5 free AI tools for beginners to try in 2025 – Mashable
AI is all the rage, and it’s true that there’s a ton of money going into it right now, even if most of that money is from investors rather than actual users. But did you know that many of the best AI tools are actually free, or at least offer free tiers? There’s no reason you have to pay to use basic AI tools like ChatGPT or Google Gemini, and while you might find that some of them are useful enough to pay for down the line, at least you can try AI tools out before you actually pull out your credit card.
If you’re looking to use AI to enhance your workflow, get more organized, or anything else, here are five free AI tools that are worth checking out, especially if you’re an AI beginner.
While you can use all of the free AI tools below at no cost, you may need to create an account to get started. In addition to the online version, many of these tools also have iOS and Android apps.
Let’s start with the obvious one. ChatGPT is probably the AI tool that most people think of when they hear “artificial intelligence,” and for good reason. OpenAI’s chatbot kicked off the current AI craze, and while there are paid tiers, the free version is still incredibly capable.
Most people know that they can chat with ChatGPT. But the free tier actually includes a bunch of features that many users don’t realize are available without paying. For starters, you can access image generation features without paying, using the GPT-4o model. When we compared the top AI image generators, we named GPT-4o the best image-generation model overall, and while usage limits are lower on the free tier than the paid tiers, they’re still reasonable for basic users.
Voice Mode in ChatGPT is free too. This mode essentially allows you to talk to ChatGPT out loud. It’s gotten much more advanced and natural over the past few years.
The main limitations of the free tier are pretty reasonable. You’ll hit usage caps during peak times, you won’t get access to the newest models immediately, and you can’t use some of the more advanced features like custom GPTs. But, for most people, the free version does everything they actually need in day to day life.
Try ChatGPT for free.
Canva has quietly become an AI powerhouse, and many of their AI features are available on the free tier. If you’ve ever struggled with graphic design or just need to create something that doesn’t look like it was made in Microsoft Paint, Canva’s AI tools are a game-changer.
Notable features available for free include the ability to generate new designs, create images with Dream Lab, and more. There are usage limits that are imposed on free users, but most basic users will be able to get by without running into those limits.
The main difference between using a tool like this and a tool like ChatGPT’s image generator is that the elements in Canva AI are editable and you can tweak them manually as needed. It’s basically an AI assistant for graphic design, without the need to know much about actual image editing.
So what could you use Canva AI for? You could use it for anything from party invitations to social media posts. The free tier is great for anyone who doesn’t use graphic design tools on a daily basis for work, but still wants to use them from time to time.
Try Canva for free.
Zapier might not seem like an AI tool at first glance — it’s primarily known for connecting different apps and automating workflows. But the company has been quietly adding AI features that make automation accessible to people who aren’t tech experts.
The free tier gives you access to basic automations (called “Zaps”) between popular apps, but more importantly, you get AI-powered automation suggestions. Instead of having to figure out complex workflows yourself, Zapier’s AI can analyze how you work and suggest automations that would actually be useful for your specific situation. It’s all part of the evolution of agentic AI, meaning AI tools that can act autonomously and perform multiple tasks, such as finding a restaurant and then making a reservation.
The Natural Language Actions feature is where things get even more interesting. You can literally tell Zapier what you want to happen in plain English — like “when I get an email from my boss, create a task in my to-do app” — and it’ll build the automation for you.
Zapier’s AI can also help optimize existing workflows, suggesting ways to make them more efficient or catch edge cases you might have missed. The chatbot interface makes it easy to troubleshoot when something isn’t working right.
The free plan limits you to five single-step Zaps and 100 tasks per month, which is pretty restrictive for heavy users. But, it should still be fine for basic users, and you might find it worth paying for down the line.
Try Zapier AI automation for free.
Search is evolving. Sure, you probably still use Google to search, but Perplexity has been working on AI search for some time now, with the goal of creating a smarter, more conversational, and easy-to-use search tool.
The free tier is very capable. You can ask complex questions and get detailed answers complete with relevant citations. Unlike ChatGPT, Perplexity is designed specifically for finding current information, so it’s perfect for research — or just satisfying your curiosity about random topics.
What makes Perplexity special is how it presents information. Instead of just giving you a single answer, it often provides multiple perspectives on complex topics and shows you exactly where each piece of information came from. The follow-up question suggestions help you dig deeper into topics you might not have thought to explore.
Free users get limited access to the more advanced AI models and fewer daily searches, but for casual research and curiosity-driven browsing, it’s more than enough.
Try Perplexity for free.
Google’s NotebookLM might be the most underrated AI tool out there. It’s designed to help you make sense of your own documents and research, turning your collection of PDFs, notes, and web pages into an interactive knowledge base.
The concept is simple: you upload your documents, and NotebookLM creates an AI assistant that’s specifically trained on your material. Want to find that specific quote from a research paper you read last month? Just ask. Need to compare findings across multiple sources? NotebookLM can synthesize that information for you.
The Audio Overview feature is particularly cool. It can turn your uploaded documents into podcast-style discussions between two AI hosts. The discussions are surprisingly engaging and a great way to review material or get a different perspective on complex topics.
The free version gives you access to all the main features, though there are some limits on the number of sources you can upload and queries you can make. For students, researchers, or anyone who works with lots of documents, it’s incredibly useful for making sense of information overload.
We wouldn’t be surprised if Google eventually removes the NotebookLM free tier, so try it for free while you can.
Try NotebookLM for free.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
Topics Apps & Software Google ChatGPT
