21 apps · 6 categories

AI apps by category, and how to choose between them

A map of 21 well-known AI apps and models, grouped by what they are for. It is an editorial map, not a test: ZeroTwo publishes it and sells a competing product, so every row links to the vendor and prices are left for you to check there.

Apps, models, and where this list stops

Vendor pages often blur the difference between a product and the model behind it, so every row below carries a label.

App
A product you open and use: it has an interface, accounts and plans. ChatGPT, Claude and Cursor are apps.
Model
The AI system behind one or more products. Flux, DALL·E 3 and Veo are models; you usually reach them through a product or an API.
App and model
A name that covers both, such as Sora. The label reminds you to check which one a vendor page is describing.
Who wrote this, and what it is not
ZeroTwo publishes this page and sells a product that overlaps with several categories. The selection is editorial, the rows are not ranked, and nothing here comes from a hands-on test. Prices, limits and usage numbers are left out on purpose; the vendor link in each row is the place to check them. The app count above is computed from the table, so it matches what you can see.

The landscape, category by category

Each panel gives a rule for choosing inside the category, the apps worth knowing, and where a general workspace overlaps with them.

Chat and assistants

General-purpose assistants for writing, analysis, research and everyday questions.

How to pick

Choose by the models and tools you need, not the logo. If you already pay for one assistant, run the same prompts through another before adding a second subscription.

Where ZeroTwo overlaps

ZeroTwo is itself a multi-model chat, so this is the category where it overlaps most. The Free plan is $0 and starts with 100 free credits plus 20 bonus credits each day you log in; paid plans add monthly credits.

ZeroTwo AI chatModel list

Chat and assistants: app, type, what it is good for, and a link to the vendor. Prices are not listed; check the vendor.
AppTypeGood forVendor
ChatGPTOpenAIAppGeneral-purpose assistant for writing, analysis and everyday questions.Visit site for ChatGPT
ClaudeAnthropicAppGeneral-purpose assistant from Anthropic for writing, analysis and coding help.Visit site for Claude
GeminiGoogleAppGoogle's assistant, tied to Google account services for people who work inside them.Visit site for Gemini
PerplexityPerplexity AIAppAnswer engine that returns responses with linked web sources.Visit site for Perplexity

Image generation

Text-to-image products for illustration, marketing visuals, mockups and design exploration.

How to pick

Run the same prompt in two tools and compare. Style, text rendering and editing controls differ more than any feature list suggests.

Where ZeroTwo overlaps

ZeroTwo includes image generation: limited on Free, included on Plus and above. Whether its output suits your style is something to test on your own prompt.

Image generation

Image generation: app, type, what it is good for, and a link to the vendor. Prices are not listed; check the vendor.
AppTypeGood forVendor
MidjourneyMidjourneyAppText-to-image service for illustration, concept art and marketing visuals.Visit site for Midjourney
DALL·E 3OpenAIModelOpenAI image model. Check OpenAI for which image model each of its products currently uses.Visit site for DALL·E 3
IdeogramIdeogram AIAppText-to-image service with a focus on images that contain readable text.Visit site for Ideogram
FluxBlack Forest LabsModelImage model family from Black Forest Labs, reached through its API and through products that host it.Visit site for Flux

Video generation

Text-to-video and image-to-video products for short clips, b-roll and concept shots.

How to pick

Clip length, licensing and export options vary by vendor and plan. Read those terms before you commit a project to one tool.

Where ZeroTwo overlaps

Video generation is included from Plus up in ZeroTwo. Specialist products add their own editors and controls, so check what your workflow needs.

AI video generator

Video generation: app, type, what it is good for, and a link to the vendor. Prices are not listed; check the vendor.
AppTypeGood forVendor
RunwayRunwayAppVideo generation and editing service for creators.Visit site for Runway
SoraOpenAIApp and modelOpenAI's video model and the app built around it.Visit site for Sora
VeoGoogle DeepMindModelGoogle DeepMind's video model, offered through Google products.Visit site for Veo
PikaPika LabsAppShort-clip video generation service.Visit site for Pika

Writing and editing

Products centred on prose: grammar, tone, long drafts and brand copy.

How to pick

Decide where the writing happens. If you want suggestions inside the document or inbox you already use, pick the tool that lives there.

Where ZeroTwo overlaps

Drafting and rewriting are chat tasks a workspace handles. Suggestions that appear inside Docs, email or Notion pages come from the app you write in.

AI writing assistantCanvas

Writing and editing: app, type, what it is good for, and a link to the vendor. Prices are not listed; check the vendor.
AppTypeGood forVendor
GrammarlyGrammarlyAppWriting assistant for grammar, tone and rewriting that works inside the apps you already write in.Visit site for Grammarly
Notion AINotionAppAI features inside Notion docs and databases, most useful if your notes already live there.Visit site for Notion AI
JasperJasperAppMarketing-copy platform built around brand voice and team workflows.Visit site for Jasper

Coding and development

Products that write, review and explain code alongside you.

How to pick

Editor integration is the deciding factor. A tool that sees your repository answers differently from a chat window that sees what you paste.

Where ZeroTwo overlaps

ZeroTwo offers a code agent from Plus up and Canvas for editing code beside a chat. An editor-integrated tool is a different workflow, and you can use both.

Code agentCanvas

Coding and development: app, type, what it is good for, and a link to the vendor. Prices are not listed; check the vendor.
AppTypeGood forVendor
CursorAnysphereAppCode editor with AI built in, for editing across a codebase.Visit site for Cursor
GitHub CopilotGitHub / MicrosoftAppAI coding assistant from GitHub that works in editors and on GitHub.Visit site for GitHub Copilot
Replit AIReplitAppAI assistant inside Replit's browser-based development environment.Visit site for Replit AI

Productivity and work

Calendar, inbox and meeting products with AI built into one specific workflow.

How to pick

These win on integration with a calendar, inbox or meeting platform, so start from the service you already use.

Where ZeroTwo overlaps

These apps depend on integrations with the tools they sit on. Check whether the services you use appear in ZeroTwo's connector list before deciding.

Connectors

Productivity and work: app, type, what it is good for, and a link to the vendor. Prices are not listed; check the vendor.
AppTypeGood forVendor
MotionMotionAppCalendar and task planner that schedules work automatically.Visit site for Motion
SuperhumanSuperhumanAppEmail client with AI triage and drafting.Visit site for Superhuman
FirefliesFireflies.aiAppMeeting recorder that produces transcripts and summaries.Visit site for Fireflies

Keep the specialist, or let one workspace cover it?

A general workspace does not replace every app above. The honest test is whether the value sits in the conversation or inside another tool.

Keep a specialist app when

  • The value is inside another tool: suggestions in your editor, inbox, calendar or meeting platform.
  • You depend on a vendor-specific feature, such as a style, an editor timeline or a team workflow you already built.
  • A task needs a service integration you cannot get elsewhere. Confirm before you cancel anything.

A general workspace can cover it when

  • The work is a conversation: drafting, rewriting, summarising, researching or working through a problem.
  • You switch between several models for the same job and want one login and one history.
  • You use two or three of the chat, image and video categories lightly rather than one of them all day.

Choose by the job you need done

Start from the task, then add a second app only when the right column applies to you. For a task-by-task comparison instead of a decision rule, compare twelve cross-platform AI apps by task.

Decision guide: the job you need done, what to start with, and when to add a second app.
If you needStart withAdd a second app when
A long draft, rewrite or summaryA general assistant: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or a multi-model workspaceYou want suggestions to appear in place inside your editor or email client.
An answer with sources you can openPerplexity, or any assistant with web search turned onThe answer will be cited or acted on. Open the sources and read them yourself.
Images for a campaign or mockupAn image service such as Midjourney or Ideogram, or image generation in a workspaceYou need one consistent style across a batch. Test the same prompt in two tools first.
A short video clipA video service such as Runway, Pika or Sora, or video generation in a workspaceYou need timeline editing, so plan for an editor as well.
Code changes inside your own repositoryAn editor-integrated tool such as Cursor, GitHub Copilot or Replit AIYou want a separate chat window for design questions or review.
Calendar planningMotionYou want a chat assistant for the content of the tasks, not the schedule.
Meeting transcripts and summariesFirefliesYou want to work from the transcript afterwards in a general assistant.
Several of the above under one loginA multi-model workspace such as ZeroTwoA task depends on a specialist integration that the workspace does not offer.

Products named here are examples drawn from the table above, not recommendations. Check each vendor for current plans and limits.

If you try ZeroTwo for the overlap

Plan names and prices come from ZeroTwo's pricing page. Compare them with what you pay for the apps you would keep, not with a headline number.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as an AI app on this page?

A product you can sign up for and use, or a named model that people reach through such products. Each row is labelled App, Model or App and model so you can tell which one a vendor page describes.

How were the 21 apps chosen, and is this a ranking?

It is an editorial selection of widely known products, grouped by what they are for. It is not a ranking and not a test, and ZeroTwo publishes the page while selling a competing product. For a task-by-task comparison of twelve apps, use the best AI apps page.

Are AI apps free?

Many AI apps offer a free tier with limits, but plans and caps change often, so check each vendor's page before relying on one. ZeroTwo's Free plan is $0, starts with 100 free credits plus 20 bonus credits each day you log in, and needs no card.

How do I choose an AI app?

Start from the task. Use a general assistant for drafting and research, a specialist where the value lives inside another tool such as your editor, calendar or inbox, and test the same prompt in two products before paying for either.

Can one workspace replace several AI apps?

Sometimes. A multi-model workspace overlaps most with chat, light image and video work, and drafting. Specialist products tied to your calendar, inbox, editor or meetings often stay, because their value is the integration.

Are AI apps safe to use with work or personal data?

Read each app's privacy policy and permissions before pasting sensitive material, and check whether chats are used for training or can be switched off. ZeroTwo's policy is on its privacy page.

What are good AI apps for iPhone?

Start with the vendor apps you already trust, then compare options in our guide to AI apps for iPhone. ZeroTwo has an iOS app on the App Store.

Best AI apps for iPhone

Keep exploring

Test your own prompts in the categories where a workspace overlaps

Open ZeroTwo on the Free plan