Not all AI tools are built to be used the same way. Each has its own strength, and the real trick is knowing when to use what. Here’s my preferred AI stack that has stayed steady for the last few months now:
ChatGPT – It's still the best all-rounder for almost everything. From drafting ideas to breaking down complex topics to creating custom GPTs and project folders, this remains my central workspace. Claude is a strong alternative. Pick one and make it your home base for general queries and creative work.
NotebookLM – One of my all-time favorites. When it comes to deep dives into large documents, nothing compares. Its massive context window and synthesis ability make it perfect for munching through large documents, videos, and other content. An almost indispensable tool now.
Gemini – My pick for long-form content. Its extended context handling helps maintain coherence across lengthy drafts and detailed analysis.
Perplexity – The best for real-time research. It fetches reliable web results, cites sources, and goes on to summarize them neatly. Perfect for market scans or quick literature reviews. A strong balancing tool to ensure context stays relevant and accurate, and to fill in the capability void of the rest.
Grok – My “uncensored” sounding board. It’s built to be bolder and more opinionated, ideal for exploring controversial or nuanced topics that need a fresh perspective.
Leonardo AI – Still my favorite for image generation. The new update with Nano Banana has leveled it up significantly with a wider array of compositions and faster renders.
Napkin AI – A design revolution. Its UX is fluid and intuitive, and it’s brilliant for structuring frameworks and creating decks that actually make sense. If you’re building ideas from scratch, this one’s a game-changer.
Make.com – The backbone of AI agent workflows. It’s where everything connects, from triggering automations to orchestrating multi-agent systems. With Make, you realize how easily you can turn scattered AI tools into a single, intelligent system.
There's a longer tail of tools I use and experiment with, but this core stack is the one I return to almost every day.
Instead of chasing every new AI tool, it makes sense to build your own stack with each tool serving a clear role of research, creation, visualization, automation, or storytelling. Once you have that, you can start building upwards and keep experimenting.
AI SEO Expert, Speaker & Practitioner - CEO & Co-founder @ Search Influence
1wWhenever I talk about AI tracking, Rankscale.ai is in the discussion because Mathias and team are the hardest working team in this nascent industry.