AI Writing Tools: How to Choose
Most people pick an AI writing tool the wrong way: they look for “the best one” instead of “the best workflow for my job.” Use this guide to pick faster and avoid paying for features you won’t use.
Before you compare brands, decide what you actually need: first-draft help, editing help, or a repeatable marketing workflow. The “right” tool is the one you’ll keep using once the novelty wears off.
On this page
Tool types
- Chat-first assistants: best for brainstorming, outlining, rewrites, and quick drafts.
- Editor-first tools: best for polishing tone, grammar, and clarity in what you already wrote.
- Template/workflow tools: best for repeatable outputs (ads, landing pages, emails) and teams.
A common mistake is paying for a template-heavy tool when you only need an editor—or trying to replace an editing workflow with chat. Pick the interface you’ll actually open every day.
Quick decision tree
- You want brainstorming + drafts: start with a chat-first assistant.
- You want cleaner writing: add an editor-first layer (grammar, tone, clarity).
- You need repeatable marketing outputs: use a workflow tool with templates + brand controls.
- You live in a team workspace: pick whatever integrates with your docs and review process.
Decision criteria
| Question | Why it matters | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| What’s the workflow? | “Best” tools fail if they don’t fit how you work. | Doc editor, browser extension, team workspace, or simple chat. |
| How do you control style? | Consistency matters for brand voice. | Custom instructions, tone controls, reusable templates. |
| What about privacy? | You may paste sensitive drafts. | Clear data policies, enterprise options, safe sharing controls. |
| Will you outgrow it? | Switching costs time (and sometimes data loss). | Export options, stable pricing, predictable usage limits. |
Starter shortlist (by use-case)
This is a starting point, not a final verdict. Try 1–2 options that match your workflow, then decide based on results, cost, and fit.
| Use-case | Start with | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brainstorming + first drafts | ChatGPT | Good general-purpose starting point; evaluate quality on your exact prompts. |
| Grammar + clarity edits | Grammarly | Often best as an “editing layer” on top of your writing, not a full workflow replacement. |
| Marketing copy workflows | Jasper | Consider if you need reusable templates and a structured team workflow. |
| Team docs + writing inside your workspace | Notion AI | Best when you already live in Notion and want writing help in-context. |
Read the full reviews
ChatGPT Review
Strong default for brainstorming and first drafts.
Grammarly Review
Best as an editing layer on top of writing you already did.
Jasper Review
Consider if you need repeatable marketing workflows.
Notion AI Review
Best when you live in Notion and want writing help in-context.
How to test in 20 minutes
- Pick one real task (an email, a blog intro, an outline) — not a generic demo.
- Run the same prompt twice: once with minimal instructions, once with your preferred style rules.
- Check edits for factual errors, weird tone drift, and “confident nonsense”.
- Decide if the workflow saves time after the novelty wears off.
Privacy checklist
If you paste anything sensitive (drafts, customer info, internal strategy), treat privacy as a first-class requirement. Before adopting a tool, check:
- Data retention: can you delete prompts/history? Is retention documented?
- Training use: are your inputs used to train models by default?
- Account security: SSO/2FA options for teams, session controls, and admin visibility.
- Sharing controls: link sharing, workspace permissions, and export options.
For how we handle analytics and attribution on this site, see Privacy Policy.
Prompt templates
Use these as starting points and swap in your real context:
- Rewrite for clarity: “Rewrite this to be clearer and shorter, keep the meaning, and remove buzzwords: …”
- Outline from notes: “Turn these bullets into an outline with H2/H3 headings and a short intro: …”
- Marketing variant test: “Write 5 variants for this landing page headline. Constraints: [tone], [audience], [avoid claims].”
- Fact-checking guardrail: “If you’re not sure, say so. List assumptions and questions you need answered before final copy.”
FAQ
Will AI-written content hurt SEO?
SEO depends on usefulness and originality, not the tool. Thin, generic pages won’t rank well whether a human or AI wrote them. Use AI to speed up drafting, then add real structure, examples, and trade-offs.
What’s the biggest risk with AI writing tools?
Confident errors (hallucinations) and accidental privacy leaks. Test with real prompts and treat factual claims as “needs verification.”
What should I try first if I’m overwhelmed?
Start with a chat tool for drafting + an editing layer for clarity. Then upgrade only if you need team workflows, templates, or governance.
Want the methodology behind our shortlists? Read How We Rank.