While tools like ChatGPT or Canva are popular, lesser-known AI platforms can boost productivity for specific tasks and sometimes even outperform them.
If you freelance, run a small business, or work in a creative field, these ten AI tools can save you time and generate new ideas—from content creation to automation.
Unlike the big names, these focused AI tools target specific problems. Use them for content, visuals, automation, or client management to boost productivity and efficiency.
Grab your coffee—we’re diving into 10 underrated AI tools that can transform your workflow almost overnight.
1. Gamma App – AI-Powered Presentation and Document Designer
If you spend a lot of time formatting slides, Gamma simplifies the process. It converts text prompts into well-designed, interactive presentations and web documents.
Just describe your idea, and Gamma creates polished layouts with images, headings, and color palettes that match your theme. Unlike PowerPoint or Google Slides, it is fast, modern, and collaborative, making it a great fit for entrepreneurs, educators, or marketers.
- Best for: Pitch decks, reports, client proposals
- Why it stands out: Zero design effort, instant professional polish
- Try it here: Gamma.app.
2. Perplexity AI – The Research Assistant That Thinks Critically
Perplexity AI offers you research-grade answers with reliable citations, so you can quickly find and verify information, summarize complex topics, and improve the quality of your projects without time-consuming searches.
Students, journalists, and content writers appreciate its transparency because it shows sources for every fact. The Pro version uses GPT-4 Turbo for deeper reasoning.
- Best for: Research, content briefs, and idea validation
- Why it stands out: Factual accuracy with linked sources
- Explore here: Perplexity.ai
3. Durable – Build Your Business Website in 30 Seconds
Durable enables you to launch your brand with ease by creating an SEO-ready website from a single sentence. This means you can have images, copy, and branding ready instantly, letting you focus on your business instead of web development.
This tool is ideal for side hustlers who want to move quickly without hiring developers. Add your services, connect a custom domain, and you’ll be live within minutes.
- Best for: Entrepreneurs, coaches, freelancers
- Why it stands out: Ultra-fast setup and automatic design suggestions
- Start here: Durable.co.
4. Taskade – AI-Enhanced Team Collaboration
Taskade equips your team to organize better by combining project management, mind-mapping, and collaboration. Its AI assistant auto-generates task lists, meeting notes, and project plans, letting your team focus on productive work rather than busywork.
Its simple yet powerful interface keeps distributed teams organized and on track. Taskade brings features from Notion, Trello, and ChatGPT into one streamlined experience.
- Best for: Remote teams, agencies, creative studios
- Why it stands out: Integrated AI that turns ideas into actionable plans
- Discover here: Taskade.com.
5. Recraft – AI for Professional Design Assets
Recraft gives designers the power to create on-brand vector graphics, logos, and icons that can be edited and reused. This empowers you to maintain brand consistency and adapt designs easily across various projects.
It is a great option for anyone making marketing visuals or social posts who needs precise, reusable assets instead of just static images.
- Best for: Designers, marketers, content creators
- Why it stands out: Scalable, editable vector output
- Try it here: Recraft.ai.
6. ElevenLabs – Realistic Voice Generation
If you need lifelike AI narration, ElevenLabs provides advanced voice cloning, helping you generate expressive and clear audio. This elevates your presentations and engages audiences with professional-quality sound.
Creators use it to narrate YouTube videos, podcasts, and audiobooks. Businesses use it for customer service bots or product demos.
- Best for: Content creators, voice-over artists, educators
- Why it stands out: Emotionally rich, high-fidelity voices
- Listen here: ElevenLabs.io.
7. Notion AI – Writing, Organizing, and Planning All in One
Notion AI saves you time by summarizing meetings, automating clear to-do lists, and refining your writing directly within Notion, so you stay focused and organize your work more effectively.
It is ideal for anyone who already uses Notion daily. It not only adds automation but also improves clarity and focus in your workflow.
- Best for: Knowledge workers, writers, solopreneurs
- Why it stands out: AI is built directly into your workspace.
- Use it here: Notion.so
8. Play.ht – Turn Written Content into Engaging Audio
Play.ht converts your articles or scripts into high-quality audio, letting you easily repurpose written pieces for podcasts or accessibility, helping you reach more people effortlessly.
Its voice library provides many AI-generated tones, languages, and accents. You can adjust pacing, emotion, and clarity to fit your needs.
- Best for: Bloggers, educators, podcasters
- Why it stands out: Studio-quality audio generation
- Create your voice here: Play.ht.
9. Mixo – AI Star.
If you have a product idea but lack coding skills, Mixo lets you quickly create a landing page, write your copy, collect leads, and get feedback. This gives you a ready web presence to test your idea almost instantly.
Entrepreneurs like Mixo because it helps move from idea to launch without needing to hire designers or marketers early on.
- Best for: Startup founders, creators testing product ideas
- Why it stands out: Rapid launch from idea to live website
- Start building here: Mixo.io.
10. Taplio – AI for LinkedIn Growth
If LinkedIn is part of your strategy, Taplio leverages AI trained on top creators to help you write effective posts, schedule content, and analyze engagement. It personalizes suggested content to maximize your audience impact and even allows you to track competitors for insights.
- Best for: Marketers, founders, content strategists
- Why it stands out: Proven AI-driven personal branding system
- Grow here: Taplio.com.
Final Thoughts: Small Tools, Massive Impact
Big names like ChatGPT and Midjourney may get most of the attention, but innovation often comes from smaller, lesser-known tools. The ten above prove you don’t need to spend much or be a tech expert to use AI effectively. From automating tedious tasks to inspiring creative breakthroughs—try them to discover which best elevates your productivity and advantage.
