When you start freelancing, it can be quite frustrating and time-consuming figuring out what tools to use. After all, there are thousands of AI and productivity tools that all seem to brag that they’re the best at what they do.
These self-proclaimed “game-changers” have influencers and entrepreneurs all over social media excitedly sharing hacks for content creation, brainstorming, or any other task which involves using said tool, making you feel guilty or have FOMO (fear of missing out) if you don’t jump on board and try them all out too.
While it’s always good to be eager to learn more, try new things, and constantly improve your processes so you can deliver top-notch service as a freelancer, the problem is that jumping on every tool that’s promoted—just because it has the latest upgrade or stunning features—is not only overwhelming, it’s distracting.
AI Tool Checklist For Freelancers
Before you experiment with a new tool to boost your productivity and effectiveness at work, here’s a checklist you should always go by:
- Make a list of repetitive tasks you do every day as a freelancer—even when you don’t have clients, such as marketing and admin tasks. Identify all the areas where you could save time, stress, and money by having an AI tool handle it for you. Then start shopping around. There’s always an AI tool for whatever your pain-point is.
- Is it fulfilling a legitimate need in the first place? An influencer might be telling you that you need a specific AI tool for your business, but that tool may not be relevant to you at this stage of your freelance career, or it might not be fit for purpose in your industry or specific role. For example, it could be an AI tool that is best suited to enterprise-level work, which would be best to consider when you’re ready to scale, but as a beginner, you’re not quite ready for it yet.
- Next, evaluate the tool you’re considering using, outside of its own platform or website. Of course the company behind it will tell you they have thousands of happy customers who have seen exponential results since downloading or using the application, but how do you know for sure that these claims are legitimate? Before you waste time, share valuable data, or enter your credit card details, check reviews from trusted review sites like G2, TechCrunch, TechRadar, and of course, Trustpilot and Google reviews.
- Once you’ve determined you’re going to include an AI application in your freelance toolkit, find YouTube videos and tutorials to walk you through how to maximize your use of the application, step-by-step. Some things may be self-explanatory, but you might come across a few eye-openers that you hadn’t realized you could achieve using these tools.
- Take time to experiment before applying the tools on anything serious. For example, if you’re trying out an AI marketing tool, test it out on something of your own before using it on a high-budget client project.
11 AI Tools For Freelancers In 2025
Now that you have this criteria, check out these must-have AI tools (and if you don’t fancy using any of these, don’t worry, there are hundreds if not thousands more that you can explore on your own). This list will help you focus on key areas of your business that need the most attention (such as client communication and marketing) to help you expand and boost your income. As you progress throughout the year, you can add to your toolbox gradually, so you don’t need to feel overwhelmed and rush them all in one go.
- Tweet Hunter—for growing your reach as a freelancer on Twitter
- Blackbox—for writing code faster and easier
- aiCarousels—this is a great tool for creating LinkedIn carousels (this can also be used for Instagram) to drive engagement and deliver thought leadership nuggets)
- Submagic—for creating short-form content
- Chatsimple—chatbot creation to boost sales conversions
- Typedream AI—an AI website builder
- Ossa AI—for creating short-form faceless video content
- Superhuman—for boosting email productivity and responses including response times
- Bardeen—a no-code automation tool that connects various apps through a Chrome extension
- Beehiiv—to build and grow your newsletter
- Julius—an AI-powered data analyst to help you visualize data (also cleans and preps your data)
All of these AI tools are well-reviewed on tech review sites and fulfill various gaps in your freelance business, such as email marketing, video content creation, social media marketing, and analysis to help you better understand your target market and client base. What’s more, not only can you use these tools to help you in your personal work, but you can use them as a freelancer to help you deliver a higher quality service in record time as well. For example, if you’re a freelance social media manager, using aiCarousels could help you boost engagement for your client, while also building up your own business.
Have fun experimenting this year as you create your own toolbox. Your peace of mind and doubled income will thank you for it.
Source: 11 Must-Try AI Tools For Freelancers In 2025