The AI toolkit I actually use, grouped by job

Not every tool. The ones I use for real work, what each is for, and three rules for choosing.

By MT, AI Solutions Engineer. Updated 2026-10-02.

Key takeaways

  • Group tools by the job they do, because tool names change every few months.
  • One chat model and one free automation tool are enough to start.
  • Use two models to check each other on anything important.

How I got here

My path went from ChatGPT to Claude, then to Google's Gemini, AI Studio and Stitch, and later to AI coding agents. In one year I built 65 apps in Google AI Studio alone. Each step wasn't about chasing a new brand. It was about finding the tool that did a specific job better.

That's the mindset worth copying: learn the job, not the brand.

The toolkit, by job

  • Thinking, requirements and writing: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. I use these to turn fuzzy requests into clear scopes and test plans.
  • Mockups and quick apps: Google AI Studio, Google Stitch and Lovable. Good for getting something clickable in front of people within a day.
  • Building with AI coding agents: Claude Cowork, Google Antigravity, ChatGPT Codex and Cursor. I describe what I want, the agent writes the code, and I test it.
  • Automations between tools: n8n and Make. These connect an AI step to email, spreadsheets and other apps so a task runs without you.
  • Web data and research: Apify and Manus AI.
  • Hosting and data: Vercel, Supabase and Google Sheets.
  • Testing: your own held-back test examples. This is the most important tool on the list, and it's free.

Three rules for choosing tools

  1. Start with one model you already use. You don't need five subscriptions. One chat model plus one free automation tool is enough for your first three projects.
  2. Use two models to check each other on anything important. When they disagree, that's where the interesting problem is.
  3. Learn the job, not the brand. "Turn a document into structured data" or "answer questions from a manual" stays the same, whatever the tool is called next year.

If you're starting from zero

You need a free account with one AI chat tool and a free Google account. That's enough for your first real exercise: pick a repetitive task, collect ten examples, hide four, build with six, and test on the four.

A note on this list

Tools and prices change quickly, and this list reflects what I use as of October 2026. Mentioning a tool isn't an endorsement, and I have no affiliation or paid placement with any of them.