Best AI for small business
What is the best AI for a small business or side hustle?
ChatGPT is the best all-round AI for a small business: it writes product listings, emails, social posts and pricing ideas on the free plan. Canva is best for designs and social graphics, and Claude is excellent for longer documents like policies and proposals. Start free and only pay when you hit the limits.
Our shortlist
| # | Tool | Best for | Free plan? | Paid from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChatGPT | Best overall | Yes | US$8/month (Go, may include ads) |
| 2 | Canva (Magic Studio) | Best for design | Yes | US$144/year (Pro, one person) in the US |
| 3 | Claude | Best for long documents | Yes | US$20/month (Pro), or US$17/month billed annually |
1. ChatGPT – best overall
Free plan covers most writing tasks; Go is US$8/month in the US and Plus US$20/month for more usage.
Free plan: Free plan: everyday text chats with fair-use limits, plus limited uploads, image creation, voice and deep research. Full ChatGPT profile →
2. Canva (Magic Studio) – best for design
Free plan with templates and limited AI uses; Pro US$144/year in the US.
Free plan: Free plan includes up to 20 uses of standard or premium AI tools; more on paid plans. Full Canva (Magic Studio) profile →
3. Claude – best for long documents
Free plan; strong at proposals, policies and careful editing.
Free plan: Free plan on web, desktop and mobile, with web search, memory and file creation; usage limits reset every five hours. Full Claude profile →
Try it now: step-by-step guides
Each guide has a copy-and-paste prompt you can use with any of the tools above.
Write listings that sell
Rough guide only: 20 minutes per listing
🚀 Side hustlesCreate a month of social media posts
Rough guide only: 3–4 hours a month
🚀 Side hustlesPrice your products or services
Rough guide only: 1 hour
🚀 Side hustlesReply to customer reviews
Rough guide only: 5 minutes per review
🚀 Side hustlesMake a flyer or poster
Rough guide only: 1–2 hours
🚀 Side hustlesScript a short video
Rough guide only: 1 hour per video
📘 Get 20 ready-made prompts for small business and more
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Things to watch out for
- Check business-plan terms if you handle customer data.
- Review all public-facing copy.
- Don't paste passwords, bank details or other people's private information into any AI tool.
How we chose
These are editorial picks by Amara Lewis, based on what each tool's free and paid plans include, how easy it is for a beginner, and how well it suits this task. We have not run formal benchmark tests for this page, and no company paid to be listed. Read how we review.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI is best for social media posts?
ChatGPT for words, Canva for visuals – both have free plans.
Can I use AI for customer emails?
Yes, but check every reply and don't paste customers' personal data into personal accounts.
Do I need a paid plan?
Most small businesses can start free and upgrade only if they hit usage limits.
Not sure where to start?
Take our 60-second quiz to get a personal AI starter kit for your life.