The Best AI Tools to Make Money in 2026

Author: TrendFocusMag

March 19, 2026

the Best AI Tools to Make Money in 2026

Discover which AI tools can actually 10x your business—and which ones are complete time-wasters

The Best AI Tools to Make Money in 2026: Are you feeling overwhelmed by the endless parade of AI tools promising to make you rich? You’re not alone. With hundreds of new platforms launching every month, figuring out where to invest your time and money feels impossible.

I’ve personally tested over 500 AI tools at my company, Martell Ventures, where we launch a new business every single month. After countless hours of real-world testing, I’ve separated the game-changers from the garbage.

Here’s my no-nonsense ranking of the most popular AI tools for 2026—what’s worth your attention, what’s niche but valuable, and what you should avoid completely.

S-Tier: Non-Negotiable Tools Every Business Needs

These aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re foundational tools that should be in every entrepreneur’s toolkit.

1. ChatGPT – The Undisputed King

Remember when ChatGPT launched two and a half years ago? Now nearly 700 million people use it weekly. There’s a reason for that.

Why it’s essential: It handles everything—writing, coding, brainstorming, automation. If you want to learn how to use AI, just ask ChatGPT. It’ll literally teach you.

Money-making potential: Sky-high. From drafting proposals to debugging code, this tool pays for itself a hundred times over.

Bottom line: If you’re not using ChatGPT yet, start today. I’ve created a whole masterclass on taking your skills to the next level—it’s that important.

2. Granola.ai – The Meeting Note-Taker You Didn’t Know You Needed

Ever been on a Zoom call and seen that “Recording” notification? Granola does it better—and it records on your end only.

Why it’s essential: It captures meetings across all major video platforms, then automatically generates recaps, action items, and clear summaries. No more forgotten decisions or missed follow-ups.

Money-making potential: If you’ve ever wasted time trying to remember what was agreed on a call, this tool saves you hours. Time is money.

Bottom line: Among all the smart technical AI people I know, Granola is their favorite. That tells you everything.

3. Zapier – The Automation Backbone

I’ve used Zapier for nearly a decade. It connects over 6,000 apps to automate your workflows with zero coding required.

Why it’s essential: Hundreds of agencies build entire businesses around Zapier. When a lead fills out a form, Zapier can add them to your email list, create a task in your project management tool, and send you a Slack notification—all automatically.

Money-making potential: Massive. You can charge businesses to set up automations that save them dozens of hours monthly.

Bottom line: This is foundation-level stuff. Every modern business needs automation, and Zapier is the gold standard.

4. Gamma.app – Your Personal Design Team

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Imagine having a full-time designer on staff to create stunning reports, proposals, and presentations. That’s Gamma.

Why it’s essential: It makes everything you produce look professional. Better visuals mean better communication, and better communication means more closed deals.

Money-making potential: I know people who use Gamma to create pitch decks and proposals for clients. The tool does the heavy lifting; they just add the expertise.

Bottom line: Every piece of output your business creates should look amazing. Gamma makes that happen instantly.

5. Youratlas.com – The Voice AI Revolution

Full disclosure: This is one of my portfolio companies. But I only invest in tools I genuinely believe in.

Why it’s essential: Youratlas handles voice calls—outbound qualifying, inbound responses, you name it. We use it across all my companies.

Money-making potential: Businesses will pay you to set up voice automation. And as screens disappear and voice becomes the primary interface, this skill becomes invaluable.

Bottom line: Try it. Have it call you. You’ll understand immediately why voice is the future.

A-Tier: Powerful Tools for Specific Needs

These tools deliver serious value but may not be essential for every business.

6. Claude – The Writer’s Choice

Built by Anthropic, Claude excels at writing and coding tasks. Even as GPT improves, Claude still wins on certain projects.

Best for: Long-form writing, detailed analysis, and complex code.

Bottom line: They’re not going anywhere. Use Claude alongside ChatGPT for tasks where it genuinely outperforms.

7. Grok – Elon’s Rising Star

I pay for the $300/month Grok Heavy plan. The accuracy and depth of research keep getting better week after week.

Best for: Deep research and nuanced understanding. The team at xAI is building something special.

Bottom line: Watch this space. I think Grok will be number two behind ChatGPT within a year.

8. Gum Loop – Visual Workflow Builder

If you love great user experience, Gum Loop delivers. It’s a visual AI workflow builder that makes automation feel intuitive.

Best for: Financial automation, recruiting processes, and teams who find Zapier overwhelming.

Bottom line: Solid option, especially if visual tools click with your brain. You just might not need both it and Zapier.

9. 11 Labs – Voice Generation That Feels Real

We use 11 Labs constantly at Martell Ventures. When I mispronounce a word in a recording (regularlessly—go ahead, laugh), the team uses it to create flawless voice pickups.

Best for: Content creators, marketing teams, anyone producing voiceovers.

Bottom line: It’s not essential for every business, but it’s right on the edge. The nuance in their voice models is impressive.

10. N8N – The Open-Source Option

The code is available for anyone to audit. You don’t have to pay licenses if you can set up your own servers.

Best for: Developers and technical teams who want control and cost savings.

Bottom line: It’s the open-source tool of choice for technical people. But you need technical people to use it.

11. Buddyro.ai – Customer Support on Autopilot

Train an AI brain on your company information, and Buddyro handles customer questions automatically.

Best for: Businesses drowning in support emails. It saves serious money on support staff.

Bottom line: Every business with customer questions should consider this. The founders built it smart.

B-Tier: Niche But Valuable

These tools excel in specific situations but won’t be everyone’s daily driver.

12. Runway ML – Video Generation Powerhouse

Create marketing collateral, walkthroughs, and video content with AI assistance.

Best for: Video creators and marketing teams who need visual content.

Bottom line: The learning curve is steeper than most tools, but video matters more than photos. Worth the effort if you’re in the video space.

13. Hey Gen – AI Avatar Videos

Generate training videos, product explainers, and marketing content from just text. Your avatar does the talking.

Best for: Scaling content output without being on camera constantly.

Bottom line: Fun tool with real applications. The platform faces competition, but it’s solid for now.

14. Leonardo.ai – Concept Art Generator

Perfect for generating concept art and branded visuals. Want to design your own Nike competitor? Leonardo makes it easy.

Best for: Designers and creative professionals who need consistent visual styles.

Bottom line: Designers love it. But you kind of need to be a designer to make money with it.

15. MidJourney – The Image Generation OG

One of the early AI image tools that exploded when ChatGPT first launched.

Best for: Creating brand packages, website designs, and visual assets.

Bottom line: You can build a service business around MidJourney. But long-term? Other tools are catching up fast.

16. Lovable – Build Apps Without Code

Have a tech idea but can’t code? Lovable helps non-technical people build real applications.

Best for: Entrepreneurs with app ideas and businesses needing internal tools.

Money-making potential: I know people selling AI-generated Lovable apps for $10,000–$15,000 each.

Bottom line: The future is disposable apps instead of spreadsheets. Lovable is that future—but it requires good prompting skills.

C-Tier: Use With Caution

These tools might work in rare cases, but most people won’t see consistent ROI.

17. Revio – AI Sales Assistant

If you sell over chat—Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook—Revio handles conversations automatically.

Best for: Social media sellers and businesses with high message volume.

Bottom line: It’s niche. But if Instagram is your sales channel, it’s a must.

18. Notebook LM – Google’s Research Tool

Feed it YouTube videos, documents, and research. It analyzes everything and can even generate podcast-style discussions.

Best for: Researchers, writers, and students.

Bottom line: Niche but cool. Not something every business needs.

19. Cursor AI – For Developers Only

An AI coding assistant that integrates with your development environment.

Best for: Technical people writing code.

Bottom line: Super cool if you’re a developer. Otherwise, ignore it.

20. Perplexity.ai – The AI Search Pioneer

The first AI-powered search engine with verified sources—helpful when hallucinations plague other models.

Best for: Fact-checking and research where source verification matters.

Bottom line: Useful but becoming less unique as competitors add similar features.

21. Notion AI – Built-In Assistant

If you already use Notion, the AI assistant helps with writing, notes, and organization.

Best for: Notion power users who want everything in one place.

Bottom line: It’s convenient but not a reason to switch to Notion. OpenAI’s new company knowledge product might steal its lunch.

22. Fixer.ai – Email Productivity

Helps categorize and sort your inbox so you can focus on what matters.

Best for: People drowning in email who need organization help.

Bottom line: Saves time but hard to justify when other tools offer more value.

23. Gemini – Google’s Offering

Integrates with all Google’s existing tools. That’s both its strength and weakness.

Best for: Heavy Google Workspace users.

Bottom line: If you’re not in the Google ecosystem, use Claude or ChatGPT instead.

F-Tier: Don’t Bother

Flashy but ultimately useless for building wealth.

24. Apple Intelligence

Apple branded their AI “Apple Intelligence” with ads promising “AI for the rest of us.” Here’s the truth: it sucks.

Why it’s terrible: Nobody uses it. People who try it go back to other tools immediately. Apple prioritized privacy over capability, and the result is unusable.

Bottom line: Until Apple launches something dramatically better, run away. Use literally any other tool on this list.

Reference Table

Here’s a complete reference table of all the AI tools mentioned in the video, including their official websites URL, and best use cases:

Tool NameOfficial URLBest For
ChatGPThttps://chat.openai.comGeneral AI assistance, writing, coding
Granola.aihttps://www.granola.aiAI meeting notes and summaries
Zapierhttps://zapier.comBusiness process automation
Gamma.apphttps://gamma.appAI presentations, reports, proposals
Youratlas.comhttps://www.youratlas.comVoice AI for calls and lead qualification
Claudehttps://claude.aiAdvanced writing and coding
Grokhttps://grok.x.aiDeep research and accuracy
Gum Loophttps://www.gumloop.comVisual workflow automation
11 Labshttps://elevenlabs.ioRealistic AI voice generation
N8Nhttps://n8n.ioOpen-source workflow automation
Buddyro.aihttps://buddyro.aiAI customer support agents
Runway MLhttps://runway.xyzAI video generation and editing
Hey Genhttps://www.heygen.comAI avatar videos
Leonardo.aihttps://leonardo.aiConcept art and branded visuals
MidJourneyhttps://www.midjourney.comAI image generation
Lovablehttps://lovable.devNo-code app building
Reviohttps://revio.aiAI sales assistant for social media
Notebook LMhttps://notebooklm.googleFile analysis and research
Cursor AIhttps://cursor.comAI coding assistant
Perplexity.aihttps://www.perplexity.aiAI search with verified sources
Notion AIhttps://www.notion.soAI within Notion workspace
Fixer.aihttps://fixer.aiEmail categorization and productivity
Geminihttps://gemini.google.comGoogle’s AI assistant
Apple IntelligenceBuilt into Apple devices“AI for the rest of us”

Conclusion: How to Actually Start Using AI Tools Today

The Best AI Tools to Make Money in 2026: Feeling overwhelmed? I get it. Twenty-four tools are a lot. Here’s my simple advice:

Pick one. Just one tool that made you think, “Oh, I could actually use that in my business.”

Install it right now. Not later. Not tomorrow. While you’re reading this, go install it.

Set it up immediately. Then force yourself to build the habit. Connect using the new tool to something you already do every day. That’s called habit stacking, and it works.

Technology isn’t about whether a tool can do something. It’s whether you remember to use it.

Start with one project. Build the habit. Then watch your time come back and your money grow.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which AI tool should I start with if I’m a complete beginner?
Start with ChatGPT. It’s the most versatile, easiest to learn, and you can literally ask it to teach you how to use it. Once you’re comfortable, add Granola for meetings or Gamma for presentations.

2. Can I really make money with these AI tools?
Absolutely. You can use them to save time in your own business or build service agencies around them. People are charging thousands to set up Zapier automations, create Lovable apps, or produce Hey Gen videos for clients.

3. Are free AI tools good enough, or do I need paid plans?
Free tiers are great for learning. Once you’re seeing real value and hitting limits, upgrade. For example, ChatGPT free is powerful, but paid plans unlock features that can genuinely 10x your productivity.

4. Will AI tools replace my job?
Tools don’t replace people—people using tools replace people who don’t. The entrepreneurs and employees who master AI will outperform those who ignore it. Focus on becoming the person who knows how to leverage these tools.

5. How do I know which tools are worth my time?
Start with the S-tier tools in this guide. They’re non-negotiable for a reason. Once those are habits, explore A-tier tools relevant to your specific work. Ignore C-tier and F-tier completely until you’ve mastered the essentials.

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