THE STACK

The tools we actually pay for.

Re-tested every month. We pay for these out of pocket. No sponsorships, no affiliate kickbacks, no “best 47 AI tools” listicles. If a tool falls off, we say so.

Tool

What it's for

Verdict

Rating · Price

Claude

Reasoning · Writing

Long-context reasoning, document analysis, drafts that sound human. Our default for any playbook involving real prose, real PDFs, or real thinking.

Best for · long docs, draftingSkip if · realtime web

The AI code editor. Composer + agents make it the default for shipping real code with Claude or GPT under the hood.

Best for · shipping codeSkip if · non-code work

Cited research with fresh sources. Pairs with Claude for due-diligence flows where you need linkable evidence, not just an answer.

Best for · researchSkip if · creative writing

Still the broadest tool. Worth keeping for image generation, voice mode, and anything that benefits from a second opinion.

Best for · second opinionSkip if · long PDFs

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$20/mo

Frontend

Generate working React + Tailwind UI from a prompt. We use it for first-draft landing pages and internal tool screens.

Best for · fast UI mocksSkip if · production code

Meeting notes that actually capture the decision, not the chatter. Pairs cleanly with Claude for follow-up emails.

Best for · meeting notesSkip if · team-wide search

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$15/mo

Last re-tested April 28, 2026. We update this page on the first weekday of every month.