What are the best ai tools to make money online—not just hype?
The flood: “100 AI tools to make money! Use ChatGPT for passive income!”
The confusion: “I have 10 AI subscriptions… which ones actually help me earn?”
The truth: Most income comes from USING AI tools strategically, not collecting them. What actually works: ChatGPT/Claude for content ($20-$60/month = 3-5x productivity), Midjourney for design ($30/month = 4x faster), Descript for video ($24/month = 3x efficiency), and automation tools like Zapier ($20/month = 10-20 hrs/week saved).
ROI matters more than features—$150/month in tools should save 20+ hours or generate $500+ extra income.
First – This Is Important…
Before reviewing AI tools, let me be upfront: if your goal is income generation, the tool matters less than the business model it supports. The best AI tools 3-5x your speed, but you still need something to sell.
Click here to see model where AI accelerates building
After spending $2,400 on AI tools in 12 months (testing 23 different tools), I found local lead generation with AI assistance delivers best ROI: ChatGPT cuts site-building from 40-80 hours to 15-25 hours, but sites still generate $500-$2K monthly—AI accelerates asset-building, doesn’t replace the business model.
The key distinction:
- AI tools = Accelerators (3-5x faster execution)
- Business models = What you’re actually selling
This article covers tools, but they only work paired with solid business models.
Click here to see model where AI accelerates building
Tool Category 1: AI Writing & Content Creation
ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) or Claude Pro ($20/month)
What it does:
- First drafts of everything (blogs, emails, scripts)
- Research and summarization
- Outline creation
- Content repurposing
- Brainstorming ideas
ROI calculation:
- Saves: 10-15 hours/week on content creation
- At $50/hour value = $500-$750 weekly
- Monthly value: $2,000-$3,000
- Cost: $20/month = 100-150x ROI
How to make money with it:
- Freelance writing – Write 5x faster, same rates = 5x income
- Content marketing – Create more content for clients
- Course creation – Script/outline courses in days vs weeks
- Social media management – Batch create month of content in hours
Best for:
- Writers
- Marketers
- Consultants
- Course creators
Reality: Won’t write perfectly—you edit and add expertise. Tool handles first draft grunt work.
Jasper AI ($49-$125/month)
What it does:
- Marketing-focused AI writing
- Brand voice customization
- Template library for ads, emails, posts
- SEO optimization features
- Team collaboration tools
ROI calculation:
- For agencies/businesses creating lots of marketing content
- Replace 1-2 junior copywriters (save $3K-$8K/month)
- Or freelancers doing $5K+/month in copy
- Break-even at $5K+ monthly copy work
How to make money:
- Copywriting agency – Handle 3-5x more clients
- Ad creative production – Rapid testing of variations
- Email marketing – Write sequences faster
- Social media copy – Batch create campaigns
vs ChatGPT: More marketing-specific, higher price. Only worth it if doing serious volume.
Copy.ai ($49/month) or Writesonic ($49/month)
What they do:
- Similar to Jasper (marketing copy focus)
- Slightly different interfaces/features
- Content templates
- Blog post generation
Reality: Most are wrappers around same tech (GPT-4). ChatGPT Plus at $20 does 80% of what these do. Only upgrade if you need specific marketing templates or team features.
For those exploring how to make money online with AI writing, ChatGPT Plus is best starting point—upgrade to specialized tools only when hitting volume limits.
Tool Category 2: AI Image & Design
Midjourney ($10-$60/month)
What it does:
- Generate images from text descriptions
- Create logos, artwork, concepts, mockups
- Produce 20-50 variations quickly
- Commercial use allowed
ROI calculation:
- Design work that took 6-8 hours now takes 1-2 hours
- 4-6x faster
- If charging $500 per logo and doing 1-2 weekly
- Monthly increase: $2K-$4K
- Cost $30/month = 70-130x ROI
How to make money:
- Logo design service – Generate concepts fast, refine in Photoshop
- Book covers – Authors need these constantly
- Social media graphics – Create unique visuals
- Print-on-demand designs – T-shirts, mugs, art
- Marketing visuals – Ad creatives for clients
Best for:
- Designers (to speed up concept phase)
- Non-designers (to enter design market)
- Print-on-demand sellers
- Authors/publishers
Reality: Output isn’t final product—it’s starting point you refine.
Canva AI (Free or $13/month Pro)
What it does:
- Template-based design with AI assistance
- AI image generation (limited)
- Background removal
- Magic resize (one design → all formats)
- Brand kit management
ROI calculation:
- Free version covers 80% of needs
- Pro ($13/month) if doing volume or need brand kits
- Saves 30-60 mins per design vs Photoshop
- Best beginner design tool
How to make money:
- Social media management – Create graphics for clients
- Presentation design – Pitch decks, slides
- Marketing materials – Flyers, brochures
- Pinterest pins – Lead gen graphics
vs Midjourney: Canva is template-based, Midjourney generates from scratch. Use both.
Tool Category 3: AI Video Creation & Editing
Descript ($12-$24/month)
What it does:
- Transcribe video/audio automatically
- Edit video by editing text transcript
- Remove filler words (“um,” “uh”) automatically
- AI voice cloning for corrections
- Screen recording with AI enhancement
ROI calculation:
- Video editing that took 6 hours now takes 2 hours
- 3x faster
- If editing 4 videos/month at $300 each
- Extra capacity: 8 more videos = $2,400 monthly
- Cost $24/month = 100x ROI
How to make money:
- YouTube editing – Handle more clients
- Podcast editing – Auto-remove filler
- Course video editing – Clean up recordings fast
- Corporate video – Client testimonials, training
Best for:
- Video editors
- Podcasters
- Course creators
- YouTubers
Opus Clip (Free-$29/month)
What it does:
- Automatically creates short clips from long videos
- Adds captions automatically
- Picks “viral-worthy” moments
- Resizes for TikTok/Instagram/YouTube Shorts
ROI calculation:
- Manually creating 10 shorts from long video: 3-4 hours
- With Opus: 30-45 mins
- 4-5x faster
- Enables short-form content strategy without extra work
How to make money:
- Repurposing service – Turn client videos into short-form content
- Content multiplication – One long video → 10-20 shorts
- Social media growth – More content = more reach
HeyGen or Synthesia ($30-$89/month)
What they do:
- AI avatar videos (no camera needed)
- Text-to-video with realistic avatars
- Multi-language support
- Custom avatar creation
ROI calculation:
- Only worth it if creating lots of video content
- Saves camera setup, editing time
- Best for faceless YouTube or training videos
- Break-even at 10+ videos/month
How to make money:
- Faceless YouTube channel – Create content without appearing
- Corporate training videos – Rapid video creation
- Product explainer videos – For e-commerce clients
Reality: Still looks slightly artificial. Best for explainer content, not entertainment.
Tool Category 4: AI Voice & Audio
ElevenLabs ($5-$99/month)
What it does:
- Text-to-speech with realistic voices
- Voice cloning (create AI of your voice)
- Multiple languages
- Emotional tone control
ROI calculation:
- Voiceover that cost $200-$500 outsourced now costs $5-$20
- Or record once, AI fixes mistakes
- Saves $2K-$5K/month if doing video content
How to make money:
- Audiobook creation – Authors need narration
- Video voiceovers – Client videos, explainers
- Podcast intros/outros – Consistent branding
- YouTube narration – Faceless content
Descript (mentioned above) also does voice
Tool Category 5: AI Automation & Workflow
Zapier ($20-$50/month) or Make.com ($9-$16/month)
What they do:
- Connect apps without coding
- Automate repetitive workflows
- Trigger actions based on events
- Data transfer between tools
ROI calculation:
- Automate tasks taking 10-20 hours/week
- At $50/hour = $500-$1,000 weekly saved
- Cost $20-$50/month = 20-50x ROI
How to make money:
- Sell automation services – Build workflows for clients ($1.5K-$8K per project)
- Agency automation – Handle more clients with same team
- E-commerce automation – Order processing, customer service
- Lead gen automation – CRM updates, email sequences
Best for:
- Agencies (massive time savings)
- E-commerce businesses
- Anyone doing repetitive tasks
Example automations:
- Lead comes in → AI qualifies → Routes to sales → Updates CRM
- New order → Updates inventory → Notifies fulfillment → Sends tracking
- Email received → AI categorizes → Drafts response → Sends for approval
For context on AI passive income systems, automation tools turn active work into semi-passive workflows.
Tool Category 6: AI for Specific Business Models
Surfer SEO ($29-$219/month)
What it does:
- AI content optimization for SEO
- Keyword research
- Content structure recommendations
- Competitive analysis
ROI calculation:
- Only worth it if doing SEO seriously
- Helps content rank faster/higher
- For SEO freelancers or affiliate marketers
- Break-even at $3K+/month SEO work
ChatGPT Deep Research (Built into Plus)
What it does:
- Web-enabled research
- Gathers and synthesizes information
- Creates detailed reports
- Real-time data access
How to make money:
- Market research reports – For clients
- Competitive analysis – Fast intel gathering
- Content research – Comprehensive sourcing
- Consulting prep – Client background research
What NOT to Buy (Overhyped Tools)
Skip These Unless Specific Use Case:
AI Chatbot Builders – Most are expensive ($100-$300/month), same thing achievable with ChatGPT API + Voiceflow for $30-$50
AI SEO Content Generators – ChatGPT Plus does same thing, these are just wrappers
AI “Business in a Box” – Pure hype, no real value
AI Stock Pickers/Traders – Risky, unproven, often scams
AI Course Creators (automated) – Output is terrible, need human expertise
My Recommended AI Tool Stack by Budget
Starter Stack ($40-$60/month)
- ChatGPT Plus: $20/month
- Canva Pro: $13/month
- Descript Basic: $12/month
- Total: $45/month
- Can earn: $2K-$6K/month freelancing
Professional Stack ($150-$200/month)
- Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus: $20/month
- Midjourney: $30/month
- Descript: $24/month
- Jasper: $49/month
- Zapier: $20/month
- ElevenLabs: $5/month
- Total: $148/month
- Can earn: $5K-$15K/month with efficiency
Agency/Volume Stack ($300-$500/month)
- All professional tools +
- Surfer SEO: $89/month
- Opus Clip: $29/month
- HeyGen: $89/month
- Higher tier plans for team access
- Total: $300-$500/month
- Can earn: $15K-$50K+/month with team
How to Calculate ROI on AI Tools
Formula: Time Saved (hours/month) × Your Hourly Rate = Monthly Value
Or:
Extra Income Enabled ÷ Tool Cost = ROI Multiple
Example:
- Descript saves 20 hours/month
- Your time worth $75/hour
- Value: $1,500/month
- Cost: $24/month
- ROI: 62.5x
Rule: Tool should provide 10x ROI minimum. If $50/month tool doesn’t save $500 in time or enable $500 extra income, cancel it.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Collecting Tools Without Strategy
Wrong: Subscribe to 15 AI tools hoping to “figure it out” Right: Pick ONE income method, get tools for THAT specifically
Mistake 2: Not Actually Using Them
Reality: 40% of paid AI subscriptions go unused Fix: Set weekly goals (“create 10 client posts using AI this week”)
Mistake 3: Expecting AI to Do Everything
Wrong: “AI will write my book while I sleep” Right: “AI will draft chapters, I’ll edit and add expertise”
AI is multiplier, not replacement.
Mistake 4: Paying for Duplicate Tools
Example: ChatGPT Plus + Jasper + Copy.ai + Writesonic = 4 tools doing same thing Better: ChatGPT Plus only, save $150/month
Timeline to ROI
Week 1-2: Learn tools (no income yet) Week 3-4: Implement in workflow, see 2x productivity Month 2-3: Optimized workflow, 3-4x productivity Month 4-6: AI-enhanced business scaled, 3-5x income
Most quit at week 2-3 before seeing results.
The Better Strategy
Here’s the key insight:
AI tools only matter if you have something to sell.
Best approach:
- Choose business model first (freelancing, agency, lead gen, etc.)
- THEN add AI tools to accelerate
- Track ROI monthly—cancel tools not providing 10x return
For those exploring best side hustles, AI tools accelerate every model—but business model choice matters more than tools.
Common Questions
“Which tool should I start with?”
ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) covers 80% of use cases. Add others as needs arise.
“Are free AI tools enough?”
For testing: Yes For earning serious income: No (limits are too restrictive)
“How much should I budget for AI tools?”
- Starting out: $40-$60/month
- Full-time freelancing: $150-$200/month
- Agency/team: $300-$500/month
“Will AI tools replace my job?”
No—but people using AI will replace people who don’t. Tools amplify skills, don’t replace them.
The Bottom Line
Best AI tools to make money online in 2026:
Essential ($20-$60/month):
- ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro: $20/month (content, research, brainstorming)
- Midjourney: $30/month (design, images, concepts)
- Canva Pro: $13/month (templates, graphics)
Professional ($150-$200/month):
- Add Descript: $24/month (video/audio editing)
- Add Jasper: $49/month (if doing lots of marketing copy)
- Add Zapier: $20/month (automation)
- Add ElevenLabs: $5/month (voiceovers)
Specialized (as needed):
- Surfer SEO: $89/month (if doing SEO seriously)
- Opus Clip: $29/month (if creating short-form content)
- HeyGen: $89/month (if doing faceless video)
ROI rule: Each tool should provide 10x return. $150/month in tools should save 30+ hours OR generate $1,500+ extra income.
Reality: Tools are 20% of success. Strategy, execution, and business fundamentals are 80%.
Click here to see business model where AI accelerates building but doesn’t replace core value proposition.
Mark is the founder of MarksInsights and has spent 15+ years testing online business programs and tools. He focuses on honest, experience-based reviews that help people avoid scams and find real, sustainable ways to make money online.