6 of the best free AI tools for small businesses

The best AI tools can help small business owners to save time and money. AI tools can save workers 2.5 hours a day and almost a third (28 per cent) of businesses say they’ve used AI to cut costs, according to Hubspot research.

But with so many products on the market, it can be difficult to know where to start. Whether you’re looking to use AI to help you with marketing campaigns or operations, it’s important to research and compare the best tools.

With this in mind, we’ve taken a look at some of the best-known free AI tools that you can use for writing, creating videos, completing admin tasks, and recording voiceovers.

1. ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a generative AI chatbot developed by OpenAI. The tool is estimated to have almost 200 million monthly users, including businesses and consumers.

Features: Small businesses can use ChatGPT to write articles, adverts, job descriptions, or emails. It can also be used as a chatbot for research or to generate ideas. It’s a popular learning tool to help business owners upskill on trends, tools, or concepts.

Pros: Quick and easy to summarise complex information, saves time on writing

Cons: Information isn’t always accurate and can sometimes be plagiarised. AI-generated writing may need to be edited, and there are limits on the number of daily uses.  

Small business example: A small accounting business is looking to hire a new employee. They use ChatGPT to write a job description and then use it to filter applications based on certain criteria. 

Read more: How to write great ChatGPT prompts for your business

2. Notion AI

Notion is a platform that integrates apps and helps businesses to automate admin and repetitive tasks (such as inputting data into spreadsheets). Its AI version has been described by Forbes as an ‘everything AI app’. 

Features: Notion AI helps businesses with template creation, automating admin, and prioritisation. It has a Q&A function which allows users to ask questions based on all the information held in their workspace. It also integrates with ChatGPT and Claude to help with writing. 

Pros: Notion AI’s ability to handle large amounts of information quickly is one of its biggest assets, from summarising documents to creating transcripts or identifying key points.

Cons: The free plan is limited to just 20 responses (but the AI function is now a core feature of all paid Notion packages).

Small business example: A freelance graphic designer has doubled their number of clients in 12 months and is finding it difficult to stay organised. They use Notion AI to update customer records, take meeting notes and prioritise weekly tasks for each client.

3. Murf AI

Murf AI is a text to speech tool that generates human-sounding voiceovers from prompts. The popularity of podcasts and short-form videos with voiceovers means a tool like Murf AI can be invaluable to small businesses.

Features: Murf AI has a library of over 200 voices. You can use it to generate speech in over 20 languages with different accents. You can also use Murf to create voiceovers replicated from a clip of your own speech. 

Pros: As well as creating voiceovers, you can use Murf’s in-built studio to edit clips, add sound effects, and background music. Murf also integrates with useful tools such as Canva and Google Slides.

Cons: The free plan is quite limited and you can’t download the files. So if you’re looking to create a lot of voiceover content, you’ll need the paid version.

Small business example: A cake baker is trying to reach more customers via TikTok but they don’t have the time to record voiceovers for all their videos. They import a clip of their voice into Murf and use it to generate voiceovers for a range of TikTok videos.

Explained – how AI can help small business owners

4. Adobe Express

Adobe Express uses AI tool Firefly to help people create images, graphics, and videos, no matter their level of expertise.

Features: Adobe Express allows you to create images from text, making it a very useful tool for social media marketing. It has lots of features that can be used to elevate visuals without the help of a graphic designer. These include animation of static images and one-click background removal.

Pros: You can describe exactly what you want and Adobe Express can use Firefly to create it for you. This allows businesses to create a range of content (such as social media posts) using their brand colours and logos.

Cons: The free version has a limited number of AI credits.

Small business example: The owner of a hat business has just launched a new product. They use Adobe Express to create an Instagram carousel to promote it.

5. Lumen 5

AI tools like Lumen 5 drastically reduce the barriers to video creation for small business owners. When it comes to marketing, video is one of the most popular ways to reach customers, so a tool like Lumen can help you promote your business to more people.

Features: Lumen 5 is a text to video tool – you can use it to create videos from blog posts or scripts. One of its key features is its automated storyboarding. There’s also customisation tools and the option to incorporate your own branding.

Pros: Lumen 5 drastically reduces the amount of time, money, and expertise needed to create a video. It comes with a media library and voiceover options to help businesses create professional videos.

Cons: AI videos can be inconsistent and Lumen 5 is reliant on templates. As with most AI tools, the free version is limited.

Small business example: A restaurant wants to share their new menu with their followers on social media. They paste the text version of the menu into Lumen 5 and use it to create a video that brings their new dishes to life.

6. Copy.AI 

If running a business is your strongpoint but writing is one of your weaknesses, a tool like Copy.AI could be just what you’re looking for.

Features: Copy.AI emphasises its ability to use a specific tone of voice if you provide it with the relevant information. Other features include templates for all types of marketing content, from ad copy to social media posts.

Pros: Copy.AI allows you to automate the creation of content for a whole marketing campaign in one go, which can save a huge amount of time.

Cons: The free plan is limited and all content created by Copy.AI is likely to require fact-checking and editing.

Small business example: A plumber wants to share some educational content on Facebook about how to spot the signs of a frozen pipe. They use Copy.AI to create a seven-step guide for consumers.

5 risks of AI small businesses should consider

1. Cost – AI tools can be expensive, and could be a waste of money if you don’t use them properly. Research thoroughly, look for free alternatives, and put in the required time and effort to get the most out of the tools.
2. Data privacy and security – all AI tools need data. If you’re providing sensitive customer information, it’s crucial you use a tool that is secure otherwise your data could be compromised.
3. Unreliable technology – many AI tools are new, which means they could still be in development. And even the most trusted tools don’t always work how you want them too. Make sure you still have manual systems in place as a fallback.
4. Plagiarism and errors – if you’re using AI tools to write or create things, remember that the end result will be based on something that already exists. Make your own edits and check carefully for errors before publishing anything.
5. Losing the human touch – no one knows more about your business than you, and people still like to deal with other people. Overreliance on AI could make your business lose what made it special in the first place.

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