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10 Best AI Software Tools for Businesses
Friday May 31, 2024. 03:00 PM , from eWeek
AI software applications are increasingly becoming go-to solutions for both professional and personal needs. The top AI software offers distinct capabilities with diverse uses, from increasing productivity to generating images and video to elevating customer experiences.
We’ve evaluated several AI software solutions for different business use cases to help you identify the best AI applications for your needs, including tools that serve both technical and non-technical teams. Here are our picks for the top AI software for 2024: ChatGPT: Best Overall Generative AI Platform Claude: Best for Ethical Generative AI Strategy Fireflies.ai: Best for Note-Taking Assistance Grammarly: Best for Writing Assistance IBM watsonx: Best for Extracting Insights from Large Datasets Jasper: Best for Digital Marketing Teams Microsoft Copilot: Best for AI Assistance Within Microsoft Environments Salesforce Einstein: Best for Unified Sales, Marketing, and Service Support Synthesia: Best for Custom AI Videos Tidio: Best for Customer Service Teams Featured Partners: AI Software Learn More Learn More Comparison Chart: Top AI Software For a quick comparison between AI software solutions, we’ve summed up the tool types, overall ratings, key characteristics, and pricing of our top choices in the following table. AI Software Tool Type Overall Rating Key Features Pricing ChatGPT Overall Generative AI 5/5 • Conversational AI • Image generation • Content creation Starts at $20 per user, per month Claude AI Assistant 5/5 • Large context window • Image analysis • Constitutional AI approach Starts at $20 per user, per month Grammarly AI Writing Assistant 5/5 • Content writing • Tone adjustment • Voice personalization Starts at $12 per user, per month IBM watsonx Multifunctional AI and Data Platform 5/5 • AI workload deployment and integration • AI business analyst and advisor • AI assistance for workflow automation Starts at $3 per hour Microsoft Copilot Generative AI Assistant 5/5 • AI assistance for Microsoft products • Image generation • Enterprise-grade data protection Starts at $20 per user, per month Salesforce Einstein CRM AI Tool 5/5 • Einstein Copilot • AI Conversation and data insights • Cloud/Hub-specific AI tools Starts at $500 per user, per month Tidio AI-Powered Customer Service Platform 5/5 • Lyro AI Chatbot • Smart ticketing system • Order management for Shopify Starts at $29 per month for 100 handled conversations Fireflies.ai AI Notetaker 4.5/5 • Video meeting transcriptions • AI-powered content search • Conversational intelligence Starts at $18 per seat, per month Synthesia AI Video Generator 4/5 • AI avatars • AI voiceover • Production-quality videos Starts at $29per month for one editor and three guests Jasper AI Marketing Platform 3.5/5 • AI-powered writing • Brand voice and style guides • Image generation Starts at $39 per seat, per month TABLE OF CONTENTS ToggleComparison Chart: Top AI SoftwareChatGPTClaudeGrammarlyIBM watsonxMicrosoft CopilotSalesforce EinsteinSynthesiaFireflies.aiTidioJasperHow I Evaluated the Top AI Software SolutionsFrequently Asked Questions (FAQs)Bottom Line: Choose the Best AI Software to Achieve Your Business Goals ChatGPT Best Overall Generative AI Platform Overall Rating: 5/5 Performance: ✔ User Experience: ✔ Cost Efficiency: ✔ Support and Documentation: ✔ Ethical Consideration: ✔ ChatGPT from OpenAI is one of the most popular and versatile artificial intelligence (AI) tools for generative AI (GenAI). It engages in human-like conversations, assists in coding, generates images, and answers questions about a wide range of topics. Powered by the advanced large language model GPT-4, this AI software can solve difficult problems with greater accuracy and has better general knowledge and problem-solving abilities compared to its predecessors. Additionally, ChatGPT can analyze, classify, and write captions for visual input. It has greater context understanding and generates relevant responses while adapting to user needs. GPT-4 enables this AI software to give more refined outputs for complex queries. OpenAI now offers free users two DALL-E 3 image generations daily, showing its commitment to making AI solutions widely accessible. Visit ChatGPT Interface Design ChatGPT promotes easy navigation through its simple text box interface where you can interact with the tool and attach images or documents for analysis. It also has a list of past conversations you can revisit and resume as well as pre-written text prompts. Why We Picked ChatGPT ChatGPT is among our top AI software picks because of its ease of use, extensive functionality, and adaptability across various tasks. Its advanced language model empowers it to support anything from drafting emails and brainstorming ideas to coding assistance and language translation. Its user-friendliness also makes it ideal for both beginners and professionals. Pros and Cons Pros Cons Advanced contextual understanding Occasional inaccuracies in outputs Multimodal interactions enhance user experience Strict usage limits even for paid plans Generative AI for diverse applications Free version lacks real-time browsing capabilities Pricing Free: Includes limited access to GPT-4 Plus: $20 per user, per month Team: $30 per user, per month Enterprise: Custom pricing Learn more on ChatGPT’s pricing page. Features Human-like text generation Code generation and debugging Image generation Advanced contextual understanding Claude Best for Ethical Generative AI Strategy Overall Rating: 5/5 Performance: ✔ User Experience: ✔ Cost Efficiency: ✔ Support and Documentation: ✔ Ethical Consideration: ✔ Anthropic’s Claude is an AI tool with as strong a focus on ethical outcomes as on high performance. Central to its design is the Constitutional AI (CAI) framework, which ensures that the AI generates safe, honest, and helpful responses while minimizing biases and harmful outputs. Claude also comes with a large context window that facilitates processing and retaining a substantial amount of information simultaneously. It uses the advanced Claude 3.5 generative AI model, which enhances contextual understanding and increases accuracy. Anthropic recently made Artifacts available to all users, including those on free plans. Artifacts creates a dedicated, collaborative workspace where users can modify and interact with code snippets, documents, and diagrams. This shows how this AI company places great importance on improving user experience. Visit Claude Interface Design Claude has a user-centric interface with a text box for typing prompts or attaching visual inputs or documents. It also recommends some questions or tasks you might want it to perform for you and some of the most recent interactions you’ve had with the tool. The complete list of past conversations is available on another page. Why We Picked Claude We highly recommend Claude because of its excellent complex reasoning and natural language processing (NLP) capabilities. In addition, its emphasis on ethical AI development makes it a trustworthy and reliable generative AI tool for prioritizing integrity in AI use. Pros and Cons Pros Cons Committed to Constitutional AI methodology Access to larger model version can be expensive Large context window Limited free tier capabilities Built-in jailbreak resistance and misuse prevention features No access to real-time information from the Internet Pricing Free: Daily usage limits vary with demand Pro: $20 per user, per month Team: $30 per user, per month Learn more on Anthropic’s pricing page. Key Features Constitutional AI review and quality management framework Jailbreak resistance and misuse prevention features Large context window of 200,000 tokens Red teaming evaluations Grammarly Best for Writing Assistance Overall Rating: 5/5 Performance: ✔ User Experience: ✔ Cost Efficiency: ✔ Support and Documentation: ✔ Ethical Consideration: ✔ Grammarly is an AI writing assistant for streamlining the writing process on desktop applications like Microsoft Word and Outlook and web browsers like Chrome and Edge. In addition, its AI feature can aid in overcoming writer’s block and quickly compose relevant text for blog posts, cover letters, or marketing materials. Grammarly gives out suggestions to tailor content according to your writing style and target audience. It can also adjust the tone, length, and formality of your input to match your brand. Type in the content or upload a file you want it to analyze, and Grammarly calculates the accuracy level of your document and flags writing issues. Grammarly recently launched Grammarly Authorship, an AI detection tool. This promotes responsible AI use by attempting to determine whether AI is used to write content. Authorship divides written content into smaller sections and examines them for language patterns commonly used by AI systems. Visit Grammarly Interface Design Grammarly’s uncluttered interface has an AI assistant, chatbox, and formatting tools for content modification. You can access the plagiarism checker and generative AI, check your overall writing score, and set goals for your content on its assistant section. What makes the interface even better is that it lets you hide certain elements, such as the assistant and menu, allowing for a more distraction-free writing experience. Why We Picked Grammarly We picked Grammarly as one of the best AI tools because of its valuable features for personalized writing that boost communication effectiveness in different fields. Its AI-powered writing assistant is available on all its product plans, including the free version, allowing a wide range of users to polish their written content without breaking the bank. Pros and Cons Pros Cons Writing assistance for grammar, style, and tone Autocorrect feature misinterprets names or terms not in its database Real-time suggestions enhance writing efficiency May not capture the nuances of creative writing styles Personalized feedback adapts to individual writing styles Relies on internet connection for full functionality Pricing Free: 100 prompts per month Pro: $12 per user, per month Enterprise: Custom pricing Learn more on Grammarly’s pricing page. Features Real-time grammar, punctuation, and style corrections Personalized writing suggestions and feedback Multi-platform accessibility Generative AI assistance IBM watsonx Best for Extracting Insights from Large Datasets Overall Rating: 5/5 Performance: ✔ User Experience: ✔ Cost Efficiency: ✔ Support and Documentation: ✔ Ethical Consideration: ✔ IBM watsonx is an enterprise AI and data platform for extracting valuable insights from large datasets to improve business operations. Its architecture integrates advanced AI capabilities like NLP and predictive analytics with robust data analysis tools to facilitate data-driven decision-making. With AI-driven predictions, watsonx takes strategic planning and operational efficiency to the next level. It enables businesses to forecast trends and behaviors based on historical data, allowing them to stay ahead in competitive markets. Another notable feature is its real-time data processing, which can handle and analyze data as it is generated, ensuring that you receive timely information for quick decision making. It has built-in AI governance features, helping organizations mitigate risks and maintain compliance with industry regulations. IBM has upgraded watsonx with open-source Granite models and the InstructLab customization tool, cultivating flexibility and collaboration. By open-sourcing its models and enabling tailored solutions with InstructLab, the company empowers organizations to build upon advanced AI tools and drive innovation. Visit IBM watsonx Interface Design IBM watsonx has a clean and intuitive design that emphasizes data visualization, presenting key insights through clear, easy-to-interpret graphs, allowing you to quickly graph complex information at a glance. It has a minimalist color scheme that ensures visual elements are not distracting, making it easier to concentrate on the data. Why We Picked IBM watsonx IBM watsonx made it to our list of top AI tools because of its comprehensive capabilities and robust compliance features that help organizations use and scale AI securely in their operations. It can handle increasing data demands without compromising performance and puts great importance on security and compliance for data integrity and privacy. Pros and Cons Pros Cons Enterprise-grade features Confusing pricing approach Real-time data processing Limited non-English capabilities Predictive analytics Complex integration process Pricing Free: Includes limited ML functionality and 50,000 inference tokens per month Essentials: $3 per hour for services; $2.80 per hour for cache-optimized nodes; $6.50 per hour for compute-optimized nodes; $0.60 per Resource Unit for watsonx.governance Standard: $1,050 per month, with similar costs to the Essentials plan Learn more on IBM watsonx’s pricing page. Key Features AI and ML model building, training, fine-tuning, and validation Hybrid-cloud-compatible data lakehouse Model health, accuracy, drift, and bias management Approval workflows, risk scorecards, and model metadata management Microsoft Copilot Best for AI Assistance within Microsoft Environments Overall Rating: 5/5 Performance: ✔ User Experience: ✔ Cost Efficiency: ✔ Support and Documentation: ✔ Ethical Consideration: ✔ Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered tool designed primarily to give assistance within Microsoft environments, particularly through Microsoft 365 applications. It integrates large language models to let businesses connect organizational data seamlessly with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. Microsoft Copilot can generate content and automate tasks through natural language prompts. It can draft emails, summarize documents, and create presentations on existing content, saving time and raising productivity. This AI tool can also produce images through its Designer integration. Microsoft is set to expand Copilot’s capability by adding support for 12 additional languages in September 2024. This update will broaden the accessibility of the AI tool for users worldwide and will allow more individuals to interact with it in their native languages. Visit Microsoft Copilot Interface Design Microsoft Copilot boasts a minimalistic interface displaying only the necessary features and tools, enabling intuitive navigation. It has a textbox for text and visual input, a sidebar that neatly organizes past chat interactions, and a collapsible menu that you can hide when not in use. It also features suggested prompts to give a starting point for composing precise requests. Why We Picked Microsoft Copilot Microsoft Copilot is among the top AI tools we recommend because it amplifies creativity and productivity for Microsoft users. Through automation, content generation, and task assistance, this AI tool frees up valuable time for team members to direct their efforts on strategic planning. Pros and Cons Pros Cons Built-in AI assistance across Microsoft products Expensive to scale features for larger business teams Expertly handles numerous business tasks and automations License for a Microsoft 365 plan required for business use Enterprise-grade security, privacy, and compliance Some features, like Copilot for Excel, are only available in English Pricing Copilot in Edge Browser: Free for personal use, but only integrates with core Microsoft applications Microsoft Copilot Pro: $20 per user, per month Copilot for Microsoft 365: $30 per user, per month for businesses; requires a separate Microsoft 365 license Learn more on Microsoft Copilot’s pricing page. Key Features AI assistance and workflow automations GPT-4-powered content generation Microsoft Copilot Studio for customizable copilots Enterprise data protection and scalability Salesforce Einstein Best for Unified Sales, Marketing, and Service Support Overall Rating: 4.5/5 Performance: ✔ User Experience: ✔ Cost Efficiency: ✔ Support and Documentation: ✔ Ethical Consideration: ✔ Salesforce Einstein is an advanced AI tool integrated into the Salesforce platform to aid in numerous functions across sales, marketing, and service departments. Einstein helps you work smarter by automating routine tasks and rapidly providing relevant information. It uses predictive analytics for customer data analysis and insight generation, allowing businesses to anticipate customer needs. Its intelligent recommendations suggest products or services tailored to individual customer preferences, helping teams engage more effectively. Automated insights allow businesses to identify opportunities, while NLP enables Einstein to interpret and respond to customer inquiries in a conversational way. With a unified approach to sales, customer, and service data, the AI tool ensures that all AI-driven decisions are grounded in accurate customer information. Its ability to automate meeting scheduling and sending follow ups lets you concentrate on high-value activities. Salesforce recently introduced the Einstein SDR Agent and Einstein Sales Coach Agent into the Einstein 1 Agentforce Platform to optimize sales processes. The SDR Agent autonomously engages with inbound leads and nurtures the sales pipeline, while the Sales Coach Agent simulates realistic buyer interactions through AI-driven role-plays to refine sales training efforts. Visit Salesforce Einstein Interface Design Salesforce Einstein capabilities are built into the Salesforce platform, with the chat interface being just one of its many features. Einstein’s chat window provides a user-friendly way for you to interact with the AI without navigating to another page. It prioritizes simplicity and readability, with minimal options to avoid distraction. Why We Picked Salesforce Einstein We picked Salesforce Einstein because of its robust set of features that unifies multiple functions within a single platform, fostering a cohesive user experience. By integrating AI into these areas, Einstein allows you to share insights and makes sure that everyone is aligned in their approach to customer engagement. As a result, companies can increase customer satisfaction and drive loyalty. Pros and Cons Pros Cons AI features incorporated into all Salesforce cloud applications AI only works with Salesforce products Trust Layer for best practices, privacy, and security Mobility limitations Einstein Chat No free version Pricing Einstein for Sales: Starts $500 per user, per month Einstein for Service: Starts $500 per user, per month Learn on Salesforce Einstein’s pricing page. Key Features Generative and predictive AI Conversational analytics and recommendations Smart chatbot-building Automated marketing campaign generation Synthesia Best for Custom AI Videos Overall Rating: 4/5 Performance: ✘ User Experience: ✔ Cost Efficiency: ✔ Support and Documentation: ✔ Ethical Consideration: ✔ Synthesia is a video creation platform that uses AI-generated avatars and voiceovers for producing professional-quality custom videos. It eliminates the need for expensive video equipment and services by offering intuitive features for creating videos for various purposes. Synthesia has an extensive library of more than 200 expressive AI avatars and supports more than 140 languages. It also lets you build a custom avatar that sounds and looks like you, set in a custom background. The platform has a one-click translation feature that automatically translates videos into multiple languages to reach global audiences. Synthesia recently released Brand Kit 2.0, a major update that enables enterprises to automatically apply their brand assets, such as logos and color palettes, to videos. This simplifies the process of maintaining brand consistency, showing Synthesia’s commitment to making video creation more convenient for all team members. Visit Synthesia Interface Design Synthesia has a familiar, easy to navigate layout that resembles typical presentation software. It allows you to drag and drop elements, input scripts, and customize avatars with gestures and nods. Its interface design combines functionality with logical structure so you can explore the platform comfortably. Why We Picked Synthesia Synthesia is top AI software in our option because of its advanced AI features and versatility. With a diverse library of AI avatars and multilingual support, anyone can create engaging videos without the high costs. Pros and Cons Pros Cons Decreases expenses associated with video production and services Accessible only via the web platform Streamlines the creation of branded videos Issues with voiceovers syncing with the avatar Enables rapid video content creation without specialized skills Fewer visual styles compared to traditional video production Pricing Free: Three minutes of video per month Starter: $29 per month for one editor and three guests Creator: $89 per month for one editor and five guests Enterprise: Custom pricing Learn more on Synthesia’s pricing page. Features AI-driven video creation from text scripts Custom avatar Voiceovers in more than 140 languages More than 120 AI avatars Fireflies.ai Best for Notetaking Assistance Overall Rating: 4.5/5 Performance: ✔ User Experience: ⚠ Cost Efficiency: ✔ Support and Documentation: ✔ Ethical Consideration: ✔ Fireflies.ai is an AI-powered note-taking platform for transcribing, summarizing, and analyzing voice conversations. It automatically captures audio and video during meetings and quickly generates meeting transcripts and summaries. It uses machine learning and NLP to write actionable information, eliminating manual note-taking. Aside from basic content summarization features, Fireflies has advanced Conversation Intelligence capabilities. These include speaker talk time tracking for understanding engagement levels, sentiment analysis for gauging emotional tone, and customizable topic trackers for monitoring specific subjects. Fireflies.ai continues to add new features to its platform. The most recent is an AI-powered post-meeting project manager that lets you cross off, re-assign, or reprioritize action items after every meeting. Visit Fireflies.ai Interface Design Fireflies has an interface packed with icons and information. It has multiple tabs for managing tasks, meetings, and contacts, as well as a search bar, a chatbot, and a sidebar full of expandable options. While designed to be helpful, the number of options can be overwhelming for some users. Why We Picked Fireflies.ai We selected Fireflies because of solid features that elevate team productivity and collaboration. Unlike traditional note-taking tools, this AI software allows you to share meeting transcripts and insights with other team members instantly, fostering immediate feedback. Pros and Cons Pros Cons Multi-language transcription Issues with search capability AI-powered project manager Occasional lags Conversation Intelligence Translation inaccuracies Pricing Free: Includes 800 minutes of storage Pro: $18 per seat, per month Business: $29 per seat, per month Enterprise: $39 per seat, per month Learn more on Fireflies’ pricing page. Key Features Video meeting transcriptions Team and security management Meeting clips as sound bytes Topic tracker and analytics Tidio Best for Customer Service Teams Overall Rating: 5/5 Performance: ✔ User Experience: ✔ Cost Efficiency: ✔ Support and Documentation: ✔ Ethical Consideration: ✔ Tidio is an AI-powered customer communication platform for enhancing customer service processes through live chat and chatbot functionalities. It enables companies to automate customer interactions and improve response times on multiple channels, including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. Lyro AI, the platform’s chatbot, autonomously handles customer inquiries, allowing businesses to scale their support operations without hiring additional staff and letting human agents dedicate their time and effort on more complex issues. Additionally, Tidio’s FAQ Wizard and Reply Assistant features use machine learning to refine the quality of customer interactions. The FAQ Wizard generates conversation flows based on frequently asked questions, while the Reply Assistant accelerates crafting professional responses to customer inquiries. Tidio is actively upgrading its AI functionalities, highlighted by the launch of the Lyro chatbot in July 2024. This underscores the company’s proactive approach to promoting efficiency in customer service industries. Visit Tidio Interface Design Tidio features an organized, clutter-free interface that consolidates customer messages from different channels into a single view. It has an email-like layout, contributing to its user-friendly experience and collapsible menu options that further minimize distractions. Why We Picked Tidio We chose Tidio because its rich AI features and uncomplicated interface make it an excellent choice for customer service teams looking to simplify customer interaction management and provide outstanding customer experiences. In addition, its ability to scale support operations makes it a worthwhile investment for businesses in the customer service industry. Pros and Cons Pros Cons Supports real-time customer communication AI chatbots are only available in Tidio+ Simple setup Lyro AI has limited capacity for non-English languages Enables 24/7 automated customer support Brief free trial duration Pricing Free: Three seats and 50 handled conversations Starter: Starts at $29 per month for 100 handled conversations Growth: Starts at $59 per month for 1000 handled conversations Tidio+: Personalized enterprise plan, starts at $499 per month Enterprise: $2,999 per month, unlimited handled conversations Learn more on Tidio’s pricing page. Key Features Live chat conversations and chatbot triggers Built-in analytics FAQ Wizard Lyro AI Chatbot and Reply Assistant Jasper Best for Digital Marketing Teams Overall Rating: 3.5/5 Performance: ✘ User Experience: ✔ Cost Efficiency: ⚠ Support and Documentation: ✔ Ethical Consideration: ✔ Jasper is an AI writing tool for digital marketing teams with an abundant feature set for streamlining content creation on social media and web platforms. It generates high-quality, personalized content for blog posts, social media updates, email newsletters, and ad copy. The platform supports multiple languages, making it an excellent tool for global marketing efforts. Jasper simplifies content writing with templates and tools for text refinement. Its Templates feature has pre-designed formats for product descriptions, SEO-focused articles, and marketing emails. On the other hand, its Content Improver modifies existing text to ensure that marketing materials are engaging and on-brand. This AI software’s built-in plagiarism checker helps in making sure that all written content is original, upholding integrity. Jasper introduced Flash Diffusion to supercharge the capabilities of its AI art generator tool. Flash Diffusion accelerates AI image generation while maintaining affordability, making visual output production more cost-effective. Visit Jasper Interface Design Jasper has a straightforward interface that centers on clarity. It has a few useful text boxes for inputting prompts, like details about your product, company name, context of your message, and tone to be used. This simplicity helps beginners and advanced users to work with the AI tool effortlessly. Why We Picked Jasper We selected Jasper as one of the best AI tools today because of its marketing-centric features that boost campaign success. It enables marketing teams to respond to trends and audiences quickly and keeps marketing materials relevant and engaging, ultimately boosting conversion rates. Pros and Cons Pros Cons Supports more than 30 languages Brief free trial duration Smart brand guide and styling tools Generated text requires heavy editing More than 50 templates for different use cases No free version Pricing Creator: $39 per seat, per month Pro: $59 per seat, per month Business: Custom pricing Key Features AI-powered content writing, editing, and social copywriting Instant and automated marketing campaigns Brand voice guide uploads SEO integrations and content optimization How I Evaluated the Top AI Software Solutions To gauge the effectiveness of each AI tool in our list, I analyzed them based on five major categories: tool performance; user experience; cost efficiency; support and documentation; and ethical considerations. For each category, I assigned scores based on how the tool met the criteria—a full point for “yes” or half a point for “yes with limitations.” Then I calculated the total points, with a maximum possible score of five. Tool Performance I evaluated how well each AI tool performs its intended function, with reliability and result quality as key considerations. This criterion is necessary in establishing the AI software’s suitability for specific tasks. In selecting the best AI tool, prioritize options that excel in their core functions and have reliable performance. User Experience I assessed each top AI tool’s ease of use, considering its intuitiveness for both tech-savvy users and those with limited technical knowledge. I evaluated how straightforward the interface is and overall user satisfaction, ensuring that it is user-friendly for a broad audience. Having a well-designed interface is fundamental for user satisfaction and better productivity. When choosing AI software, consider tools with a seamless and positive user experience to reduce the learning curve. Cost Efficiency I examined the tool’s pricing transparency and the availability of a free version or trial. Transparency helps you decide whether the AI software provides good value for money and free trial lets you test its features before committing financially. Choose tools with clear pricing and free access options to get a firsthand experience in their performance. Support and Documentation I reviewed the responsiveness of customer support via email or chat and the comprehensiveness of available documentation for this criterion. These factors are important for troubleshooting and maximizing tool use. Consider AI software with strong support and detailed documentation to address tool questions and issues swiftly.
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