomes obsolete. The partial exception: for repetitive, low-value tasks (audio transcription, jingle creation, initial wireframes), AI can effectively replace manual work.
How do I choose which tool to adopt first?
Start with the most painful bottleneck in your workflow. If you waste hours in meetings → Granola. If you produce videos → Descript. If you do reporting in Excel → Julius AI. If you need automations → n8n or Gumloop. Don't adopt 5 tools at once — one at a time, mastered properly, is enough.
How long does it take to learn them?
Goblin Tools: 30 seconds. Gamma, Suno, Julius AI: 10-15 minutes. Descript, ElevenLabs, Granola: 1 hour. n8n, AirOps, Gumloop: half a day for basic workflows, 1-2 weeks for complex ones. Spellbook and Pigment: 1-2 weeks of structured onboarding.
Are there European alternatives for GDPR compliance?
Yes. n8n is based in Germany and can be self-hosted in the EU. Pigment is French. For the other US-based tools, always check the Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) and data processing policies. Generally, most offer a DPA (Data Processing Agreement) on request for business/enterprise plans.
Sources and References
- Foundation Capital — Where AI is Headed in 2026
- Bloomberg — Top AI Startups to Watch (2025-2026)
- MIT Technology Review — Generative Coding: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2026
- Cybernews — Gumloop AI Review (2026)
- Figma — AI Tools for UX Designers Resource Library
- Medical Economics — Heidi Raises $65M for AI Care Partner (2026)
- Synthesia — 12 Best AI Tools 2026
- Zapier — Best AI Productivity Tools 2026
- Hackceleration — n8n Review: Open-Source AI Automation (2026)
- Wellows — 85 Hottest AI Startups (2026)
- Marketer Milk — 26 Best AI Marketing Tools (2026)
- Spellbook — Legal AI Tools 2026
